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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Tanks Attack Iraqi Barracks in Baghdad Suburbs
Aired April 05, 2003 - 17:00 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Battle for Baghdad. This evening, CNN takes you to the Iraqi capital by ground and by air as U.S. troops advance on the city, on this, day 17 of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS from Kuwait City, with correspondents from around the world.
WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.
BLITZER: If you're just turning on your television set, you've missed a major and historic development. U.S. troops in the heart of Baghdad, a new phase targeting the capital city is now under way.
Hello from Kuwait City. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting tonight live from here in the Persian Gulf.
Baghdad is facing the fury from many fronts this evening. CNN is the first network to take you over Baghdad by air. CNN's Kyra Phillips went aboard a Navy P-3 and covered a reconnaissance mission. We'll show you more of these exclusive pictures and tell you the new strategy from the skies.
By ground, you'll see the battle being fought in the suburbs of Baghdad, as U.S. forces continue their fight and their tanks attack Iraqi Republican Guard barracks.
On the city outskirts, you'll see the shelling going on. A coordinated effort by coalition forces to make Iraqis surrender their capital. We're told by the U.S. Army the pressure is, indeed, working and that Ba'ath Party leaders and Iraqi leaders, officials are leaving Baghdad this evening.
We have reporters and guests covering the land and air assault. CNN's Nic Robertson and Kyra Phillips are standing by, as well as the former U.S. acting ambassador in Baghdad, Joe Wilson.
But first, let's go to Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN news room.
(NEWSBREAK)
BLITZER: The battle for Baghdad has begun in earnest, with heavy fighting reported right now. U.S. troops have a strong hold at the city's airport, and they've made their presence with a raid felt very deeply right into the heart of the capital, this, as the air campaign shifts to direct support of urban combat.
Let's go live, first of all, to our senior international correspondent. Nic Robertson is tracking developments from Ruwaished in Jordan, right along the border with Iraq. Nic, what's the latest?
NIC ROBERTSON, SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, our sources in Baghdad are saying they're seeing a lot of explosions and hearing a lot of explosions coming from the southwest of the city in the direction of the international airport, where coalition forces are based.
What they are saying they are seeing and hearing on the streets of Baghdad paints a very interesting picture today. They say that Iraqi civilians in the capital know that they have seen coalition forces inside the southwest of the city, inside the southeast of the city.
And also, Iraqi civilians say they believe that there is a coalition force checkpoint on the northern perimeter of the city. So Iraqis inside Baghdad, very aware that coalition forces are even inside the city at this time.
Now, the information minister has been telling them that that's not the case, that the coalition forces have been defeated at the airport. However, we also understand, from our sources, that inside Baghdad, Iraq's military has been gathering tanks and artillery pieces in a park quite close to the center of Baghdad, also quite close to the international airport in the southwest of the city.
We understand Iraqi troops, Fedayeen forces, Republican Guard, are on the streets. They have made more sandbag bunkers. They have closed off civilian areas. C-72 tanks have been seen on the streets as well.
Although, we understand from our sources, at this time, that the Iraqi forces out on the streets appear quite relaxed. One surprising comment one source told us today, that these Iraqi forces, apart from the tanks and artillery pieces, only had kalashnikovs, machine guns, with them. Very, very few of them, he said, actually carried rocket- propelled grenades, which might be the sort of defense you would use against tanks - Wolf.
BLITZER: Nic, there are reports that some U.S. Marines and U.S. Army soldiers are engaging in non-Iraqi/Arab troops from such places as the Sudan, Egypt, Jordan. Are there significant numbers of these kinds of fighters now in and around the Iraqi capital?
ROBERTSON: Iraqi officials have boasted recently that there could be as many as 6,000 of these fighters inside Baghdad. Before we were thrown out of Baghdad two weeks ago by the Iraqi authorities, we saw a small handful of them. I have talked to other people who were present and know that more of these fighters have been coming into Iraq at this time.
It's very difficult to know truly the exact figures, the exact fighting capability and disposition of these fighters who have been moving in to Baghdad. Certainly the fighters we've seen, the fighters we know that have been coming in, we do know that they've been going and stationing themselves inside Baghdad, Wolf. BLITZER: All right. We'll keep watching that situation on this day that U.S. forces have actually entered Baghdad. Nic Robertson - thanks very much.
The U.S. Air Force is now around the clock on alert, providing special urban combat air support for coalition troops in and around the Iraqi capital.
Meanwhile, Navy pilots are still flying their P-3 reconnaissance missions for U.S. Marines on the ground.
CNN's Kyra Phillips is the only network television reporter to fly along on a mission over Baghdad. She's joining us now live from Bahrain with exclusive pictures.
Kyra, tell us all about it.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I guess you could say they're the coalition bodyguards over Baghdad. They're the airborne shield to the U.S. Marines on the ground.
We did get an exclusive look over the skies of Iraq. We got to fly with the Navy P-3, including the U.S. Marine Corps, two riders on board.
This is how it works, Wolf. They work together inside this aircraft, an aircraft that has all types of specialized electro-optic cameras. You'll see the P-3 personnel working the different areas of the aircraft.
Then, in the back, the U.S. Marine Corps riders watching these pictures, paying close attention to these pictures. They have their laptop with their maps. They know exactly where the troops are on the ground, where the Marines are supposed to be going, what their next move is.
Then, through these special cameras, they're able to see if there are any threats in the area to these Marine personnel on the ground. They can look ahead. It's called situational awareness, specifically for the commander on the ground leading the Marines into Baghdad and around Baghdad.
They look for certain hot spots. They try to find Iraqi forces hiding in certain areas. They look for tanks, any type of threat to the forces.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It keeps the Marines safe. And one more safe Marine is one more Marine that can continue on north to Baghdad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm looking for enemy positions at the front. We'll look at the routes ahead of where our guys are going to go and try to see what enemy is there.
PHILLIPS: And they were able to find the golden nugget, as they say. Marines were coming up on a bridge that they thought did not exist. That bridge did exist. There were vehicles. There were Iraqi forces. They were able to tell the Marines that is what is ahead. Beware of that. Work your way around them or engage; you have the choice.
Now, another interesting fact is, you know, this squadron is not used to being fired upon. They're usually patrolling over the waters. Now their mission has expanded. You could see the AAA fire outside the window of the aircraft. They were engaging with missiles, looking for missile sites, trying to take those out also.
So as you can see, the mission is getting much more dangerous for the P-3, but they're working well with the Marines and protecting those troops on the ground. We'll have a full report coming up in the next hour, Wolf.
BLITZER: Kyra, before I let you go, you flew over Baghdad. Just think about that. Think about where you were only a few weeks ago. Today, you flew over Baghdad. What was it like? How scared were you?
PHILLIPS: That's a good question. It's quite a reality check when you look out the window, looking through the infrared goggles and seeing the AAA fire, seeing the explosions going on around you. It is quite a reality check.
But we wanted to be able to bring you the pictures and wanted to be able to tell you about this mission so you saw firsthand the threat. You know, it's not just strike fighter pilots that are going through this threat and dealing with missiles and AAA. It's also the reconnaissance missions and the crews on these aircraft.
And, you know, these aircraft, they're slower and they're not able to maneuver and defend like the strike fighters. So you can imagine the position that they're in. But they're saving lives, and it's working well.
BLITZER: Kyra Phillips, doing some important work, amazing work for us today. Kyra, I'm glad you're back in Bahrain. That's home of the 5th Fleet, the Navy's 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf. We'll speak to you in the next hour as well.
Meanwhile, U.S. Army commanders are suggesting Iraq's armed forces may be in their final days.
We begin with our senior international correspondent, Walter Rodgers. He's with the 3-7th Cavalry, now in the western suburbs of Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALT RODGERS, SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What we are hearing from the U.S. Army commanders in this theater of operations is a very upbeat message, upbeat in the sense that one senior officer in the United States Army was quoted as saying "we have the Iraqis rocking backwards on their heels."
This senior officer went on to say we just need to keep the pressure on for a few more days. The very clear implication of his remarks is that there is a timeline and that the military commanders believe the Iraqi resistance is crumbling and will continue to crumble, especially when the U.S. Army's 2nd Brigade 3rd Infantry Division rolled at will through some sections of Baghdad today, right into the city itself, well into the city limits and did a tour through.
The U.S. Army's 2nd Brigade 3rd Infantry literally rolling on tanks through, first as a reconnaissance unit, then as literally a show of force. Indeed, they swept through a southern third of the city, perhaps a southern quarter of the city of Baghdad, 6 million people and then came back out again just simply to say, we are here.
And if there's anything left of the Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein, the message the army was sending that we can flex our muscles in your capital any time you want.
One very important thing, we continue to receive reports of a mass exodus of Iraqi party officials, Ba'athist Party officials and Republican Guard officers trying to flee west of the city, going up perhaps in the direction of Syria. We have heard that they have been carrying suitcases of money. The Army has discovered that in some fleeing vehicles over the past few days.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Martin Savidge with the 1st Battalion 7th Marines. The Marines, as you know, pushing up on Baghdad from the east.
We're entering from the southeast, now getting into the southeastern most suburbs. We're about 29 kilometers away or roughly about 15 miles from the heart of Baghdad itself.
The 5th Marines going through this area last night ran into trouble. Said they got rocket-propelled grenades fired their way. Tanks were hit. They did suffer some casualties.
Today, 1st Battalion 7th Marines we're traveling with had the task of going into the same area, clearing it and putting an end to any sort of fighting.
And there has been fighting for some of the lead elements of this particular battalion. We know that for two reasons: one, sporadic fighting reported back down the line; two, the sound of artillery. Lots of it this morning, more this afternoon, even a few rounds late this afternoon.
