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American Morning

Update From Pentagon

Aired April 01, 2003 - 07:03   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: As we await the CentCom briefing in Qatar, they are coming our way just about 7:05 a.m. Eastern Time for the past week running, let's check in at the Pentagon and Barbara Starr to find out what is brewing there today.
Barbara -- good morning to you in D.C.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

From the Pentagon, U.S. officials here now estimating that two Republican Guard divisions, the Medina Division and the Baghdad Division, south of the capital are now at less, they say, less than 50 percent of their combat effectiveness prior to the war. This is the result of several days of airstrikes against those Republican Guard divisions.

Officials here are saying they will still conduct more than half of their airstrikes against the Republican Guard.

I see the briefing is about to begin, but this is the main focus of the U.S. military action at the moment -- Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you, Barbara.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired April 1, 2003 - 07:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: As we await the CentCom briefing in Qatar, they are coming our way just about 7:05 a.m. Eastern Time for the past week running, let's check in at the Pentagon and Barbara Starr to find out what is brewing there today.
Barbara -- good morning to you in D.C.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

From the Pentagon, U.S. officials here now estimating that two Republican Guard divisions, the Medina Division and the Baghdad Division, south of the capital are now at less, they say, less than 50 percent of their combat effectiveness prior to the war. This is the result of several days of airstrikes against those Republican Guard divisions.

Officials here are saying they will still conduct more than half of their airstrikes against the Republican Guard.

I see the briefing is about to begin, but this is the main focus of the U.S. military action at the moment -- Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you, Barbara.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.