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CNN Sunday Morning
Operation Ivy Serpent Gets Under Way in Iraq
Aired July 13, 2003 - 10:37 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. military in Iraq is striking back at dangerous paramilitary in the country. It has launched Operation Ivy Serpent. This at a time when today one U.S. soldier was reported killed at a checkpoint.
CNN's Chris Plante is live at the Pentagon with the very latest.
Hi, Chris.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi.
That's right. There was one more U.S. soldier killed and two injured today in an apparent vehicle accident when a semi-tractor- trailer dragged into a U.S. vehicle, killing one, wounding two more in Baghdad.
That brings now the U.S. casualty list to a total of 218 killed since the beginning of the war there, 142 of those from hostile fire, 76 from non-hostile incidents.
When President Bush declared an end to major combat operations on May 1, it was thought -- for some brief period of time at least -- that the -- that the killing and the fighting would be over. It has continued on a much smaller scale.
Eighty Americans have been killed since May 1; 49 of those, however, from non-hostile, from accidents like the situation today, but 31 from hostile actions being taken apparently by Baath Party and Saddam loyalists in and around Baghdad.
As a result, as you mentioned, the U.S. military launched yesterday Operation Ivy Serpent, which is fanning out in the area around Baghdad, north of Baghdad, to Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, and to the west of Baghdad, this triangle, as it's being called, where there's been a lot of hostile action against U.S. forces in those regions.
Ivy Serpent follows on the heels of three other operations, first Operation Sidewinder, then Operation Peninsula Strike, followed by Operation Desert Scorpion, which wrapped up just a few days ago.
Now all of these operations are effectively targeting the same groups of people. That is Baath Party loyalists, Saddam Hussein loyalists, those who are believed to be behind the series of attacks that have taken place since May 1 and since the fall of Saddam Hussein. So, obviously, a difficulty still going on there, casualties still being taken, and another operation and an effort to stem that -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Chris Plante at the Pentagon.
Thanks very much.
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 July 13, 2003 - 10:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. military in Iraq is striking back at dangerous paramilitary in the country. It has launched Operation Ivy Serpent. This at a time when today one U.S. soldier was reported killed at a checkpoint.
CNN's Chris Plante is live at the Pentagon with the very latest.
Hi, Chris.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi.
That's right. There was one more U.S. soldier killed and two injured today in an apparent vehicle accident when a semi-tractor- trailer dragged into a U.S. vehicle, killing one, wounding two more in Baghdad.
That brings now the U.S. casualty list to a total of 218 killed since the beginning of the war there, 142 of those from hostile fire, 76 from non-hostile incidents.
When President Bush declared an end to major combat operations on May 1, it was thought -- for some brief period of time at least -- that the -- that the killing and the fighting would be over. It has continued on a much smaller scale.
Eighty Americans have been killed since May 1; 49 of those, however, from non-hostile, from accidents like the situation today, but 31 from hostile actions being taken apparently by Baath Party and Saddam loyalists in and around Baghdad.
As a result, as you mentioned, the U.S. military launched yesterday Operation Ivy Serpent, which is fanning out in the area around Baghdad, north of Baghdad, to Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, and to the west of Baghdad, this triangle, as it's being called, where there's been a lot of hostile action against U.S. forces in those regions.
Ivy Serpent follows on the heels of three other operations, first Operation Sidewinder, then Operation Peninsula Strike, followed by Operation Desert Scorpion, which wrapped up just a few days ago.
Now all of these operations are effectively targeting the same groups of people. That is Baath Party loyalists, Saddam Hussein loyalists, those who are believed to be behind the series of attacks that have taken place since May 1 and since the fall of Saddam Hussein. So, obviously, a difficulty still going on there, casualties still being taken, and another operation and an effort to stem that -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Chris Plante at the Pentagon.
Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
