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American Morning

News of America's Casualties

Aired April 07, 2003 - 08:04   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.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to get started with a view from journalists on the scene. Walt Rodgers, as Bill just mentioned, is with the Army's 3-7th Cav in southwest Baghdad.
Martin Savidge is with Marines in southeast Baghdad as well, and Ben Wedeman is near Mosul, Iraq. Now to the western outskirts of the capital, let's get started with Walt Rodgers, who is with the 3-7th Cav, with news of America's casualties.

Walt, what's the latest?

WALT RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

There was a price to be paid for that American thrust by the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division into Baghdad today. This is, of course, the third day in a row, but we're given to believe by Army sources, and I've checked this several times now, that the Iraqis did manage to find the brigade headquarters from when the operation was being commanded, and we are a told the Iraqis fired a missile into the headquarters, at least six Americans injured, four to six other Americans unaccounted for at that brigade headquarters. That would be the tactical operation center for the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.

Still, the progress today inside Baghdad is greater than what we've seen the previous three days. You'll recall this is the third day that the 2nd Brigade 3rd Infantry Division has thrust forward, rolled tanks into Baghdad. What's different today is the Iraqis now -- the Iraqis are going to be seeing the American forces stay. We're told three battalions of the 2nd Brigade Third Infantry Baghdad. Three Battalions, 2nd Brigade, Third Infantry will be staying in Baghdad. This is not just a tactical armed reconnaissance foray -- Paula.

ZAHN: Walt, are you allowed to tell us what the 7th Cav will be up to today?

RODGERS: We can tell you part of it. We can't tell you what our next move is. But we can tell you about their operation which is underway. What is happening is that as the Americans consolidate their positions, particularly here in the western suburbs, the Iraqi citizens are coming up, feeling more confident and saying, by the way, did you know there is a collection of tanks in that palm tree grove over there, or by the way, there is a missile over there. And what the 7th Cavalry is doing this hour is responding to help from local Iraqi citizens in the certain suburbs. We can hear the rumbling in the distance. They are blasting away at armored personnel carriers, Iraqi arms caches, Iraqi tanks. Many of the Iraqi simply park their tanks in somebody's driveway now, take off their uniforms and leave the uniforms there. We're seeing fairly mass desertions.

We also understand there is a fairly large missile that has just been destroyed, or at least discovered, by 7th Cavalry -- Paula.

ZAHN: Walt Rodgers, thanks for the update. We'll be getting back to you a little bit later on this morning.

Back to Bill now in Kuwait City -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right, Paula, the U.S. military is saying that the Army came in from the West, the Marines came in from the east. You heard Walt talk about these casualties on behalf of the 3rd ID. We are getting reports again today, earlier today, U.S. Marines taking casualties as well, Not quite clear on the details. Perhaps Martin Savidge can sort them out with us by way of videophone now, southeastern part of Baghdad.

Marty, good afternoon.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.

About the same time that the U.S. Army was entering Baghdad from the West, that's where the Marines began making their push from the east.

Now we understand that 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, who were starting to cross a bridgehead, just before they moved out, one of their armored personnel carriers which the Marines ride, was struck by an artillery shell, unclear at this point, whose artillery shell. There may have been Iraqi indirect fire artillery coming in at that particular point. It is a bridgehead area. It's an area that Iraqi guns would be focused on.

Also, though, there have been unconfirmed reports that it may have been U.S. military artillery as well, which would have been focused on force protection, could have been a round that went astray. That's under investigation. Not clear this time. The APC was hit. We do understand that there were some casualties. That is as much as we know.

Meanwhile, some of the lead elements of the 3rd Battalion, Fourth Marines, have already pushed their way across the Tigris. Taking place behind us here now, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, they're involved in somewhat of a fight, lead elements down there. There is a small village just before you cross the bridge to go across the Tigris, and that's where the fighting is taking place, skirmishing mainly.

You'll hear artillery fire at times, heavy machine guns going off. We've also heard rounds of M-16s and sporadic fire and mortar fire going off. There has also been artillery that seems to come close to this proximity here as well. Airstrikes continue overhead, helicopters continue to fly by. A lot of activity here, but of course it's also focused on getting the Marines established on the eastern side of Baghdad, blocking off any reinforcement on the part of Iraqi troops that might come in on the Iranian border, and also moving in on the city itself -- Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Marty, thanks. Marty Savidge there, by way of videophone, southeastern part of Baghdad. Losing a little bit of that signal at the end. Marty, thanks. We'll check in a little bit later today.

