Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
U.S. Forces Continue Raids in Iraq
Aired June 18, 2003 - 06:35 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As we told you earlier, a crowd of former Iraqi soldiers clashed with U.S. troops on the site of the presidential compound in Baghdad this morning. U.S. troops opened fire, wounding two Iraqis, one seriously, after the group threw rocks and vandalized vehicles. And there are wire reports now saying two Iraqis were killed in that incident.
In the meantime, this is day four of Operation Desert Scorpion. You know, that's the mission to crack down on militants opposed to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
More from our Ben Wedeman, who takes us on an overnight raid.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): A new hall of prisoners netted by Operation Desert Scorpion. Flat on the ground, faces in the dirt, hands bound behind their backs, men suspected of involvement in attacks on U.S. troops outside al-Oja, the town where Saddam Hussein was born.
American forces are trying to crush an armed resistance, beginning to show signs of organization. At this house, U.S. troops are looking for men, who earlier this evening had fired on American positions, just one incident on a typical night here, and this night is still young.
MAJ. MIKE SILVERMAN, U.S. ARMY: You know, we can have several small attacks a night, you know, a couple (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a small arms attack here and a mortar attack near the division.
WEDEMAN: Everyone is a suspect. A curfew breaker waits to be questioned.
(on camera): Operation Desert Scorpion is simply a new name for raids that have been going on here since well before that operation began earlier this week. Here, in Saddam Hussein's heartland, attacks on U.S. forces are a regular occurrence.
(voice-over): On a farm to the south, a thorough search. In the house, they find an AK-47 assault rifle, ammunition, night-vision goggles, a sniper's scope and a lot of Iraqi dinars, which don't really amount to more than $500 or $600.
One by one, the women of the house are brought into the kitchen and questioned about the men on the Americans' wanted list.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's never seen (UNINTELLIGIBLE). She's just heard about him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never seen him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's your husband's brother, and you've never seen him?
WEDEMAN: Outside, more questions for the farm's owner, the brother of one of Saddam Hussein's senior security officials.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did you get those Russian night sight from?
WEDEMAN: Plenty of questions; the answers are harder to come by.
A little girl afraid, strange men speaking a strange language have taken over her home in the dead of night.
As these night raids go ahead, an unmanned spy plane controlled remotely from this truck beams back live pictures of the action on the ground. Every movement is closely watched.
Despite the very real technological advantage enjoyed by the United States, Iraqi resistance remains elusive, an annoyance, American officers insist, not a major threat.
COL. JAMES HICKEY, U.S. ARMY: In a very practical sense, it hasn't been affected militarily.
WEDEMAN: Effective enough, however, to send American troops out searching in the dark night after night.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, al-Oja, central Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 June 18, 2003 - 06:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As we told you earlier, a crowd of former Iraqi soldiers clashed with U.S. troops on the site of the presidential compound in Baghdad this morning. U.S. troops opened fire, wounding two Iraqis, one seriously, after the group threw rocks and vandalized vehicles. And there are wire reports now saying two Iraqis were killed in that incident.
In the meantime, this is day four of Operation Desert Scorpion. You know, that's the mission to crack down on militants opposed to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
More from our Ben Wedeman, who takes us on an overnight raid.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): A new hall of prisoners netted by Operation Desert Scorpion. Flat on the ground, faces in the dirt, hands bound behind their backs, men suspected of involvement in attacks on U.S. troops outside al-Oja, the town where Saddam Hussein was born.
American forces are trying to crush an armed resistance, beginning to show signs of organization. At this house, U.S. troops are looking for men, who earlier this evening had fired on American positions, just one incident on a typical night here, and this night is still young.
MAJ. MIKE SILVERMAN, U.S. ARMY: You know, we can have several small attacks a night, you know, a couple (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a small arms attack here and a mortar attack near the division.
WEDEMAN: Everyone is a suspect. A curfew breaker waits to be questioned.
(on camera): Operation Desert Scorpion is simply a new name for raids that have been going on here since well before that operation began earlier this week. Here, in Saddam Hussein's heartland, attacks on U.S. forces are a regular occurrence.
(voice-over): On a farm to the south, a thorough search. In the house, they find an AK-47 assault rifle, ammunition, night-vision goggles, a sniper's scope and a lot of Iraqi dinars, which don't really amount to more than $500 or $600.
One by one, the women of the house are brought into the kitchen and questioned about the men on the Americans' wanted list.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's never seen (UNINTELLIGIBLE). She's just heard about him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never seen him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's your husband's brother, and you've never seen him?
WEDEMAN: Outside, more questions for the farm's owner, the brother of one of Saddam Hussein's senior security officials.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did you get those Russian night sight from?
WEDEMAN: Plenty of questions; the answers are harder to come by.
A little girl afraid, strange men speaking a strange language have taken over her home in the dead of night.
As these night raids go ahead, an unmanned spy plane controlled remotely from this truck beams back live pictures of the action on the ground. Every movement is closely watched.
Despite the very real technological advantage enjoyed by the United States, Iraqi resistance remains elusive, an annoyance, American officers insist, not a major threat.
COL. JAMES HICKEY, U.S. ARMY: In a very practical sense, it hasn't been affected militarily.
WEDEMAN: Effective enough, however, to send American troops out searching in the dark night after night.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, al-Oja, central Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
