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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Have U.S. Troops Found Evidence That Proves Saddam Hussein had Chemical, Bilogical Weapons of Mass Destruction?

Aired April 14, 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.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Have U.S. troops found evidence that proves Saddam Hussein had chemical and bilogical weapons of mass destruction?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's major chemical lab facilities. Eleven different large size (UNINTELLIGIBLE) buried in the ground clearly marked so they can be found again, dual use, chemical and biologicial.

BLITZER: U.S. troops were expecting a big fight in Saddam Hussein's hometown, but they met little resistance. And what about their search for the deposed Iraqi dictator?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saddam Hussein's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and his family and the senior members of the regime who had hidden there, left the city of Tikrit before the Americans arrived.

BLITZER: America lays a hero to rest. He made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was a hero. He wanted to be a hero and that's what he did and I think if he'd had any other way it wouldn't have made him happy.

BLITZER: A widow remembers a man, a husband, a hero on day 26 of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS with correspondents from around the world. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.

BLITZER: Hello from Doha, Qatar. That's the temporary headquarters of the U.S. military's Central Command. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting the battle for Saddam Hussein's hometown. We'll talk with reporters who were there earlier today.

Also, the rescued POWs, their families want to know when they'll get to see them. We have reporters with two families.

And how looting is preventing Iraq's oil industry from getting back up to speed. We'll take you live to Iraq's northern oil regions. But first the hunt for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. So far U.S. led forces have come up empty handed but possibly, possibly that is about to change. U.S. troops discovered today what they believe to be some Iraqi mobile chemical and biological labs about 50 miles south of Baghdad. CNN's Ryan Chilcote is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the 101st, Wolf, continues to inspect so-called "sensitive sites." Sensitive sites are places where the U.S. believes the elements of an Iraqi chemical and biological weapons program may be hidden.

You'll recall that we discussed one such site near the city of Karbala about 50 miles south of Baghdad about a week ago where the 101st believed that they had either found a chemical agent or a high grade pesticide. A short while ago I spoke with General Benjamin Freakly from the 101st Airborne. He has been tracking these issues. He gave me an update on where the 101st is at the so-called sensitive sites. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. BENJAMIN FREAKLY, U.S. ARMY: We talked before you and I about the site there at Objective Murray (ph) where we found the chemicals, suspected chemicals. Those turned out after further analysis, as you and I had talked about, not being chemicals. They were high-grade pesticide but in Karbala when we were fighting there with the 2nd Brigade, the 2nd Brigade found about 11 buried CONEXs, large metal, 20 by probably 20-foot vans buried in the ground. They are dual use chemical labs, biological and chemical. About 1,000 pounds of documentation were found in that and they were close to an artillery ammunition plant.

So this is consistent with the Iraqi denial, Iraqi -- former Iraqi leadership denial of doing anything, any wrongdoing and yet here's major chemical lab facilities, 11 different large sized CONEXs buried in the ground clearly marked so they could be found again, dual used chemical and biological close to an artillery factory that has empty shells.

So we're exploring that further. Again, a little too early to tell but clearly new equipment, a lot of money in the 2000 to 2003 time period have been spent in that camp, probably over a $1 million worth of chemical capability found in these 11 CONEXs and we continue to develop that with better expertise.

CHILCOTE: And you found it a while ago but what was new? Yesterday you had people looking at it or...

FREAKLY: No, I think -- you know and when it was found in Karbala, the 2nd Brigade was fighting there and as the 2nd Brigade stabilized Karbala, then it was determined that these CONEXs were found.

They had them dug up and now the sensitive site teams that the military is using are using their expertise to pour through this and initial reports indicate that this is clearly a case of denial and deception on the part of the Iraqi government and that these chemical labs are present and that we just have to determine what in fact they were really being used for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHILCOTE: Wolf, inspecting these sites is both slow and complicated work. As you saw with the first site, they thought they were onto something. They'd done a barrage of tests using various chemical tests to look at the agents that they had there. I'm not even sure that we're that far with this new site. You probably noticed that the general never mentioned any specific chemical agents at those laboratories, what he is calling laboratories.