Artillery would be used to hit, say, heavily reinforced position or bunkers. It could be remnants of the Iraqi Republican Guard or it could be remnants of the Iraqi army that are dug in out there.
The fighting is not said to be heavy. It is only described as sporadic, and the forces are continuing to drive forward -- Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: CNN's Martin Savidge -- Thanks very much. Walter Rodgers, as well, two of our embedded reporters right near Baghdad right now.
And now let's turn to a man who knows the Iraqi capital quite well.
Former Ambassador Joe Wilson was the U.S. envoy to Iraq there on the eve of the first Gulf War. He was the last senior United States official to have met personally with President Saddam Hussein.
Joe Wilson joins us now live from Washington.
Ambassador Wilson, thanks very much. Give us, first of all, your bottom-line assessment, how you see the situation in and around Baghdad unfolding right now.
JOSEPH WILSON, FORMER U.S. ENVOY TO IRAQ: Well, I have to say, having watched Kyra's report, it really puts pain to the question that we have not just superiority, but absolute dominance of the air around Baghdad.
And then from the other two reports, I think it's clear that we can go in. We're certainly fortified enough to go in and come out at will without suffering any serious casualties to our own forces doing so.
So I think, you know, we're really at the end game. The back has been broken of the Iraqi armed forces. That's pretty clear. And the question will be, how long does it take to mop up? And then we enter into the long occupation period.
BLITZER: You heard Walter Rodgers say that there seems to be a flood o refugees, of people trying to escape Baghdad in a westerly direction, perhaps toward Syria, perhaps toward Jordan.
It sounds as if the U.S. military has the city surrounded, but they're leaving one escape route deliberately open for whatever reason. Is that a sense you're getting as well?
WILSON: Well, I mean that's sort of classic military. I think that dates back to Sunsu (ph), that you leave a mote free at the back of the city so they can escape and are not forced to fight to the bitter end.
Because given the opportunity to flee rather than fight, I think most Baghdadis, who have been under this terrible aerial pounding for the past couple of weeks would probably welcome the chance to slip out and go somewhere else.
BLITZER: What happened to the vaunted Republican Guard, six divisions, supposedly, that had encircled Baghdad and were ready to fight to the death, and the so-called special Republican Guard that are, of course, entrenched right in Baghdad? WILSON: Well, I think, Wolf, a lot of them probably did fight to the death and are now dead. And, you know, however vaunted they are, it was pretty clear from the beginning that you were looking at po- dunk high facing up to the New York Yankees and the New York Yankees were going to win. And they've done so.
American military power is as advertised, without a doubt. Our soldiers out there have just done an amazing job of moving quickly up the Tigris and Euphrates valleys and getting the job done with relatively few casualties to our own forces.
BLITZER: We saw some new videotape today released on Iraqi state television, showing Saddam Hussein, his two seasons, Uday and Qusay, some other senior ministers, advisers to the Iraqi president. We have no idea when this tape was made, whether it was done weeks ago or whether it was done today. But as you look at this tape, what goes through your mind, Ambassador Wilson?
WILSON: Well, when I last saw Saddam, he was so cocky and self- confident about how the United States lacked the tenacity or the intestinal fortitude to suffer the casualties of 10,000 soldiers in the Arabian Desert or to throw him out of Kuwait.
And not only is he being thrown out of Kuwait, he's being thrown out of his own capital. We have not suffered the casualties that he predicted, and we have shown the tenacity to do the job.
BLITZER: Ambassador Joe Wilson, it's kind of you to join us again. Maybe stick around a little bit in our Washington bureau. It sounds as if the situation in Baghdad might be heating up. There have already been extensive explosions over the past several hours. More expected. A lot of artillery fire being heard in the southern suburbs of Baghdad, including the southwestern suburbs right near where U.S. forces are at the Baghdad International Airport.
Ambassador Joe Wilson, always good to speak with you and get your expertise. Thank you very much.
Meanwhile, the coalition allies are operating on the ground in Baghdad. Things are changing fast in the capital city right now. When something happens there, of course, we'll bring it to you first here on CNN.
Just ahead, you're there with the U.S. assault force during a raid on a Republican Guard barracks in Baghdad.
And shocking images of wars' victims: inside a hospital in Nasiriyah.
And what about the fate of Saddam Hussein and his sons? Are we any closer to finding out what happened to them or where they are?
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: With coalition forces on the move across Iraq, here's a look at some of today's battle scenes. U.S. Marines have joined the battle for Baghdad with heavy - heavy - artillery barrages directed at Iraqi forces on the outskirts of the city.
Marines also report close quarters combat with Arab volunteers in a march outside the capital.
In the south, CNN's Mike Boettcher rode into Basra with a U.S. Special Forces team that drew heavy mortar fire from Iraqi forces still entrenched in the city.
And CNN's Brent Sadler is in northern Iraq where U.S. air strikes have been pounding, pounding away at Iraqi positions across the front lines from U.S. troops and Kurdish forces. We'll check in live with Brent Sadler shortly.
In the mean time, two task forces of the United States 3rd Infantry Division toured parts of southern Baghdad today. And the Associated Press recorded video of what it said was a battle at a Republican Guard barracks in the southwestern part of the city.
We're taking you to the front lines right now. Take a look and listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(WAR FOOTAGE)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: As the video ended, Iraqi tanks appeared to be afire, and smoke was billowing through the entire neighborhood.
Baghdad now being contested street-by-street, by coalition and Iraqi forces. You'll need to stay with us throughout this hour, indeed, throughout the night for the latest from the Iraqi capital.
But in the struggle for the capital, will U.S.-led forces get support from the north? Those battle lines keep shifting as well. We'll hear directly from our Brent Sadler. He's there with U.S. and Kurdish troops.
And there's a U.S. Army fort in Texas heartbroken this evening. We'll take you there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: You're looking at live pictures of the USS Constellation. That's one of five U.S. aircraft carriers engaged in this war against Iraq, two in the eastern Mediterranean, three in the Persian Gulf. The Constellation is in the Gulf. You're looking at the deck where warplanes are about to take off and return, deeply engaged in fighting, helping to try to secure the Iraqi capital tonight.
As coalition forces close the noose around Baghdad, let's look at the "Battle Lines.
Driving into the heart of Baghdad, U.S. forces send a message to the Iraqi regime. They can strike where and when they choose. Sources in Baghdad spot U.S. forces as close to the city center as a bridge, about a mile from one of Saddam Hussein's palaces.
Iraqi troops still hitting at the allies where they can, inside the city and at the outskirts. Outside the capital, a mass exodus.
CNN's Walter Rodgers with the Army's 3-7th Cavalry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: Iraqi officials are fleeing Baghdad in droves. What they're doing, according to the Army, is insinuating their army trucks in between civilian convoys and then fleeing Baghdad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Rodgers also reports a dramatic reconnaissance mission by the 3-7th Cavalry today. The unit surprises a column of Iraqi tanks south of Baghdad and destroys them.
Pushing up from the southeast, the 1st Battalion 7th Marines. CNN's martin Savidge embedded with the unit says the 7th Marines are at the southeastern suburbs of Baghdad encountering sporadic fire along the way.
Further south, Basra, where coalition air strikes destroyed the home of Iraqi general Ali Hassan al Majeed, also known as chemical Ali for allegedly ordering chemical weapons attacks against Kurds 15 years ago.
In the north, the lines keep moving. Iraqi forces still control much of that region, but U.S. and Kurdish forces pressuring the cities of Mosul, Irbil and Kirkuk.
Coalition aircraft have free reign over Iraq, and we're watching the skies right now.
CNN's Gary Tuchman is at an air base near the Iraqi border, standing by live.
And CNN's Brent Sadler is in northern Iraq where U.S. Special Forces are working with Kurds, and they're trying to get powerful air support. It looks like they're getting it.
Let's begin with Brent. Brent, what's the latest?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, as you say, really, the Iraqi Kurds on the ground hooking up closely with their American allies. I've spent many hours this day at the forward end of the lines along this sector of the northern front, about 100 miles from Baghdad, watching the extraordinary calculations that go into U.S. Special Forces forward air controllers, bringing in with calm and precision, massive air strikes against Iraqi military targets on a ridge line.
Now, in a space of about an hour, a B-52 bomber came just after nightfall, came and did four bombing runs. Let me give you the mass of this. In four runs, each run seven 500-pound bombs. Four runs, a total of 14,000 pounds of high explosive ordnance on a series of positions.
I saw secondary fires, confirmation from U.S. Special Forces that they've hit their targets. And, Wolf, this is just the beginning of what's in store for Iraq's army across the whole of the northern front as U.S. coalition forces move ever closer towards the center of Baghdad.
BLITZER: Brent, before I let you go I have one important question I have to ask you about those oil fields in northern Iraq. A huge deal was made about the southern Iraqi oil fields. The Iraqi regime apparently tried to destroy some of them. The U.S. and British forces got that under control.
What about in the north? A third of Iraq's oil supply is up there. Are the Iraqis trying to destroy any of those oil wells?
SADLER: As you say, Wolf, very important oil reserves up here. Kirkuk sits on most of those oil reserves, but as of yet, no reports of any attempt to destroy those precious oil fields for the rebuilding of a future Iraq without Saddam Hussein.
What you're seeing on the ground here is the Iraqi army, maybe Fedayeen special forces, really under extreme and building pressure from these air strikes, getting more and more coordinated with the Kurds, really pinning them down. They perhaps don't have much time to go and look about setting charges, blowing up those oil fields. But at the moment, no reports of any attacks against them, Wolf.
BLITZER: Brent Sadler for us in northern Iraq. Thanks very much, Brent.
