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American Morning

Inside Baghdad

Aired April 08, 2003 - 08:10   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: In Baghdad, though, we know the airport west of the city has been taken by the Army. We believe now the Marines have taken the airfield on the east side of the city, a military airfield. Based on what CENTCOM was saying earlier today, the Rasheed Air Base has been secured by the Marines, seized anyway. It might take some time to make sure that it is secure.
In the meantime, though, in about the same part of the city I believe Marty Savidge is right now working again there with the U.S. Marines.

Marty, I think you're in Baghdad proper, good afternoon there.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. Yes, we are in Baghdad proper, and we can confirm that the al-Rasheed Air Base has been taken by U.S. Marines. We believe it's from the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines. Also, may had assistance from tanks.

And we also understand that there was some munitions that were dropped from the air. These are those bomblets. Those are used to try to deprive an opposing force from using that airfield either running tanks, APCs across the grounds to defend it or movement of any aircraft. Well the movement of aircraft for the Iraqis is pretty much moot at this point. But it is in control of the Marines, significant because now they have an airfield both on the west side being the International Airport and now on the east side as well should they choose to use it.

As for our crossing into Baghdad, that happened before the sun came up this morning. Crossing over on a pontoon bridge, replacing the one you may have seen destroyed live on CNN last night. Actually, the Iraqis partially destroyed it. It was the U.S. military that took it down the rest of way to prevent it from harming any civilians.

And then immediately after crossing over, the lead elements of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines came under attack. They were quickly able, with TOW missiles and heavy caliber machine guns, to put down that fighting. It was sporadic.

And once they moved into a grove of palm trees, a literal forest of palm trees, they had quite a surprise on their hands, large pieces and large numbers of pieces of Iraqi artillery, including anti- aircraft guns, artillery pieces, standard as well as large caches of ammunition. What the marines then did was launch into sort of a very quickly organized destruction mode. This was not standard demolition practice, but something you do in a hurry using hand grenades, fragmentary devices and also hand grenades that create fire and very intense heat.

They tossed those into the weapons systems there, ran like heck, get out of the way and then -- well you see the -- what happens after that. Usually there's either a significant blast or a very intense fire and that tends to render the weapon useless. Also tends to trigger off a lot of fireworks. That's the ammunition that was stored in and around those weapons going off at the same time. That, too, is highly dangerous.

You don't want to be in the area when that is going off. Photographer Scott McQuiney (ph) likes being in that neighborhood, obviously, by looking at how close some of these images are, but a significant amount of weaponry that was destroyed. They want to make sure they get rid of that stuff so that no one else will use it against the marines in any way, shape or form in the future.

Then from there moving on to an industrial complex. That was the real objective of the day for two reasons. One, opposition forces believed to be hiding out there. And they were. The Marines did run into sporadic gunfire there. At times, moderately heavy fire coming in on them. They returned very heavy fire. Tanks were used in the movement there. APCs moving in.

This is a very difficult terrain. We're talking about a heavily industrialized complex, lots of warehouses, lots of industrial sites and buildings and factories. And moving around in there was difficult, but it was done in a very coordinated fashion, sweeping from one end to the other. At the same time, also seeking out sensitive sites that might have been used in the Iraqi weapons program. Some buildings still being look at right now.

And one last thing, Bill, on the outskirts of this industrial complex, Iraqi Republican Guard positions found abandoned, but also a lot of chemical suits were found there. These are suits you would wear in the case of chemical warfare. Full body suits, the boots, the gloves, masks with the canisters attached to them, all of these found in wooden crates and boxes there, abandoned in a hurry. Also, atropine. Atropine is what you would use to inject yourself if you thought you'd been exposed to a nerve agent. So an indication there that the Iraqis were preparing in some way, shape or form for chemical warfare, at least as a precaution -- Bill.

HEMMER: It has been one busy day, one busy 24 hours for the Marines you're with there, Marty. Thanks. We'll check in a bit later.