So it is a bit early to jump to any conclusions about what they have found. Obviously it would be nice to say this is this or that but this is complicated business. It really requires several levels of testing and that is what we have seen so far with the 101st. They bring in one level of an inspection team. They come to some conclusions then they bring it up another level. They come to conclusions and then bring it up yet another level. I think we can expect to see the same kind of process, very slow and tedious process in the inspection of this new site -- Wolf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: CNN's Ryan Chilcote, thanks very much. He's embedded with the 101st Airborne Division in central Iraq.

Joining us now to get some more perspective on what this may mean is Amoretta Hoeber. She's a chemical weapons expert, former deputy undersecretary of the U.S. Army.

Amoretta, thank you very much for joining us. Is this as far as you can tell based on this preliminary information potentially the first smoking gun evidence that Iraq was concealing weapons of mass destruction capabilities?

AMORETTA HOEBER, CHEMICAL WEAPONS EXPERT: Well, it could be. I think we still have a lot to go in the way of taking some samples and getting them to some proper laboratories so we can be sure what chemicals were actually present in the labs at some point but I think the simple fact that they were hidden creates some real concern as to whether they might not be part of a smoking gun.

BLITZER: Because as you well remember, before the war the Bush Administration repeatedly in statements before the U.N. Security Council and other statements insisting the Iraqis had these mobile vans, these flat bed trucks if you will...

HOEBER: Right.

BLITZER: That could put a laboratory on the back of them, move around, conceal the capability there and the inspectors would never find them. This sounds consistent with that kind of fear. HOEBER: Well, these may be exactly the labs that were being talked about at that point in time. I think 11 of them is a significant number. If we find out that there have been real agents in these laboratories at some point in the past and we can find that out with the appropriate kind of testing. I think that's very important and it will be a smoking gun. I think it's too early to know for sure though.

BLITZER: Because you believe there are traced -- there is residue -- there's trace elements perhaps of some chemical or biological agents that would still be detected even if they scrubbed those labs and cleaned them up.

HOEBER: Essentially. I -- the best way to clean up a lab like that to get it to where you can't detect it is essentially to destroy it, what the Army refers to as 5-X level of clean up but than would destroy the lab. You wouldn't even be able to tell as much as we've told today. So I'm sure they haven't decontaminated them to that level in which case there would be some traces.

BLITZER: Finally, one last question, Amoretta, before I let you go. The fact that these mobile labs, if in fact that these were mobile labs, were found so close to an artillery shell manufacturing plant, if you will, what does that say to you?

HOEBER: Well, it can either be used to help fill the shells or it could be used to help unfill the shells so it's a little early to tell for sure that it was used for an offensive illegal purpose but it certainly leads me to be suspicious.

BLITZER: All right. Amoretta Hoeber, a former deputy under Secretary of the U.S. Army, thanks very much. They also found what they're calling 1,000 pounds, a ton if you will, of documents at that location. I assume that U.S. officials are going to start going through those documents very, very carefully.

Meanwhile, facing resistance a lot less than expected, U.S. Marines have swept into Tikrit. That's the hometown of Saddam Hussein. They were expecting a lot more resistance. Reporter Larry Kaplow of the Cox Newspapers was there earlier today. Now he's in Baghdad.

Larry, fill us in what you saw and what you heard in Tikrit.

LARRY KAPLOW, COX NEWSPAPERS: Well, we had a very relatively easy trip into Tikrit. We didn't have any problems on the road. We saw a lot of destroyed Iraqi army vehicles, tanks and artillery but basically drove right into the city and were able to drive right to the main palace of Saddam Hussein there, the Omar Alfaruke (ph) palace, which by the time we got there mid afternoon was being looted by hundreds of Iraqis who were lifting out everything they could carry or drag away and then we talked to some people on the streets ...