Let's turn now to Gary Tuchman. He's one of our embedded correspondents. He's at an air base not far from the Iraqi border. He's joining us now live.
What's the latest over there, Gary?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, here's the latest news. The Air Force is changing tactics to increase the pressure on Iraq's capital. As of now, highly placed Air Force officials say there will be plains over the city of Baghdad 24 hours a day. They will remain there until the war is over.
And here's how it will work. At all times, there will be a minimum of two planes over Baghdad. They will act as dispatchers of sorts. When troops on the ground, coalition troops, say they need support, say they need bombs or missiles, those two planes will call in at least six other planes and sometimes more.
Some of the planes they'll call in include these A-10s behind me, the A-10 attack aircraft that are based here at this air base near the Iraqi border.
In addition, they'll call in F-16 fighter planes. The A-10s, the F-16s will drop their munitions to support the ground troops. So there will always be at least two planes over Baghdad, sometimes more.
Throughout the 15 days of the war, there have been lots of sorties near Baghdad, but not always air cover over Baghdad. Now, the planes will remain there until the war ends.
The Air Force is calling this a new urban close air support, and it will be a combination of the air support, the ground troops that will remain there until the war is over.
Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Gary, a quick question. We heard earlier today in one of your reports, from the U.S. Air Force commander, General Michael Moseley - he's based in Saudi Arabia - we haven't heard much from him. Certainly we haven't heard much from Saudi Arabia. But he's basically running the air war from a base in Saudi Arabia. Why now? Why is he going public, speaking with reporters at this sensitive stage, given the sensitivity of the Saudi government?
TUCHMAN: Well, he's not advertising the fact that he's in Saudi Arabia, although we all know that. But he wants to make it very clear they think toughness is very important right now. And there's no subtlety. His quote, Wolf, that he said was, "we are not softening the Republican Guard. We are killing them." And he said purposely; he said that loudly; and he wants to make sure the government of Iraq knows that.
BLITZER: Gary Tuchman - at a base not in Saudi Arabia, but not far from Iraq. Thanks very much for that report.
Things could change at any min it in Baghdad. You'll see the latest right here on CNN as soon as something happens.
How does the coalition plan on taking the Iraqi capital? A closer look at the strategy. That's just ahead.
Assault on the Iraqi leadership. Coalition forces hunting for Saddam Hussein. They hit the home of one of his cousins. What are the results?
And what did British find in a makeshift morgue? That's spurring an investigation. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: This is an historic day. The U.S. has entered Baghdad. U.S. coalition forces now in the Iraqi capital. We're live in Baghdad. We're giving you all the late breaking developments, as coalition and Iraqi forces battle for the control of the capital.
First, the latest headlines. Let's go back to Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN news room in Atlanta. [NEWSBREAK]
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Fredricka. Let's check in with our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson. He's been tracking all of the late breaking developments, including the battle for Baghdad that is now under way from his post along the Iraqi border.
Nic - as you look at this current situation, week three of this war, U.S. troops have actually entered Baghdad, but U.S. military commanders warning the worst may yet be in store. Iraqis seem to be getting out of the way, at least a lot of them, including senior military officers. What's your understanding of what's happening in Baghdad?
ROBERTSON: Well, talking to the sources that I have in Baghdad, they've been telling me, from what they see, the Iraqi military seems to be trying to separate civilian from military emplacements inside the city.
We are told by our sources that Iraq's military are, in fact, telling civilians to get out of the way in some particular areas of Baghdad, clearing them out.
What is happening, we are told, is that in a park area, close to the center of Baghdad on the southwestern side that's very close to the international airport where coalition forces are, that Iraqi forces have been mustering tanks and artillery pieces in that area, also setting up checkpoints and road blocks, again in that southwestern section of the city.
These areas, we understand, the civilians have been told to leave. We understand, as well, that there are a lot of Fedayeen fighters and Republican Guard fighters who have been moved into this particular area.
Iraqis in the city are saying that they are definitely seeing and they certainly understand that coalition forces are close to the city. They have seen them on the southwest of the city. They have seen them on the southeast of the city. Indeed, they say that they believe the coalition forces have a checkpoint on the northern outskirts of Baghdad at this time.
But the overwhelming picture we are getting from our sources in the capital at this time is that there is bombing going on toward the west of the city - towards the southwest, rather, toward where the international airport is. But at this time, very many more Iraqi soldiers on the streets than civilians. Most of the civilians, it seems, are either indoors or have left the city at this time, Wolf.
BLITZER: Nic Robertson - watching all these developments for us. Thanks very much, Nic, for that report. We'll be checking back with you, of course, throughout the night.
Let's go live to the Pentagon now. That's where CNN's Chris Plante is standing by. What are they saying there - Chris? CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Well, of course, the major event of the day was the big surprise for everyone this morning when the 3rd Infantry Division showed up in downtown Baghdad. It wasn't really expected by anyone, at least that we spoke to here last night.
It certainly wasn't expected by the Iraqis. And suddenly American heavy armor from the 3rd Infantry Division, M-1 Tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles engaging Republican Guard positions inside of Baghdad, just up along the Tigris River, a mile from Saddam University, very close to down town, not in the heart of the government building area, but close enough to get the attention, certainly, of people in Baghdad.
Understand that word has spread throughout the city that the Americans are there, regardless of what the information minister has been saying in press conferences. It's clear now that they're in close. And the 1st Marine Expeditionary force, coming into the city from the south and east, can be expected to show themselves very soon also.
As Gary Tuchman was reporting, there will also be an increase in close air support coming from a variety of aircraft looking for artillery and mortar positions inside the city of Baghdad, many of which have been snuggled up against schools and hospitals and mosques and other sensitive sights.
So there will be a lot of Special Operations activity. And we'll see F-18s and F-14s flying off of aircraft carriers, coming into the city looking to "plink targets," as they say: tanks belonging to the Republican Guard and also smaller artillery pieces that could pose a threat to forces at the airport or coming into the city.
There's also a great deal of concern, Wolf, as you know, that the Iraqi forces themselves may open fire on some Shia neighborhoods in Baghdad and try to blame the coalition for those strikes.
So a lot of activity moving very much into downtown Baghdad, happening on a schedule well ahead of what most people expected - Wolf.
BLITZER: Chris Plante - at the Pentagon. And this important programming note: tomorrow, I'll have a special interview with the vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff over at the Pentagon. General Peter Pace will be my special guest on "LATE EDITION." That's at Noon Eastern, 9:00 a.m. Pacific.
Let's move on now to the Baghdad phase of the war plan that has now officially begun. Let's find out how the coalition will carry it out. When I say the coalition, I mean mostly U.S. troops in and around Baghdad.
CNN's Miles O'Brien is at the CNN news room. He's standing by with more - Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks very much, Wolf. Let's recap what we've been telling you, try to put it all together in one big picture for you.
Take a look at our EarthViewer.com satellite imagery. We'll zoom in now on a sort of a medium-to-low shot of Baghdad and tell you what's going on, first of all, in the sky above.
As Chris Plante was just telling us, U.S. Air Forces is now in a 24-by-7 operation. What they've essentially done is divided the Tigris River, as a dividing line. And what they have on either side are these Forward Air Controllers. Those could be something like an F-16 on either side, calling in targets of opportunity. And what they could be calling upon are F-18s, F-14s. Those are carrier-based.
As a matter of fact, we have some live pictures from one of the carriers right now in the Gulf, indicating flight operations very active right now. And we've seen sort of the other end of that story all throughout this evening.
As you see, there's an F-18, as a matter of fact, that is getting ready to take off. Full power and after burners getting ready for its next sortie. Perhaps, very likely, that he will be coordinate being those Forward Air Controllers and engaging in some sort of attack on ground forces there in the city of Baghdad. Get ready for that takeoff right now.
All throughout the evening, we've been seeing explosions, as I say, the other end of these sorties. These explosions happening right near the Palestine Hotel, near where the International Press Corps, by the way, is located.
Now, let's get back to EarthViewer.com. I want to take you over to what was Saddam International Airport, now Baghdad International Airport. We do know the 3rd Infantry is there. They are very busy, not just above the ground. They're looking at the network of tunnels underneath, trying to secure those as well.
We know they've made forays into the city and have certainly branched out and secured areas nearby. For example, we know that this is - that we're zooming up on now is a Republican Guard barracks and might very well be a target of opportunity for that 3rd Infantry.
Meanwhile, let's not forget the Marines, all the way on the other side, the other side of the Tigris River, as we look at some video from the 3rd Infantry involved in that engagement.
Let's go back to live. We'll show you that F-18 - oh, we apparently lost it. And let's just show you, quickly, the approach that the Marines are facing right now as they come in. They're coming in through the side of Baghdad, the east side of Baghdad that takes them through the - ultimately the oldest part of the city.
And undoubtedly will be - they'll have to come up with a plan there to deal with sorting out the foes from the friendlies. Obviously, the challenging prospect of urban combat lies ahead. And, Wolf, it's worth pointing out that the idea here, according to the coalition or the U.S., is not to create a siege, but to create a zone of control around Baghdad, which allows humanitarian aid in and out and then focusing on specific targets - Wolf.
BLITZER: With those occasional probes, as well directly into the city, we'll see how those probes unfold - Miles O'Brien at our military desk in the CNN news room. Thanks very much.
The streets of Baghdad now the main battle lines in this war. Stay with us this hour, indeed throughout the night. The situation in the Iraqi capital is very, very fluid. You'll see the latest here on CNN immediately when it happens.