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 7, 2003 - 08:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to get started with a view from journalists on the scene. Walt Rodgers, as Bill just mentioned, is with the Army's 3-7th Cav in southwest Baghdad.
Martin Savidge is with Marines in southeast Baghdad as well, and Ben Wedeman is near Mosul, Iraq. Now to the western outskirts of the capital, let's get started with Walt Rodgers, who is with the 3-7th Cav, with news of America's casualties.

Walt, what's the latest?

WALT RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

There was a price to be paid for that American thrust by the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division into Baghdad today. This is, of course, the third day in a row, but we're given to believe by Army sources, and I've checked this several times now, that the Iraqis did manage to find the brigade headquarters from when the operation was being commanded, and we are a told the Iraqis fired a missile into the headquarters, at least six Americans injured, four to six other Americans unaccounted for at that brigade headquarters. That would be the tactical operation center for the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.

Still, the progress today inside Baghdad is greater than what we've seen the previous three days. You'll recall this is the third day that the 2nd Brigade 3rd Infantry Division has thrust forward, rolled tanks into Baghdad. What's different today is the Iraqis now -- the Iraqis are going to be seeing the American forces stay. We're told three battalions of the 2nd Brigade Third Infantry Baghdad. Three Battalions, 2nd Brigade, Third Infantry will be staying in Baghdad. This is not just a tactical armed reconnaissance foray -- Paula.

ZAHN: Walt, are you allowed to tell us what the 7th Cav will be up to today?

RODGERS: We can tell you part of it. We can't tell you what our next move is. But we can tell you about their operation which is underway. What is happening is that as the Americans consolidate their positions, particularly here in the western suburbs, the Iraqi citizens are coming up, feeling more confident and saying, by the way, did you know there is a collection of tanks in that palm tree grove over there, or by the way, there is a missile over there. And what the 7th Cavalry is doing this hour is responding to help from local Iraqi citizens in the certain suburbs. We can hear the rumbling in the distance. They are blasting away at armored personnel carriers, Iraqi arms caches, Iraqi tanks. Many of the Iraqi simply park their tanks in somebody's driveway now, take off their uniforms and leave the uniforms there. We're seeing fairly mass desertions.

We also understand there is a fairly large missile that has just been destroyed, or at least discovered, by 7th Cavalry -- Paula.

ZAHN: Walt Rodgers, thanks for the update. We'll be getting back to you a little bit later on this morning.

Back to Bill now in Kuwait City -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right, Paula, the U.S. military is saying that the Army came in from the West, the Marines came in from the east. You heard Walt talk about these casualties on behalf of the 3rd ID. We are getting reports again today, earlier today, U.S. Marines taking casualties as well, Not quite clear on the details. Perhaps Martin Savidge can sort them out with us by way of videophone now, southeastern part of Baghdad.

Marty, good afternoon.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.

About the same time that the U.S. Army was entering Baghdad from the West, that's where the Marines began making their push from the east.

Now we understand that 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, who were starting to cross a bridgehead, just before they moved out, one of their armored personnel carriers which the Marines ride, was struck by an artillery shell, unclear at this point, whose artillery shell. There may have been Iraqi indirect fire artillery coming in at that particular point. It is a bridgehead area. It's an area that Iraqi guns would be focused on.

Also, though, there have been unconfirmed reports that it may have been U.S. military artillery as well, which would have been focused on force protection, could have been a round that went astray. That's under investigation. Not clear this time. The APC was hit. We do understand that there were some casualties. That is as much as we know.

Meanwhile, some of the lead elements of the 3rd Battalion, Fourth Marines, have already pushed their way across the Tigris. Taking place behind us here now, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, they're involved in somewhat of a fight, lead elements down there. There is a small village just before you cross the bridge to go across the Tigris, and that's where the fighting is taking place, skirmishing mainly.

You'll hear artillery fire at times, heavy machine guns going off. We've also heard rounds of M-16s and sporadic fire and mortar fire going off. There has also been artillery that seems to come close to this proximity here as well. Airstrikes continue overhead, helicopters continue to fly by. A lot of activity here, but of course it's also focused on getting the Marines established on the eastern side of Baghdad, blocking off any reinforcement on the part of Iraqi troops that might come in on the Iranian border, and also moving in on the city itself -- Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Marty, thanks. Marty Savidge there, by way of videophone, southeastern part of Baghdad. Losing a little bit of that signal at the end. Marty, thanks. We'll check in a little bit later today.

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