BLITZER: We had heard Larry that ...

KAPLOW: That were starting to come of their houses. BLITZER: He had heard that these palaces were so opulent. I assume there was a lot of good stuff for these people to loot.

KAPLOW: Well, there was good stuff and anything that they could take. They were taking the good things, the ceramics and the furniture, carrying out televisions on their shoulders but they were also dismantling ceiling fans and taking away refrigerators and generators and putting anything they could into their trucks and cars and carts to take it with them.

BLITZER: Were the people of Tikrit happy to see U.S. troops arrive?

KAPLOW: No, I would say we've seen very complicated feelings all over in Baghdad and in other parts of the country about U.S. troops but I think Tikrit they were especially ambivalent and more openly against the presence of U.S. troops there. They said that the troops had caused civilian casualties before they came. They repeated what you hear all the time that they're only here for Iraqi oil and that they will be occupying Iraq one man told me for 500 years until all the oil is gone.

BLITZER: Did you get a sense, Larry, where the leadership of the Republican Guard, the leadership of the Ba'ath Party, Saddam Hussein's relatives and maybe Saddam Hussein may have all fled over the past few days because apparently no one was there by the time the Marines arrived, no one from the old regime that is?

KAPLOW: People told us that even local Ba'ath Party people who they recognized had sort of vanished in recent days and of course any of the important people, you know, your guess is as good as anyone's. There are so many of them but none of them have been found so it's really hard to say where they could be.

BLITZER: Larry Kaplow of Cox Newspapers now in Baghdad, earlier in the day in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, a hometown now under the control or at least most of it of U.S. Marines. Larry, thanks very much for that report.

Meanwhile amidst all of this, Cuban cigars, French wine and hundreds of oriental rugs were also discovered. Some of what U.S. forces found in a Baghdad palace belonging to Saddam Hussein's son, Uday. On display, pictures of President Bush's twin daughters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. KENT RIDGOUT, U.S. MARINE CORPS: This whole area what we determine to be is Uday and Qusay Hussein little penthouse -- mansions that they own and they bounce around in different places and store stuff.

There is UNICEF boxes in there that have, you know, kids' school supplies and things like that that obviously were meant from countries to this country for the children of Iraq. Yet these jerks, you know, took it all in there. And there's a lot of things like scuba equipment and there's a couple kayaks. You know, just the playboy, you know, that kind of stuff. That's what's in this house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: No explanation why the pictures of President Bush's twin daughters were in that palace. We'll try to do some more digging on that.

Meanwhile, there's an unbelievable sight now unfolding on the streets of Baghdad. Get this, U.S. Marines patrolling those streets together with former Iraqi police officers. Let's go live to Baghdad. That's where CNN's Rula Amin is standing by.

I guess this is something a lot of people never expected to see in their lifetime, Rula.

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of things are happening here, Wolf, that people are very surprised at. Many people we speak to say they can't believe their eyes at what is happening here in Baghdad.

Let me start with the Iraqis. They tell us they were promised democracy and now they are claiming it. Small groups but very vocal of Iraqis have been coming to the Palestine Hotel. That's where the Marines are based and hundreds of western journalists.

They have different demands. Those, the ones we are seeing their pictures now, are demanding that the troops actually leave Baghdad. They're happy that Saddam Hussein is gone but they want the U.S. troops to leave now. They say they want to see Iraq free. Others were asking the Marines to take a more active role in Iraq and to firm them, the Marines control over the Iraqi capital. They want the Marines to put an end to the endless looting.

Today the looting extended to the library, a major library in Baghdad. The looters went there. They took away furniture. They destroyed the contents of the library. They took away books and then they set the library on fire. It was a scene that outraged many Iraqis. So many of them are so proud of their heritage, they are considered among the well educated in the Arab world, very well read, and they feel that these are embarrassing scenes. They are calling on the Marines to try to help to stop the looters and today the U.S. Marines were on the move in practical terms in doing that.