And just ahead, one U.S. Army base in Texas, today, feeling the heaviest pain of war. We'll take you there live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: British troops in southern Iraq say they found hundreds of sets of human remains in a shed at Al-Zubayr. The remains predate the current war and most contain mainly of bones. They're stacked in coffins and wrapped in strips of military uniforms. Some of the people had been mutilated and most had been shot. Atrocities are suspected, and forensics experts are being called in to investigate.
Coalition forces are spread out through much of the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. They've gotten a warm welcome from some Iraqi civilians, but others aren't as happy with what they see as the fight to remove Saddam Hussein from power, as a result of what it's done to their lives.
CNN's Jason Bellini is embedded with the 115th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and he gives us a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing in front of Saddam hospital. Saddam Hospital is where Jessica lynch, the American POW, was rescued by U.S. Special Forces just a few days ago.
Today, the Marines we're embedded with, with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, they recovered her dog tags. They recovered these tags from what they believe is the residence of a Ba'ath Party member. They found it in this residence along the river as they were looking for arms, various types of munitions that they also recovered in that same position.
As the Marines make these discoveries - and they've made quite a number of these arms cache discoveries. In fact, they say it slowed them down from doing the rest of the work that they want to do because there's so much of these arms here for them to deal with.
But as they do that, they're operating in a very changed climate and changing climate. People here, in some quarters, are giving them quite a reception. We had an opportunity early to speak with some Iraqis who were thrilled by their presence in the city.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No like.
BELLINI (off camera): No like Saddam?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No like Saddam.
BELLINI: Do you like Bush?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe, maybe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) Bush.
BELLINI: What's that? Bush, do you like Bush?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe.
BELLINI: Marines, U.S. Marines?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good, good.
BELLINI: Good Marines, good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, good.
BELLINI: Bush is good?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good, very good. Good Bush.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes, USA! Yes, yes, USA!
BELLINI (on camera): In juxtaposition to those Iraqis that you just saw, earlier we spoke with some Iraqis who are inside Saddam hospital. There's some images we're showing you here of Iraqis who were injured in aerial bombardments.
We spoke with one, a 20-year-old, who said he was eating cereal in the kitchen of his home when he heard helicopters overhead, then a loud explosion. His father was killed in the blast and he's been in the hospital and will likely be in this hospital for quite a long time with his injuries.
Some very tragic injuries witnessed inside of that hospital...
(on camera): ... and some very tragic stories, tragedy that's come with this war. I'm Jason Bellini, CNN, Nasiriyah, Iraq.
BLITZER: Private First Class Jessica Lynch, the rescued prisoner of war, is recovering from her injuries now in Germany. Her parents are on their way to visit her at a U.S. military hospital.
Before leaving, they learned that the bodies found during their daughter's rescue included eight members of her unit ambushed by Iraqi forces last month. One of the dead, a native American woman, and that's cast a lot of sadness over Fort Bliss, Texas, home of the 507th Maintenance Company.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is there. He's joining us now live - Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Well, when Jessica Lynch was recovered Wednesday, it spread great hope through not only the family members of those family members involved with the 507th Maintenance Company, but also here at Fort Bliss.
But news that those eight bodies recovered near that hospital where Jessica Lynch was found turned out to be the eight bodies of those in the 507th Maintenance company has faded away hope for those family members.
But each and every family member that we've heard from today has found solace in the fact that they are confident in what their loved ones were doing and that they were following a noble cause.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's grim and ugly and not without cost. Today is a day of remembering, with honor, Marine Lance Cpl. Eric Orlowski.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazing grace, how, sweet the sound...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amazing grace, how, sweet the sound...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazing grace, how, sweet the sound...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... in defense of the country. And they died protecting and defending the values we cherish and enjoy today. But freedom does cost.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was the worst part for them. They got really tired of waiting and worrying and everything. But now she's going to be coming home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She will not be forgotten. And it gives us comfort to know that she is at peace right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are proud of Lori. Our family is very proud of her. She's our hero. We are continuing to believe that. We're going to hold that in our hearts forever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean he always told me to never give up on things. And I've always admired him a lot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The price of liberty and the price of freedom is always a major sacrifice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chad was a good candidate for the Marine Corps. He was gung-ho in everything he did. He gave 100 percent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was the kind of kid you liked to have around because he was full of energy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But may we never forget that, behind each name, there is a story of a life, a story of hopes, dreams and loved ones.
LAVANDERA: Hope is still a very much powerful force for at least five families involved with the 507th Maintenance Company. Five soldiers from this company are still considered to be prisoners of war. And those families still await word of what will happen with those loved ones as well.
Meanwhile, the military officials here at Fort Bliss, Texas have scheduled a memorial service for next Friday to honor the members of the 507th Maintenance Company here from Fort Bliss. Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Those five POWs from the 507th are the ones that we saw their pictures on Iraqi television - Ed Lavandera at Fort Bliss, thanks very much.
Baghdad, always tense, especially tense right now and for good reason. Tonight, truly scary, it's a situation that invites close analysis, as coalition troops have moved in and around the capital. You'll need to stay with us for the latest from there.
And in Baghdad and elsewhere, the coalition is going after - directly after - the Iraqi leadership. There's been a significant development on that front today regarding one key leader. We'll tell you about that is. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: USS Constellation, an aircraft carrier now in the Persian Gulf. Warplanes taking off and landing all night long. They're getting ready to help out U.S. ground forces that have now encircled much of Baghdad. We're watching that situation closely.
Well, let's get a recap of some of the latest developments in the war on Iraq. CNN's Miles O'Brien has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: 7:11 a.m. Eastern, 4:11 p.m. in Baghdad, at it's daily briefing, U.S. Central Command says Operation Iraqi Freedom is far from finished in Baghdad, even though U.S. forces are inside the Iraqi capital.
8:15 a.m., Iraq's information minister reads a message he says is from Saddam Hussein, urging Iraqis to step up attacks against coalition forces.
8:36 a.m., Walter Rodgers reports, according to Army sources, Iraqi officials are fleeing Baghdad in droves, using civilian convoys to avoid being targeting by coalition air strikes.
8:43 a.m., CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr reports coalition troops entering the Baghdad were met with fierce fighting, and there were casualties on both sides.
9:06 a.m., CNN's Martin Savidge, embedded with the 1st Battalion 7th Marines, reports a unit has reached the extreme southeast suburbs of Baghdad, adding to forces the U.S. says now encircle the city.
12:13 p.m., at the Pentagon, Barbara Starr reports officials say today begins a new strategy in the skies over Baghdad. The Coalition Air Force will begin providing urban combat air support over the city. Now, the operating plan includes both ground and air missions.
12:41 p.m., CNN's Wolf Blitzer reports, according to an eyewitness, a bomb has hit central Baghdad, only a few hundred meters from the Palestine Hotel. Palestine Hotel is where much of the International Press Corps is based.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: CNN's Miles O'Brien reporting - Now to the Iraqi leadership. The U.S. Central command says coalition aircraft struck the home of an Iraqi general known as "Chemical Ali," the man who reportedly ordered the use of chemical weapons against northern Iraqi Kurds in 1988.
General Ali Hassan al-Majeed is a cousin of Saddam Hussein. There's no word whether he was home at the time of the attack, which took place in Basra, where he was placed in command of Iraq's southern forces.
Iraqi television today showed more pictures of President Saddam Hussein meeting this time with his two sons, Uday and Qusay, along with several military commanders. This comes a day after other videotapes were released, apparently designed to show support for Saddam Hussein.
Let's turn now to CNN Analyst Ken Pollack, a former CIA Iraq expert, former official at the NSC, now with the Brookings Institute.
What's your sense right now, Ken about Saddam Hussein? Are these the final days for the Iraqi leader?
KENNETH POLLACK, CNN ANALYST: Well, I think there's no question, Wolf, that these are the final days. The big question out there is whether he's got two or three or he's got 14 or 16. But it's in that time frame.
U.S. forces have reached the city. I don't think that there's any hope that Saddam Hussein's regime is going to last. But there is a question out there as to whether the regime might collapse quickly.
Many of the signs we are seeing suggest that the regime might be unraveling. And you want to be very careful - it might be. Signs of - the reports that regime officials are fleeing Baghdad. Clearly, the Republican Guard elements that have retreated back into Baghdad are badly disorganized. They've been badly damaged.
The Iraqi high command is trying desperately to scrape together forces to counterattack against U.S. forces to try to retake the airport, to keep us off balance and maybe delay us a little bit. But they are in tremendous difficulties right now.
BLITZER: What about those special Republican Guard? We know about the regular Republican Guard, those six divisions, that most of them are basically out of commission right now. But there was a lot of attention focused on the special Republican Guard inside Baghdad itself. What's going on with them? POLLACK: Well, no one really knows exactly what they're doing. We have had reports that there are military personnel all across the city. Those are probably special Republican Guards. That's what Saddam uses them for.
The special Republican Guards are really riot control police. They are internal security forces. They're thugs. They're the guys who keep order in Baghdad and other key locations.
They're not professional military personnel. They're not professional soldiers the way the Republican Guard is.
So on the one hand, they are much more committed to Saddam, because of tribal affiliations, because of other bonds of loyalty.
On the other hand, they don't have the same kind of training that the Republican Guard does. So as far as e presenting a problem for U.S. forces, it's a mixed bag. They might be more devoted, more loyal, more willing to lay down their life for Saddam, but they're going to have less capability to actually fight back against the United States.
And as best we can tell, by and large, Saddam continues to use the remnants of the Republican Guard to actually fend off U.S. forces. And he's keeping the special Republican Guard mostly to control the city of Baghdad.
BLITZER: All right. We're going to have to leave it there - Ken Pollack, our analyst, always helping us. Stand by. We'll be speaking with you, of course, throughout the night in our special coverage.