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 8, 2003 - 08:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In Baghdad, though, we know the airport west of the city has been taken by the Army. We believe now the Marines have taken the airfield on the east side of the city, a military airfield. Based on what CENTCOM was saying earlier today, the Rasheed Air Base has been secured by the Marines, seized anyway. It might take some time to make sure that it is secure.
In the meantime, though, in about the same part of the city I believe Marty Savidge is right now working again there with the U.S. Marines.

Marty, I think you're in Baghdad proper, good afternoon there.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. Yes, we are in Baghdad proper, and we can confirm that the al-Rasheed Air Base has been taken by U.S. Marines. We believe it's from the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines. Also, may had assistance from tanks.

And we also understand that there was some munitions that were dropped from the air. These are those bomblets. Those are used to try to deprive an opposing force from using that airfield either running tanks, APCs across the grounds to defend it or movement of any aircraft. Well the movement of aircraft for the Iraqis is pretty much moot at this point. But it is in control of the Marines, significant because now they have an airfield both on the west side being the International Airport and now on the east side as well should they choose to use it.

As for our crossing into Baghdad, that happened before the sun came up this morning. Crossing over on a pontoon bridge, replacing the one you may have seen destroyed live on CNN last night. Actually, the Iraqis partially destroyed it. It was the U.S. military that took it down the rest of way to prevent it from harming any civilians.

And then immediately after crossing over, the lead elements of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines came under attack. They were quickly able, with TOW missiles and heavy caliber machine guns, to put down that fighting. It was sporadic.

And once they moved into a grove of palm trees, a literal forest of palm trees, they had quite a surprise on their hands, large pieces and large numbers of pieces of Iraqi artillery, including anti- aircraft guns, artillery pieces, standard as well as large caches of ammunition. What the marines then did was launch into sort of a very quickly organized destruction mode. This was not standard demolition practice, but something you do in a hurry using hand grenades, fragmentary devices and also hand grenades that create fire and very intense heat.

They tossed those into the weapons systems there, ran like heck, get out of the way and then -- well you see the -- what happens after that. Usually there's either a significant blast or a very intense fire and that tends to render the weapon useless. Also tends to trigger off a lot of fireworks. That's the ammunition that was stored in and around those weapons going off at the same time. That, too, is highly dangerous.

You don't want to be in the area when that is going off. Photographer Scott McQuiney (ph) likes being in that neighborhood, obviously, by looking at how close some of these images are, but a significant amount of weaponry that was destroyed. They want to make sure they get rid of that stuff so that no one else will use it against the marines in any way, shape or form in the future.

Then from there moving on to an industrial complex. That was the real objective of the day for two reasons. One, opposition forces believed to be hiding out there. And they were. The Marines did run into sporadic gunfire there. At times, moderately heavy fire coming in on them. They returned very heavy fire. Tanks were used in the movement there. APCs moving in.

This is a very difficult terrain. We're talking about a heavily industrialized complex, lots of warehouses, lots of industrial sites and buildings and factories. And moving around in there was difficult, but it was done in a very coordinated fashion, sweeping from one end to the other. At the same time, also seeking out sensitive sites that might have been used in the Iraqi weapons program. Some buildings still being look at right now.

And one last thing, Bill, on the outskirts of this industrial complex, Iraqi Republican Guard positions found abandoned, but also a lot of chemical suits were found there. These are suits you would wear in the case of chemical warfare. Full body suits, the boots, the gloves, masks with the canisters attached to them, all of these found in wooden crates and boxes there, abandoned in a hurry. Also, atropine. Atropine is what you would use to inject yourself if you thought you'd been exposed to a nerve agent. So an indication there that the Iraqis were preparing in some way, shape or form for chemical warfare, at least as a precaution -- Bill.

HEMMER: It has been one busy day, one busy 24 hours for the Marines you're with there, Marty. Thanks. We'll check in a bit later.

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