In one neighborhood there were some young men who were trying to rob a bank. They used Rocket Propelled Grenades to force their way into that building where the bank is. However, the Marines came to site very quickly and they took over. They arrested the men and they made sure that all the Iraqi residents who were watching this developing and they were waiting on the streets to get into the bank after the robbers leave it where they did understand the message that looting is not and will not be tolerated in Baghdad anymore.

The Marines are selling up (ph). They are going to take a more active role to put an end to this phenomena that is creating fear and panic among residents in Baghdad -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Rula Amin, in Baghdad for us tonight. Rula, thanks very much.

Meanwhile, in a further sign that this war is winding down or at least the traditional battlefield out of it is virtually over, the United States Navy is now reducing the number of aircraft carriers deployed in the Persian Gulf. The Kitty Hawk handed over air operations to the Nimitz earlier today and is expected to leave this Gulf this week, return to its homeport in Japan.

Another carrier is expected to leave the Gulf within several days and that's the Constellation. When it happens, that would leave the Nimitz in the Gulf and the Harry S. Truman and the Theodore Roosevelt in the Red Sea. This scaling back of course also involves the U.S. Army.

Pentagon sources are telling CNN some 20,000 members of the 1st Calvary Division will remain at their home base at Fort Hood, Texas at least for now meaning they're not coming over here to the Persian Gulf. The division had received deployment orders and was gearing up to move to the Gulf also.

About 20,000 members of the 1st Armored Division based in Germany may have their re-deployment plans revised as well with only part of the division going to the Gulf in the near future.

Here's your turn to weigh in on the war in Iraq. "Our Web Question of the Day" is this: is the war over? We'll have the results later in this broadcast. Please vote at cnn.com/wolf.

While you're there, I'd love to hear from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also of course where you can read my daily online column and I'm writing one everyday from here in the Gulf, cnn.com/wolf.

Rescued American POWs on their way home soon, very soon. Find out when they'll be coming home. Find out where they're being treated, how they were being treated by the Iraqis before they were freed and what shape they're in right now also.

Shallow grave, was a missing American soldier buried there? We'll go to the scene where Special Forces are now investigating.

Plus, sights on Syria, President Bush puts on the pressure to keep Iraqi leaders out.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Seven American POWs, they're going to be coming home back to the United States very soon. They were freed on Sunday. Just within the past few minutes we've received some new Department of Defense video of those seven Americans as they were freed. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Marines (UNINTELLIGIBLE) they came (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How does it feel?

UNIDENTIFIED I'm happy. I'm very happy (UNINTELLIGIBLE) came for us. I'm happy that I'm going home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm happy that I'm going home to see my family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you all, Marines! I love you all, Marines.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: An excellent prognosis for all seven of those American former POWs. The POWs were rescued yesterday. Earlier we talked to an Army physician who treated some of them upon their arrival in Kuwait. He says it was an emotional but very happy occasion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had an opportunity to converse with them and to talk with them. Their spirits were high. They actually uplifted our spirits to take care of these extremely brave young Americans who came in harm's way. They appear amazingly resilient and in good humor when we spoke.

Some did have some wounds, which we cared for. But as I say, in general they were in very good shape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That of course is very, very welcome news for the families of those seven POWs. CNN's Jamie Colby is with -- spending a lot of time with one of those families, the family of Chief Warrant Officer David Williams. He's been spending some time with his wife. He of course was one of those two Apache helicopter pilots who had been POWs. Jamie's joining us now live from Fort Hood, Texas. She's got an exclusive report -- Jamie.

JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, earlier we talked exclusively with Michelle Williams who is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. There wasn't much information about her or her husband prior to today because she was asked by the military not to talk to the media so that her military status wouldn't endanger her husband but I want to tell you about what happened shortly after he was confirmed a POW. In front of his house a flag was installed, a flagpole with the official POW flag along with a monument that was inscribed with the date of his capture and also a quote from a Colonel that had been a Vietnam POW, someone that David Williams highly regarded that his wife knew about and here's what it said. It said, "So look up ahead at times to come, despair is not for us," and now today with the news that her husband has been freed, despair has dissipated and been replaced by unending joy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE WILLIAMS, WIFE OF FORMER POW: The first thing I want to say is to my husband. If you can see me, I want you to know that I love you and that I support you and I am so, so proud of you.

COLBY (voice-over): It's a great American love story. Michelle and David Williams met in flight school and now have two beautiful children, two-year-old Jason and six month old Madison (ph).

Michelle says after her husband's capture, it became as great a challenge to be a soldier's spouse as it was to be a soldier. Michelle, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, also with the 1st Calvary, had been advised her military status could be used against her husband and was ordered not to speak to the media.

WILLIAMS: It was hard at first because I was scared that my husband was going to be the only one not hearing from, you know, one of his immediate family members but just to tell him how much I loved him and supported him.

COLBY: Now that he's free, she's broken her silence.

WILLIAMS: It was a little disheartening but now looking back it was -- it was the right decision absolutely.

COLBY: The couple's only spoken briefly and Michelle says she knows few details of his ordeal but though she admits David looks a little thin, she says he remains strong.

WILLIAMS: I always believed that this day would come. I've prayed for it and the good Lord has answered my prayers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLBY: And Michelle is doing what all of the families of POWs are doing right now, waiting by the phone for news of when they can rejoin their loved ones -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks for that excellent report, Jamie Colby in Texas for us.

Let's head north to Kansas. That's where CNN's Jeff Flock is standing by. He's been spending some time with the family, the loved ones of another one of those former POWs, Private 1st Class Patrick Miller. Jeff, tell us how they're reacting. JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, indeed a breezy day on the Kansas plain here, signs literal and figurative of joy all around this town. We've spent a good part of this day talking to family members and friends of Private First Class Patrick Miller who are joyous but they say their joy is somewhat tempered by the fact that not everyone is yet accounted for and in fact many have been lost in this war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FLOCK (voice-over): The yellow ribbons are still tied around the old oak trees and the rest here in Valley Center, Kansas even though hometown hero Patrick Miller has done his time and is coming home.

SHANE PARKER, MILLER'S HALF-BROTHER: The ribbons up. I mean they're not just for Pat. I mean they're for everybody that's over there.

FLOCK: His brother now shares with me his deepest fears since he saw the images of Miller broadcast on Iraqi TV after his capture.

(on camera): You were thinking the worst could happen.

PARKER: Yes. I mean when we -- when we had seen of him, he looked good but when they took Baghdad that was worrying us I mean because we didn't know where he was or anything like that but ...

FLOCK (voice-over): Miller's father has been wearing a button with a picture of his son over his heart.

JOHN MILLER, MILLER'S FATHER: My wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I told her I wanted my son home. I got it.

FLOCK: Miller's best friends growing up here in this small town just north of Wichita remember Pat was always tough, perhaps not as talented as his wrestling opponents in high school but always more tenacious.

TIM KERN, FRIEND OF MILLER: Always hope for the best, prepare for the worst but I knew I'd see him again. You always hope for that and it came true.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLOCK: And now of course, Wolf, the question is how soon does he get back together with his family? His wife Jessa (ph) has not done any interviews yet but I talked to the pastor who was speaking for her this afternoon. He says that she is planning to make a trip to either Washington or somewhere on the east coast where she is being told by him, Patrick Miller that is, that they will come for a reunion, all of the POWs coming together for a reunion with their families.

She and his two children will be there as well as his mother for that reunion. How soon that's going to happen, they think at least another day or two but still not sure.

That's the latest from Kansas, Wolf. Back to you. BLITZER: Thanks very much Jeff Flock. It'll be a happy, happy reunion. That's for sure.