We have another special hour coming up. Right now, a special edition of "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS." And that begins right after we check the latest developments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Battle for Baghdad. This evening, CNN takes you to the Iraqi capital by ground and by air as U.S. troops advance on the city, on this, day 17 of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS from Kuwait City, with correspondents from around the world.
WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.
BLITZER: If you're just turning on your television set, you've missed a major and historic development. U.S. troops in the heart of Baghdad, a new phase targeting the capital city is now under way.
Hello from Kuwait City. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting tonight live from here in the Persian Gulf.
Baghdad is facing the fury from many fronts this evening. CNN is the first network to take you over Baghdad by air. CNN's Kyra Phillips went aboard a Navy P-3 and covered a reconnaissance mission. We'll show you more of these exclusive pictures and tell you the new strategy from the skies.
By ground, you'll see the battle being fought in the suburbs of Baghdad, as U.S. forces continue their fight and their tanks attack Iraqi Republican Guard barracks.
On the city outskirts, you'll see the shelling going on. A coordinated effort by coalition forces to make Iraqis surrender their capital. We're told by the U.S. Army the pressure is, indeed, working and that Ba'ath Party leaders and Iraqi leaders, officials are leaving Baghdad this evening.
We have reporters and guests covering the land and air assault. CNN's Nic Robertson and Kyra Phillips are standing by, as well as the former U.S. acting ambassador in Baghdad, Joe Wilson.
But first, let's go to Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN news room.
(NEWSBREAK)
BLITZER: The battle for Baghdad has begun in earnest, with heavy fighting reported right now. U.S. troops have a strong hold at the city's airport, and they've made their presence with a raid felt very deeply right into the heart of the capital, this, as the air campaign shifts to direct support of urban combat.
Let's go live, first of all, to our senior international correspondent. Nic Robertson is tracking developments from Ruwaished in Jordan, right along the border with Iraq. Nic, what's the latest?
NIC ROBERTSON, SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, our sources in Baghdad are saying they're seeing a lot of explosions and hearing a lot of explosions coming from the southwest of the city in the direction of the international airport, where coalition forces are based.
What they are saying they are seeing and hearing on the streets of Baghdad paints a very interesting picture today. They say that Iraqi civilians in the capital know that they have seen coalition forces inside the southwest of the city, inside the southeast of the city.
And also, Iraqi civilians say they believe that there is a coalition force checkpoint on the northern perimeter of the city. So Iraqis inside Baghdad, very aware that coalition forces are even inside the city at this time.
Now, the information minister has been telling them that that's not the case, that the coalition forces have been defeated at the airport. However, we also understand, from our sources, that inside Baghdad, Iraq's military has been gathering tanks and artillery pieces in a park quite close to the center of Baghdad, also quite close to the international airport in the southwest of the city.
We understand Iraqi troops, Fedayeen forces, Republican Guard, are on the streets. They have made more sandbag bunkers. They have closed off civilian areas. C-72 tanks have been seen on the streets as well.
Although, we understand from our sources, at this time, that the Iraqi forces out on the streets appear quite relaxed. One surprising comment one source told us today, that these Iraqi forces, apart from the tanks and artillery pieces, only had kalashnikovs, machine guns, with them. Very, very few of them, he said, actually carried rocket- propelled grenades, which might be the sort of defense you would use against tanks - Wolf.
BLITZER: Nic, there are reports that some U.S. Marines and U.S. Army soldiers are engaging in non-Iraqi/Arab troops from such places as the Sudan, Egypt, Jordan. Are there significant numbers of these kinds of fighters now in and around the Iraqi capital?
ROBERTSON: Iraqi officials have boasted recently that there could be as many as 6,000 of these fighters inside Baghdad. Before we were thrown out of Baghdad two weeks ago by the Iraqi authorities, we saw a small handful of them. I have talked to other people who were present and know that more of these fighters have been coming into Iraq at this time.
It's very difficult to know truly the exact figures, the exact fighting capability and disposition of these fighters who have been moving in to Baghdad. Certainly the fighters we've seen, the fighters we know that have been coming in, we do know that they've been going and stationing themselves inside Baghdad, Wolf. BLITZER: All right. We'll keep watching that situation on this day that U.S. forces have actually entered Baghdad. Nic Robertson - thanks very much.
The U.S. Air Force is now around the clock on alert, providing special urban combat air support for coalition troops in and around the Iraqi capital.
Meanwhile, Navy pilots are still flying their P-3 reconnaissance missions for U.S. Marines on the ground.
CNN's Kyra Phillips is the only network television reporter to fly along on a mission over Baghdad. She's joining us now live from Bahrain with exclusive pictures.
Kyra, tell us all about it.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I guess you could say they're the coalition bodyguards over Baghdad. They're the airborne shield to the U.S. Marines on the ground.
We did get an exclusive look over the skies of Iraq. We got to fly with the Navy P-3, including the U.S. Marine Corps, two riders on board.
This is how it works, Wolf. They work together inside this aircraft, an aircraft that has all types of specialized electro-optic cameras. You'll see the P-3 personnel working the different areas of the aircraft.
Then, in the back, the U.S. Marine Corps riders watching these pictures, paying close attention to these pictures. They have their laptop with their maps. They know exactly where the troops are on the ground, where the Marines are supposed to be going, what their next move is.
Then, through these special cameras, they're able to see if there are any threats in the area to these Marine personnel on the ground. They can look ahead. It's called situational awareness, specifically for the commander on the ground leading the Marines into Baghdad and around Baghdad.
They look for certain hot spots. They try to find Iraqi forces hiding in certain areas. They look for tanks, any type of threat to the forces.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It keeps the Marines safe. And one more safe Marine is one more Marine that can continue on north to Baghdad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm looking for enemy positions at the front. We'll look at the routes ahead of where our guys are going to go and try to see what enemy is there.
PHILLIPS: And they were able to find the golden nugget, as they say. Marines were coming up on a bridge that they thought did not exist. That bridge did exist. There were vehicles. There were Iraqi forces. They were able to tell the Marines that is what is ahead. Beware of that. Work your way around them or engage; you have the choice.
Now, another interesting fact is, you know, this squadron is not used to being fired upon. They're usually patrolling over the waters. Now their mission has expanded. You could see the AAA fire outside the window of the aircraft. They were engaging with missiles, looking for missile sites, trying to take those out also.
So as you can see, the mission is getting much more dangerous for the P-3, but they're working well with the Marines and protecting those troops on the ground. We'll have a full report coming up in the next hour, Wolf.
BLITZER: Kyra, before I let you go, you flew over Baghdad. Just think about that. Think about where you were only a few weeks ago. Today, you flew over Baghdad. What was it like? How scared were you?
PHILLIPS: That's a good question. It's quite a reality check when you look out the window, looking through the infrared goggles and seeing the AAA fire, seeing the explosions going on around you. It is quite a reality check.
But we wanted to be able to bring you the pictures and wanted to be able to tell you about this mission so you saw firsthand the threat. You know, it's not just strike fighter pilots that are going through this threat and dealing with missiles and AAA. It's also the reconnaissance missions and the crews on these aircraft.
And, you know, these aircraft, they're slower and they're not able to maneuver and defend like the strike fighters. So you can imagine the position that they're in. But they're saving lives, and it's working well.
BLITZER: Kyra Phillips, doing some important work, amazing work for us today. Kyra, I'm glad you're back in Bahrain. That's home of the 5th Fleet, the Navy's 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf. We'll speak to you in the next hour as well.
Meanwhile, U.S. Army commanders are suggesting Iraq's armed forces may be in their final days.
We begin with our senior international correspondent, Walter Rodgers. He's with the 3-7th Cavalry, now in the western suburbs of Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALT RODGERS, SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What we are hearing from the U.S. Army commanders in this theater of operations is a very upbeat message, upbeat in the sense that one senior officer in the United States Army was quoted as saying "we have the Iraqis rocking backwards on their heels."
This senior officer went on to say we just need to keep the pressure on for a few more days. The very clear implication of his remarks is that there is a timeline and that the military commanders believe the Iraqi resistance is crumbling and will continue to crumble, especially when the U.S. Army's 2nd Brigade 3rd Infantry Division rolled at will through some sections of Baghdad today, right into the city itself, well into the city limits and did a tour through.
The U.S. Army's 2nd Brigade 3rd Infantry literally rolling on tanks through, first as a reconnaissance unit, then as literally a show of force. Indeed, they swept through a southern third of the city, perhaps a southern quarter of the city of Baghdad, 6 million people and then came back out again just simply to say, we are here.
And if there's anything left of the Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein, the message the army was sending that we can flex our muscles in your capital any time you want.
One very important thing, we continue to receive reports of a mass exodus of Iraqi party officials, Ba'athist Party officials and Republican Guard officers trying to flee west of the city, going up perhaps in the direction of Syria. We have heard that they have been carrying suitcases of money. The Army has discovered that in some fleeing vehicles over the past few days.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Martin Savidge with the 1st Battalion 7th Marines. The Marines, as you know, pushing up on Baghdad from the east.
We're entering from the southeast, now getting into the southeastern most suburbs. We're about 29 kilometers away or roughly about 15 miles from the heart of Baghdad itself.
The 5th Marines going through this area last night ran into trouble. Said they got rocket-propelled grenades fired their way. Tanks were hit. They did suffer some casualties.
Today, 1st Battalion 7th Marines we're traveling with had the task of going into the same area, clearing it and putting an end to any sort of fighting.
And there has been fighting for some of the lead elements of this particular battalion. We know that for two reasons: one, sporadic fighting reported back down the line; two, the sound of artillery. Lots of it this morning, more this afternoon, even a few rounds late this afternoon.
