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American Morning

U.S. Forces Cleaning Up Resistance in Tikrit

Aired April 14, 2003 - 08:18   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: U.S. forces seemingly moved into Tikrit with ease, Saddam Hussein's hometown. What does this now say about the state of Iraqi resistance?
CNN Center, by Major General Don Shepperd back with us, our military analyst today. Good to see you, Don, this side of the world, anyway. Who is left to fight right now in Tikrit?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Not much in an organized form, Bill. It's -- the major part of the fighting is over throughout Iraq. There's going to be cleanup of pockets in Tikrit, and other cities that have not been visited. There's going to be sniping that's going to go on in Baghdad and other places for a long period of time, but the main part of fighting is over. There was very little organized resistance in Tikrit as well.

HEMMER: What do you think that says?

SHEPPERD: I think they've said that the main loyalists have vanished. Some of them have fled to cities that have not been visited yet by the coalition. Some of them have undoubtedly -- the high rollers, fled to Syria, but they are essentially gone as an organized fighting force. Just cleanup now, Bill.

HEMMER: Yes, and what is happening overnight with the bombing on the outskirts of the city? These reports about 2,500 Republican Guard forces? Was that something that was not to be believed in the first place, or is that something that has since then dispersed?

SHEPPERD: I think it has since then dispersed. Basically, that was on the approach to the city. Those people were the last bastions defense of the city itself. They were cleaned up by air and also by the approaching ground forces. Now, they're gone, fled. They're in the business now of exploiting the underground areas of Tikrit and the other areas that they have interest in.

HEMMER: Don, I want to get your thoughts on what appears to be day-by-day the increasing police effort, how a soldier or a Marine has to transform him or herself into that duty and role of a police officer. You could say right now in Iraq this is the great experiment, the Iraqis need the American military for support and get things up and running again. The American military needs the Iraqis' cooperation to make sure this thing works.

How do you see right now, with the fall of Tikrit eminent, the activity we're getting on the streets of Baghdad, what has happened already and transpired in Basra, this effort right now of cooperation? Is it taking hold, or is this something right now that is going to be much more difficult than we can imagine?

SHEPPERD: It's taking hold, Bill. We're at the early stages, but it's happening. The people are coming forward. The police are going back to work. Lots of effort to getting electricity, water, the hospitals back working. But basically all of the -- all of the systems are starting to work now, and it's just a matter of establishing a new government. That is going to be the difficult thing, and it's going to take many weeks or months before it's spread throughout the country and really, really working well.

HEMMER: And if they can pull this off, too, I think the entire world is going to get a big head nod, too, to what is happening in that country. We shall see. Don, thanks. Talk to you next hour, all right?

SHEPPERD: You bet.

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 14, 2003 - 08:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. forces seemingly moved into Tikrit with ease, Saddam Hussein's hometown. What does this now say about the state of Iraqi resistance?
CNN Center, by Major General Don Shepperd back with us, our military analyst today. Good to see you, Don, this side of the world, anyway. Who is left to fight right now in Tikrit?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Not much in an organized form, Bill. It's -- the major part of the fighting is over throughout Iraq. There's going to be cleanup of pockets in Tikrit, and other cities that have not been visited. There's going to be sniping that's going to go on in Baghdad and other places for a long period of time, but the main part of fighting is over. There was very little organized resistance in Tikrit as well.

HEMMER: What do you think that says?

SHEPPERD: I think they've said that the main loyalists have vanished. Some of them have fled to cities that have not been visited yet by the coalition. Some of them have undoubtedly -- the high rollers, fled to Syria, but they are essentially gone as an organized fighting force. Just cleanup now, Bill.

HEMMER: Yes, and what is happening overnight with the bombing on the outskirts of the city? These reports about 2,500 Republican Guard forces? Was that something that was not to be believed in the first place, or is that something that has since then dispersed?

SHEPPERD: I think it has since then dispersed. Basically, that was on the approach to the city. Those people were the last bastions defense of the city itself. They were cleaned up by air and also by the approaching ground forces. Now, they're gone, fled. They're in the business now of exploiting the underground areas of Tikrit and the other areas that they have interest in.

HEMMER: Don, I want to get your thoughts on what appears to be day-by-day the increasing police effort, how a soldier or a Marine has to transform him or herself into that duty and role of a police officer. You could say right now in Iraq this is the great experiment, the Iraqis need the American military for support and get things up and running again. The American military needs the Iraqis' cooperation to make sure this thing works.

How do you see right now, with the fall of Tikrit eminent, the activity we're getting on the streets of Baghdad, what has happened already and transpired in Basra, this effort right now of cooperation? Is it taking hold, or is this something right now that is going to be much more difficult than we can imagine?

SHEPPERD: It's taking hold, Bill. We're at the early stages, but it's happening. The people are coming forward. The police are going back to work. Lots of effort to getting electricity, water, the hospitals back working. But basically all of the -- all of the systems are starting to work now, and it's just a matter of establishing a new government. That is going to be the difficult thing, and it's going to take many weeks or months before it's spread throughout the country and really, really working well.

HEMMER: And if they can pull this off, too, I think the entire world is going to get a big head nod, too, to what is happening in that country. We shall see. Don, thanks. Talk to you next hour, all right?

SHEPPERD: You bet.

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