You know "The Washington Post" reporter Peter Baker accompanied those seven POWs, the former POWs on a flight out of Iraq. They gave him some extraordinary details of their ordeal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER BAKER, "WASHINGTON POST" CORRESPONDENT: When they were first captured they were, you know, kicked and beaten some, some sticks against the back and that sort of thing but after that they said the physical abuse really subsided. It became more just really mental torture in a way not knowing what would come next.

You know any moment they could be killed they thought by either their captors or really by even American bombs. They were in the middle of Baghdad as it was getting pummeled from the air. One of the bombs hit 50 yards from the prison that they were in one night.

So they were in a constant state of uncertainty not knowing what could happen at any moment. I mean every couple of nights they were moved to a house, to a government building, all over the place seemingly as jailers were trying to basically get rid of them and pawn them off on somebody else. Nobody wanted to be caught by Americans holding their prisoners.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And now they're awaiting word when they'll be coming to the United States. Presumably it'll be very soon.

We have much more coverage of the war in Iraq coming up.

In the meantime, the coalition, specifically the Bush Administration, is turning its sights on Syria, one of Iraq's neighbors. Find out why Washington is issuing some stern warnings to the -- to the Damascus regime.

Plus, shut down by looters, an Iraqi oil field drip-dry after being hit by thieves.

And where's Saddam Hussein? Find out how science may be the key to tracking him down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm reporting tonight from Doha, Qatar, home of the U.S. military's Central Command, at least for now during this war in Iraq. Welcome back to our up to the minute nonstop live coverage of the war in Iraq.

In a moment, all eyes on Syria. The Bush administration leaning heavily on the Damascus regime. We'll go live to the White House in just a moment to check out what is going on. And before we do that, let's go to the CNN newsroom now. That's where CNN's Kyra Phillips is standing by with a quick check of all the late breaking headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Kyra.

We're going to check out the situation now involving one of Iraq's neighbors, namely Syria. The heat is being turned on against the Syrian government, specifically because of suspicions, deep suspicions by the Bush administration, the Syrians may be aiding and abetting.

Let's turn to our State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel. She has more -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, well, as you know, the drumbeat against Syria has already been sounding off for days here in Washington. But today, it got a little louder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (voice-over): Ramping up the rhetoric, Secretary of State Powell delivered the toughest warning shot yet across Syria's bows.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We will examine possible measures of diplomatic, economic or other nature as we move forward. We are in touch with Syrian authorities.

KOPPEL: In fact, Britain's deputy foreign secretary met with Syria's president, Bashar Al-Assad, in Damascus Monday, the U.K. playing good cop to the U.S. bad cop. Both Washington and London looking to capitalize on their military success in removing the Iraqi regime to send a powerful signal to Iraq's neighbors.

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: Gone is the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Next, hopefully is a re-examination by Syria and perhaps others about how they can conduct their affairs.

KOPPEL: At issue, U.S. claims that Syria, a state sponsor of terrorism, may be allowing thousands of Syrian and other Arab fighters to cross into Iraq to fight coalition forces, continuing its own chemical and biological weapons program and providing safe haven to senior Iraqi Ba'ath Party officials, war controls and scientists.

A senior Syria official told CNN his government has asked for but not received hard evidence proving these allegations.

ROSTOM AL-ZOURI, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: That all these accusations are baseless. We deny them. We don't have weapons of mass destruction.

KOPPEL: But the White House said President Bush is convinced and wants Syria's president to get the message. FLEISCHER: The president, Bashar Al-Assad, is a young leader. He is an untested leader. He has his chance to be a leader who makes the right decisions. We hope he does.

KOPPEL: Saber rattling aside, the Bush administration has stopped short of saying Syria could be the next military target.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

As one senior administration official explained, he said this is a chance to read Damascus the riot act, he said, to tell them that this is an opportunity for them to turn a new page, but as this official put it, Wolf, he said they're already in the process of blowing it -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Andrea Koppel at the State Department, thanks very much.