Artillery would be used to hit, say, heavily reinforced position or bunkers. It could be remnants of the Iraqi Republican Guard or it could be remnants of the Iraqi army that are dug in out there.
The fighting is not said to be heavy. It is only described as sporadic, and the forces are continuing to drive forward -- Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: CNN's Martin Savidge -- Thanks very much. Walter Rodgers, as well, two of our embedded reporters right near Baghdad right now.
And now let's turn to a man who knows the Iraqi capital quite well.
Former Ambassador Joe Wilson was the U.S. envoy to Iraq there on the eve of the first Gulf War. He was the last senior United States official to have met personally with President Saddam Hussein.
Joe Wilson joins us now live from Washington.
Ambassador Wilson, thanks very much. Give us, first of all, your bottom-line assessment, how you see the situation in and around Baghdad unfolding right now.
JOSEPH WILSON, FORMER U.S. ENVOY TO IRAQ: Well, I have to say, having watched Kyra's report, it really puts pain to the question that we have not just superiority, but absolute dominance of the air around Baghdad.
And then from the other two reports, I think it's clear that we can go in. We're certainly fortified enough to go in and come out at will without suffering any serious casualties to our own forces doing so.
So I think, you know, we're really at the end game. The back has been broken of the Iraqi armed forces. That's pretty clear. And the question will be, how long does it take to mop up? And then we enter into the long occupation period.
BLITZER: You heard Walter Rodgers say that there seems to be a flood o refugees, of people trying to escape Baghdad in a westerly direction, perhaps toward Syria, perhaps toward Jordan.
It sounds as if the U.S. military has the city surrounded, but they're leaving one escape route deliberately open for whatever reason. Is that a sense you're getting as well?
WILSON: Well, I mean that's sort of classic military. I think that dates back to Sunsu (ph), that you leave a mote free at the back of the city so they can escape and are not forced to fight to the bitter end.
Because given the opportunity to flee rather than fight, I think most Baghdadis, who have been under this terrible aerial pounding for the past couple of weeks would probably welcome the chance to slip out and go somewhere else.
BLITZER: What happened to the vaunted Republican Guard, six divisions, supposedly, that had encircled Baghdad and were ready to fight to the death, and the so-called special Republican Guard that are, of course, entrenched right in Baghdad? WILSON: Well, I think, Wolf, a lot of them probably did fight to the death and are now dead. And, you know, however vaunted they are, it was pretty clear from the beginning that you were looking at po- dunk high facing up to the New York Yankees and the New York Yankees were going to win. And they've done so.
American military power is as advertised, without a doubt. Our soldiers out there have just done an amazing job of moving quickly up the Tigris and Euphrates valleys and getting the job done with relatively few casualties to our own forces.
BLITZER: We saw some new videotape today released on Iraqi state television, showing Saddam Hussein, his two seasons, Uday and Qusay, some other senior ministers, advisers to the Iraqi president. We have no idea when this tape was made, whether it was done weeks ago or whether it was done today. But as you look at this tape, what goes through your mind, Ambassador Wilson?
WILSON: Well, when I last saw Saddam, he was so cocky and self- confident about how the United States lacked the tenacity or the intestinal fortitude to suffer the casualties of 10,000 soldiers in the Arabian Desert or to throw him out of Kuwait.
And not only is he being thrown out of Kuwait, he's being thrown out of his own capital. We have not suffered the casualties that he predicted, and we have shown the tenacity to do the job.
BLITZER: Ambassador Joe Wilson, it's kind of you to join us again. Maybe stick around a little bit in our Washington bureau. It sounds as if the situation in Baghdad might be heating up. There have already been extensive explosions over the past several hours. More expected. A lot of artillery fire being heard in the southern suburbs of Baghdad, including the southwestern suburbs right near where U.S. forces are at the Baghdad International Airport.
Ambassador Joe Wilson, always good to speak with you and get your expertise. Thank you very much.
Meanwhile, the coalition allies are operating on the ground in Baghdad. Things are changing fast in the capital city right now. When something happens there, of course, we'll bring it to you first here on CNN.
Just ahead, you're there with the U.S. assault force during a raid on a Republican Guard barracks in Baghdad.
And shocking images of wars' victims: inside a hospital in Nasiriyah.
And what about the fate of Saddam Hussein and his sons? Are we any closer to finding out what happened to them or where they are?
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: With coalition forces on the move across Iraq, here's a look at some of today's battle scenes. U.S. Marines have joined the battle for Baghdad with heavy - heavy - artillery barrages directed at Iraqi forces on the outskirts of the city.
Marines also report close quarters combat with Arab volunteers in a march outside the capital.
In the south, CNN's Mike Boettcher rode into Basra with a U.S. Special Forces team that drew heavy mortar fire from Iraqi forces still entrenched in the city.
And CNN's Brent Sadler is in northern Iraq where U.S. air strikes have been pounding, pounding away at Iraqi positions across the front lines from U.S. troops and Kurdish forces. We'll check in live with Brent Sadler shortly.
In the mean time, two task forces of the United States 3rd Infantry Division toured parts of southern Baghdad today. And the Associated Press recorded video of what it said was a battle at a Republican Guard barracks in the southwestern part of the city.
We're taking you to the front lines right now. Take a look and listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(WAR FOOTAGE)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: As the video ended, Iraqi tanks appeared to be afire, and smoke was billowing through the entire neighborhood.
Baghdad now being contested street-by-street, by coalition and Iraqi forces. You'll need to stay with us throughout this hour, indeed, throughout the night for the latest from the Iraqi capital.
But in the struggle for the capital, will U.S.-led forces get support from the north? Those battle lines keep shifting as well. We'll hear directly from our Brent Sadler. He's there with U.S. and Kurdish troops.
And there's a U.S. Army fort in Texas heartbroken this evening. We'll take you there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: You're looking at live pictures of the USS Constellation. That's one of five U.S. aircraft carriers engaged in this war against Iraq, two in the eastern Mediterranean, three in the Persian Gulf. The Constellation is in the Gulf. You're looking at the deck where warplanes are about to take off and return, deeply engaged in fighting, helping to try to secure the Iraqi capital tonight.
As coalition forces close the noose around Baghdad, let's look at the "Battle Lines.
Driving into the heart of Baghdad, U.S. forces send a message to the Iraqi regime. They can strike where and when they choose. Sources in Baghdad spot U.S. forces as close to the city center as a bridge, about a mile from one of Saddam Hussein's palaces.
Iraqi troops still hitting at the allies where they can, inside the city and at the outskirts. Outside the capital, a mass exodus.
CNN's Walter Rodgers with the Army's 3-7th Cavalry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: Iraqi officials are fleeing Baghdad in droves. What they're doing, according to the Army, is insinuating their army trucks in between civilian convoys and then fleeing Baghdad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Rodgers also reports a dramatic reconnaissance mission by the 3-7th Cavalry today. The unit surprises a column of Iraqi tanks south of Baghdad and destroys them.
Pushing up from the southeast, the 1st Battalion 7th Marines. CNN's martin Savidge embedded with the unit says the 7th Marines are at the southeastern suburbs of Baghdad encountering sporadic fire along the way.
Further south, Basra, where coalition air strikes destroyed the home of Iraqi general Ali Hassan al Majeed, also known as chemical Ali for allegedly ordering chemical weapons attacks against Kurds 15 years ago.
In the north, the lines keep moving. Iraqi forces still control much of that region, but U.S. and Kurdish forces pressuring the cities of Mosul, Irbil and Kirkuk.
Coalition aircraft have free reign over Iraq, and we're watching the skies right now.
CNN's Gary Tuchman is at an air base near the Iraqi border, standing by live.
And CNN's Brent Sadler is in northern Iraq where U.S. Special Forces are working with Kurds, and they're trying to get powerful air support. It looks like they're getting it.
Let's begin with Brent. Brent, what's the latest?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, as you say, really, the Iraqi Kurds on the ground hooking up closely with their American allies. I've spent many hours this day at the forward end of the lines along this sector of the northern front, about 100 miles from Baghdad, watching the extraordinary calculations that go into U.S. Special Forces forward air controllers, bringing in with calm and precision, massive air strikes against Iraqi military targets on a ridge line.
Now, in a space of about an hour, a B-52 bomber came just after nightfall, came and did four bombing runs. Let me give you the mass of this. In four runs, each run seven 500-pound bombs. Four runs, a total of 14,000 pounds of high explosive ordnance on a series of positions.
I saw secondary fires, confirmation from U.S. Special Forces that they've hit their targets. And, Wolf, this is just the beginning of what's in store for Iraq's army across the whole of the northern front as U.S. coalition forces move ever closer towards the center of Baghdad.
BLITZER: Brent, before I let you go I have one important question I have to ask you about those oil fields in northern Iraq. A huge deal was made about the southern Iraqi oil fields. The Iraqi regime apparently tried to destroy some of them. The U.S. and British forces got that under control.
What about in the north? A third of Iraq's oil supply is up there. Are the Iraqis trying to destroy any of those oil wells?
SADLER: As you say, Wolf, very important oil reserves up here. Kirkuk sits on most of those oil reserves, but as of yet, no reports of any attempt to destroy those precious oil fields for the rebuilding of a future Iraq without Saddam Hussein.
What you're seeing on the ground here is the Iraqi army, maybe Fedayeen special forces, really under extreme and building pressure from these air strikes, getting more and more coordinated with the Kurds, really pinning them down. They perhaps don't have much time to go and look about setting charges, blowing up those oil fields. But at the moment, no reports of any attacks against them, Wolf.
BLITZER: Brent Sadler for us in northern Iraq. Thanks very much, Brent.
Let's turn now to Gary Tuchman. He's one of our embedded correspondents. He's at an air base not far from the Iraqi border. He's joining us now live.
What's the latest over there, Gary?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, here's the latest news. The Air Force is changing tactics to increase the pressure on Iraq's capital. As of now, highly placed Air Force officials say there will be plains over the city of Baghdad 24 hours a day. They will remain there until the war is over.
And here's how it will work. At all times, there will be a minimum of two planes over Baghdad. They will act as dispatchers of sorts. When troops on the ground, coalition troops, say they need support, say they need bombs or missiles, those two planes will call in at least six other planes and sometimes more.
Some of the planes they'll call in include these A-10s behind me, the A-10 attack aircraft that are based here at this air base near the Iraqi border.
In addition, they'll call in F-16 fighter planes. The A-10s, the F-16s will drop their munitions to support the ground troops. So there will always be at least two planes over Baghdad, sometimes more.
Throughout the 15 days of the war, there have been lots of sorties near Baghdad, but not always air cover over Baghdad. Now, the planes will remain there until the war ends.
The Air Force is calling this a new urban close air support, and it will be a combination of the air support, the ground troops that will remain there until the war is over.
Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Gary, a quick question. We heard earlier today in one of your reports, from the U.S. Air Force commander, General Michael Moseley - he's based in Saudi Arabia - we haven't heard much from him. Certainly we haven't heard much from Saudi Arabia. But he's basically running the air war from a base in Saudi Arabia. Why now? Why is he going public, speaking with reporters at this sensitive stage, given the sensitivity of the Saudi government?
TUCHMAN: Well, he's not advertising the fact that he's in Saudi Arabia, although we all know that. But he wants to make it very clear they think toughness is very important right now. And there's no subtlety. His quote, Wolf, that he said was, "we are not softening the Republican Guard. We are killing them." And he said purposely; he said that loudly; and he wants to make sure the government of Iraq knows that.
BLITZER: Gary Tuchman - at a base not in Saudi Arabia, but not far from Iraq. Thanks very much for that report.
Things could change at any min it in Baghdad. You'll see the latest right here on CNN as soon as something happens.
How does the coalition plan on taking the Iraqi capital? A closer look at the strategy. That's just ahead.
Assault on the Iraqi leadership. Coalition forces hunting for Saddam Hussein. They hit the home of one of his cousins. What are the results?
And what did British find in a makeshift morgue? That's spurring an investigation. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: This is an historic day. The U.S. has entered Baghdad. U.S. coalition forces now in the Iraqi capital. We're live in Baghdad. We're giving you all the late breaking developments, as coalition and Iraqi forces battle for the control of the capital.
First, the latest headlines. Let's go back to Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN news room in Atlanta. [NEWSBREAK]
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Fredricka. Let's check in with our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson. He's been tracking all of the late breaking developments, including the battle for Baghdad that is now under way from his post along the Iraqi border.
Nic - as you look at this current situation, week three of this war, U.S. troops have actually entered Baghdad, but U.S. military commanders warning the worst may yet be in store. Iraqis seem to be getting out of the way, at least a lot of them, including senior military officers. What's your understanding of what's happening in Baghdad?
ROBERTSON: Well, talking to the sources that I have in Baghdad, they've been telling me, from what they see, the Iraqi military seems to be trying to separate civilian from military emplacements inside the city.
We are told by our sources that Iraq's military are, in fact, telling civilians to get out of the way in some particular areas of Baghdad, clearing them out.
What is happening, we are told, is that in a park area, close to the center of Baghdad on the southwestern side that's very close to the international airport where coalition forces are, that Iraqi forces have been mustering tanks and artillery pieces in that area, also setting up checkpoints and road blocks, again in that southwestern section of the city.
These areas, we understand, the civilians have been told to leave. We understand, as well, that there are a lot of Fedayeen fighters and Republican Guard fighters who have been moved into this particular area.
Iraqis in the city are saying that they are definitely seeing and they certainly understand that coalition forces are close to the city. They have seen them on the southwest of the city. They have seen them on the southeast of the city. Indeed, they say that they believe the coalition forces have a checkpoint on the northern outskirts of Baghdad at this time.
But the overwhelming picture we are getting from our sources in the capital at this time is that there is bombing going on toward the west of the city - towards the southwest, rather, toward where the international airport is. But at this time, very many more Iraqi soldiers on the streets than civilians. Most of the civilians, it seems, are either indoors or have left the city at this time, Wolf.
BLITZER: Nic Robertson - watching all these developments for us. Thanks very much, Nic, for that report. We'll be checking back with you, of course, throughout the night.
Let's go live to the Pentagon now. That's where CNN's Chris Plante is standing by. What are they saying there - Chris? CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Well, of course, the major event of the day was the big surprise for everyone this morning when the 3rd Infantry Division showed up in downtown Baghdad. It wasn't really expected by anyone, at least that we spoke to here last night.
It certainly wasn't expected by the Iraqis. And suddenly American heavy armor from the 3rd Infantry Division, M-1 Tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles engaging Republican Guard positions inside of Baghdad, just up along the Tigris River, a mile from Saddam University, very close to down town, not in the heart of the government building area, but close enough to get the attention, certainly, of people in Baghdad.
Understand that word has spread throughout the city that the Americans are there, regardless of what the information minister has been saying in press conferences. It's clear now that they're in close. And the 1st Marine Expeditionary force, coming into the city from the south and east, can be expected to show themselves very soon also.
As Gary Tuchman was reporting, there will also be an increase in close air support coming from a variety of aircraft looking for artillery and mortar positions inside the city of Baghdad, many of which have been snuggled up against schools and hospitals and mosques and other sensitive sights.
So there will be a lot of Special Operations activity. And we'll see F-18s and F-14s flying off of aircraft carriers, coming into the city looking to "plink targets," as they say: tanks belonging to the Republican Guard and also smaller artillery pieces that could pose a threat to forces at the airport or coming into the city.
There's also a great deal of concern, Wolf, as you know, that the Iraqi forces themselves may open fire on some Shia neighborhoods in Baghdad and try to blame the coalition for those strikes.
So a lot of activity moving very much into downtown Baghdad, happening on a schedule well ahead of what most people expected - Wolf.
BLITZER: Chris Plante - at the Pentagon. And this important programming note: tomorrow, I'll have a special interview with the vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff over at the Pentagon. General Peter Pace will be my special guest on "LATE EDITION." That's at Noon Eastern, 9:00 a.m. Pacific.
Let's move on now to the Baghdad phase of the war plan that has now officially begun. Let's find out how the coalition will carry it out. When I say the coalition, I mean mostly U.S. troops in and around Baghdad.
CNN's Miles O'Brien is at the CNN news room. He's standing by with more - Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks very much, Wolf. Let's recap what we've been telling you, try to put it all together in one big picture for you.
Take a look at our EarthViewer.com satellite imagery. We'll zoom in now on a sort of a medium-to-low shot of Baghdad and tell you what's going on, first of all, in the sky above.
As Chris Plante was just telling us, U.S. Air Forces is now in a 24-by-7 operation. What they've essentially done is divided the Tigris River, as a dividing line. And what they have on either side are these Forward Air Controllers. Those could be something like an F-16 on either side, calling in targets of opportunity. And what they could be calling upon are F-18s, F-14s. Those are carrier-based.
As a matter of fact, we have some live pictures from one of the carriers right now in the Gulf, indicating flight operations very active right now. And we've seen sort of the other end of that story all throughout this evening.
As you see, there's an F-18, as a matter of fact, that is getting ready to take off. Full power and after burners getting ready for its next sortie. Perhaps, very likely, that he will be coordinate being those Forward Air Controllers and engaging in some sort of attack on ground forces there in the city of Baghdad. Get ready for that takeoff right now.
All throughout the evening, we've been seeing explosions, as I say, the other end of these sorties. These explosions happening right near the Palestine Hotel, near where the International Press Corps, by the way, is located.
Now, let's get back to EarthViewer.com. I want to take you over to what was Saddam International Airport, now Baghdad International Airport. We do know the 3rd Infantry is there. They are very busy, not just above the ground. They're looking at the network of tunnels underneath, trying to secure those as well.
We know they've made forays into the city and have certainly branched out and secured areas nearby. For example, we know that this is - that we're zooming up on now is a Republican Guard barracks and might very well be a target of opportunity for that 3rd Infantry.
Meanwhile, let's not forget the Marines, all the way on the other side, the other side of the Tigris River, as we look at some video from the 3rd Infantry involved in that engagement.
Let's go back to live. We'll show you that F-18 - oh, we apparently lost it. And let's just show you, quickly, the approach that the Marines are facing right now as they come in. They're coming in through the side of Baghdad, the east side of Baghdad that takes them through the - ultimately the oldest part of the city.
And undoubtedly will be - they'll have to come up with a plan there to deal with sorting out the foes from the friendlies. Obviously, the challenging prospect of urban combat lies ahead. And, Wolf, it's worth pointing out that the idea here, according to the coalition or the U.S., is not to create a siege, but to create a zone of control around Baghdad, which allows humanitarian aid in and out and then focusing on specific targets - Wolf.
BLITZER: With those occasional probes, as well directly into the city, we'll see how those probes unfold - Miles O'Brien at our military desk in the CNN news room. Thanks very much.
The streets of Baghdad now the main battle lines in this war. Stay with us this hour, indeed throughout the night. The situation in the Iraqi capital is very, very fluid. You'll see the latest here on CNN immediately when it happens.
And just ahead, one U.S. Army base in Texas, today, feeling the heaviest pain of war. We'll take you there live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: British troops in southern Iraq say they found hundreds of sets of human remains in a shed at Al-Zubayr. The remains predate the current war and most contain mainly of bones. They're stacked in coffins and wrapped in strips of military uniforms. Some of the people had been mutilated and most had been shot. Atrocities are suspected, and forensics experts are being called in to investigate.
Coalition forces are spread out through much of the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. They've gotten a warm welcome from some Iraqi civilians, but others aren't as happy with what they see as the fight to remove Saddam Hussein from power, as a result of what it's done to their lives.
CNN's Jason Bellini is embedded with the 115th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and he gives us a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing in front of Saddam hospital. Saddam Hospital is where Jessica lynch, the American POW, was rescued by U.S. Special Forces just a few days ago.
Today, the Marines we're embedded with, with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, they recovered her dog tags. They recovered these tags from what they believe is the residence of a Ba'ath Party member. They found it in this residence along the river as they were looking for arms, various types of munitions that they also recovered in that same position.
As the Marines make these discoveries - and they've made quite a number of these arms cache discoveries. In fact, they say it slowed them down from doing the rest of the work that they want to do because there's so much of these arms here for them to deal with.
But as they do that, they're operating in a very changed climate and changing climate. People here, in some quarters, are giving them quite a reception. We had an opportunity early to speak with some Iraqis who were thrilled by their presence in the city.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No like.
BELLINI (off camera): No like Saddam?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No like Saddam.
BELLINI: Do you like Bush?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe, maybe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) Bush.
BELLINI: What's that? Bush, do you like Bush?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe.
BELLINI: Marines, U.S. Marines?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good, good.
BELLINI: Good Marines, good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, good.
BELLINI: Bush is good?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good, very good. Good Bush.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes, USA! Yes, yes, USA!
BELLINI (on camera): In juxtaposition to those Iraqis that you just saw, earlier we spoke with some Iraqis who are inside Saddam hospital. There's some images we're showing you here of Iraqis who were injured in aerial bombardments.
We spoke with one, a 20-year-old, who said he was eating cereal in the kitchen of his home when he heard helicopters overhead, then a loud explosion. His father was killed in the blast and he's been in the hospital and will likely be in this hospital for quite a long time with his injuries.
Some very tragic injuries witnessed inside of that hospital...
(on camera): ... and some very tragic stories, tragedy that's come with this war. I'm Jason Bellini, CNN, Nasiriyah, Iraq.
BLITZER: Private First Class Jessica Lynch, the rescued prisoner of war, is recovering from her injuries now in Germany. Her parents are on their way to visit her at a U.S. military hospital.
Before leaving, they learned that the bodies found during their daughter's rescue included eight members of her unit ambushed by Iraqi forces last month. One of the dead, a native American woman, and that's cast a lot of sadness over Fort Bliss, Texas, home of the 507th Maintenance Company.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is there. He's joining us now live - Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Well, when Jessica Lynch was recovered Wednesday, it spread great hope through not only the family members of those family members involved with the 507th Maintenance Company, but also here at Fort Bliss.
But news that those eight bodies recovered near that hospital where Jessica Lynch was found turned out to be the eight bodies of those in the 507th Maintenance company has faded away hope for those family members.
But each and every family member that we've heard from today has found solace in the fact that they are confident in what their loved ones were doing and that they were following a noble cause.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's grim and ugly and not without cost. Today is a day of remembering, with honor, Marine Lance Cpl. Eric Orlowski.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazing grace, how, sweet the sound...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amazing grace, how, sweet the sound...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazing grace, how, sweet the sound...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... in defense of the country. And they died protecting and defending the values we cherish and enjoy today. But freedom does cost.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was the worst part for them. They got really tired of waiting and worrying and everything. But now she's going to be coming home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She will not be forgotten. And it gives us comfort to know that she is at peace right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are proud of Lori. Our family is very proud of her. She's our hero. We are continuing to believe that. We're going to hold that in our hearts forever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean he always told me to never give up on things. And I've always admired him a lot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The price of liberty and the price of freedom is always a major sacrifice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chad was a good candidate for the Marine Corps. He was gung-ho in everything he did. He gave 100 percent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was the kind of kid you liked to have around because he was full of energy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But may we never forget that, behind each name, there is a story of a life, a story of hopes, dreams and loved ones.
LAVANDERA: Hope is still a very much powerful force for at least five families involved with the 507th Maintenance Company. Five soldiers from this company are still considered to be prisoners of war. And those families still await word of what will happen with those loved ones as well.
Meanwhile, the military officials here at Fort Bliss, Texas have scheduled a memorial service for next Friday to honor the members of the 507th Maintenance Company here from Fort Bliss. Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Those five POWs from the 507th are the ones that we saw their pictures on Iraqi television - Ed Lavandera at Fort Bliss, thanks very much.
Baghdad, always tense, especially tense right now and for good reason. Tonight, truly scary, it's a situation that invites close analysis, as coalition troops have moved in and around the capital. You'll need to stay with us for the latest from there.
And in Baghdad and elsewhere, the coalition is going after - directly after - the Iraqi leadership. There's been a significant development on that front today regarding one key leader. We'll tell you about that is. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: USS Constellation, an aircraft carrier now in the Persian Gulf. Warplanes taking off and landing all night long. They're getting ready to help out U.S. ground forces that have now encircled much of Baghdad. We're watching that situation closely.
Well, let's get a recap of some of the latest developments in the war on Iraq. CNN's Miles O'Brien has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: 7:11 a.m. Eastern, 4:11 p.m. in Baghdad, at it's daily briefing, U.S. Central Command says Operation Iraqi Freedom is far from finished in Baghdad, even though U.S. forces are inside the Iraqi capital.
8:15 a.m., Iraq's information minister reads a message he says is from Saddam Hussein, urging Iraqis to step up attacks against coalition forces.
8:36 a.m., Walter Rodgers reports, according to Army sources, Iraqi officials are fleeing Baghdad in droves, using civilian convoys to avoid being targeting by coalition air strikes.
8:43 a.m., CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr reports coalition troops entering the Baghdad were met with fierce fighting, and there were casualties on both sides.
9:06 a.m., CNN's Martin Savidge, embedded with the 1st Battalion 7th Marines, reports a unit has reached the extreme southeast suburbs of Baghdad, adding to forces the U.S. says now encircle the city.
12:13 p.m., at the Pentagon, Barbara Starr reports officials say today begins a new strategy in the skies over Baghdad. The Coalition Air Force will begin providing urban combat air support over the city. Now, the operating plan includes both ground and air missions.
12:41 p.m., CNN's Wolf Blitzer reports, according to an eyewitness, a bomb has hit central Baghdad, only a few hundred meters from the Palestine Hotel. Palestine Hotel is where much of the International Press Corps is based.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: CNN's Miles O'Brien reporting - Now to the Iraqi leadership. The U.S. Central command says coalition aircraft struck the home of an Iraqi general known as "Chemical Ali," the man who reportedly ordered the use of chemical weapons against northern Iraqi Kurds in 1988.
General Ali Hassan al-Majeed is a cousin of Saddam Hussein. There's no word whether he was home at the time of the attack, which took place in Basra, where he was placed in command of Iraq's southern forces.
Iraqi television today showed more pictures of President Saddam Hussein meeting this time with his two sons, Uday and Qusay, along with several military commanders. This comes a day after other videotapes were released, apparently designed to show support for Saddam Hussein.
Let's turn now to CNN Analyst Ken Pollack, a former CIA Iraq expert, former official at the NSC, now with the Brookings Institute.
What's your sense right now, Ken about Saddam Hussein? Are these the final days for the Iraqi leader?
KENNETH POLLACK, CNN ANALYST: Well, I think there's no question, Wolf, that these are the final days. The big question out there is whether he's got two or three or he's got 14 or 16. But it's in that time frame.
U.S. forces have reached the city. I don't think that there's any hope that Saddam Hussein's regime is going to last. But there is a question out there as to whether the regime might collapse quickly.
Many of the signs we are seeing suggest that the regime might be unraveling. And you want to be very careful - it might be. Signs of - the reports that regime officials are fleeing Baghdad. Clearly, the Republican Guard elements that have retreated back into Baghdad are badly disorganized. They've been badly damaged.
The Iraqi high command is trying desperately to scrape together forces to counterattack against U.S. forces to try to retake the airport, to keep us off balance and maybe delay us a little bit. But they are in tremendous difficulties right now.
BLITZER: What about those special Republican Guard? We know about the regular Republican Guard, those six divisions, that most of them are basically out of commission right now. But there was a lot of attention focused on the special Republican Guard inside Baghdad itself. What's going on with them? POLLACK: Well, no one really knows exactly what they're doing. We have had reports that there are military personnel all across the city. Those are probably special Republican Guards. That's what Saddam uses them for.
The special Republican Guards are really riot control police. They are internal security forces. They're thugs. They're the guys who keep order in Baghdad and other key locations.
They're not professional military personnel. They're not professional soldiers the way the Republican Guard is.
So on the one hand, they are much more committed to Saddam, because of tribal affiliations, because of other bonds of loyalty.
On the other hand, they don't have the same kind of training that the Republican Guard does. So as far as e presenting a problem for U.S. forces, it's a mixed bag. They might be more devoted, more loyal, more willing to lay down their life for Saddam, but they're going to have less capability to actually fight back against the United States.
And as best we can tell, by and large, Saddam continues to use the remnants of the Republican Guard to actually fend off U.S. forces. And he's keeping the special Republican Guard mostly to control the city of Baghdad.
BLITZER: All right. We're going to have to leave it there - Ken Pollack, our analyst, always helping us. Stand by. We'll be speaking with you, of course, throughout the night in our special coverage.
We have another special hour coming up. Right now, a special edition of "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS." And that begins right after we check the latest developments.
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