So does the Bush administration have a serious case against Syria? For that, let's turn to our national security correspondent David Ensor -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, in addition to the warnings today there were more specifics on what exactly are the allegations against Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We have intelligence that indicates that some Iraqi people have been allowed into Syria, in some cases to stay, in some cases to transit.

ENSOR (voice-over): Family members some of senior Iraqi leaders and senior Ba'ath Party officials are desperately trying to get into Syria, say Pentagon officials, and may try to go from there to Libya.

But other U.S. officials, while they confirm evidence some lower level Iraqis may have crossed the border, say there is, in fact, no evidence any senior Iraqi leader has been allowed into Syria thus far.

Pentagon officials also say Syria should resist the temptation to acquire Iraqi scientists to help with its chemical weapons program.

RUMSFELD: We have seen a chemical weapons test in Syria over the past 12, 15 months.

ENSOR: A recent CIA report says Syria has a stockpile of the nerve agent sarin and is trying to develop more toxic and persistent nerve agents. Syria denies it has any weapons of mass destruction.

GEOFFREY KEMP, NIXON CENTER: Someone said that with the demise of Saddam Hussein, there is now a vacancy in the axis of evil. And that Syria is a natural candidate to join the axis.

ENSOR: But it is not that simple. Complicating the picture, Syria's help in the war on terrorism. Secretary of State Powell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last year that, quote, "The president has taken note on of Syria's cooperation on Al Qaeda. Syria's cooperation in this regard has been substantial and has helped save American lives.

Furthermore, analysts say, the U.S. has limited leverage over Damascus. Military action, they say, would not make sense.

KEMP: The danger is that if you get involved with Syria in a military way, it's very difficult to see how Israel would be left out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: Still, Assad deeply angered the U.S. by sending fighters to Iraq to kill Americans. The pressure on him from here now will be unrelenting -- Wolf.

BLITZER: David Ensor with a comprehensive report. Thanks, David, very much.

Yesterday, here in Doha, Qatar, at the Central Command, I asked General Tommy Franks if they have samples of Saddam Hussein's DNA. For the first time, he said, yes, he confirmed they do. What are they going to do with that DNA? When we come back, I'll ask forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht. He'll join me live. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to our special coverage. Yesterday, general Tommy Franks told me they do indeed have samples of Saddam Hussein's DNA.

Joining me now from Pittsburgh, Dr. Cyril Wecht, the famed forensic pathologist.

Help us understand what precisely that means. They say they have some samples. We don't know what the samples consist of. But does this mean that if Saddam Hussein, for example, is buried in one of the craters, the U.S. will know?

CYRIL WECHT, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: Well, Wolf if they have real samples of blood, sweat, saliva, semen, from some receptacle or another, then, yes, a regular DNA, the cellular kind, PCR, prelimininaes (ph) chain reaction, could be done with a human remain, a fragment of tissue found in the burned out, bombed out rubble and that could be the exclusionary type of one in a trillion. That would be the ultimate.

I doubt -- and I don't know that they're going to have blood. I think when the general says they have DNA, that they're probably talking about hair, which would be mitochondrial.

He may be talking about DNA from the half brother. The half brother shares the same mother. And therefore the mitochondrial DNA, the non-cellular kind, would be the same between these two half brothers. And that would lead to an exclusionary identification high enough in the hundreds of thousands, maybe even to the millions, I think is sufficient for this purpose.

That, correlated with investigative background information that Saddam Hussein was known to have gone into a particular building, and maybe, maybe he might be found with one of his sons and so on, that could be pretty, pretty positive.

BLITZER: And if they have this kind of DNA -- but let's get back to that crater in that Mansour area inside that restaurant in Baghdad that was bombed with four 2,000 pound bombs. Do you suspect given the enormity of the explosion that occurred there, there would be residue of Saddam Hussein left, some of his DNA that you could make a match?

WECHT: Yes, Wolf, I do believe there would be. A human body cannot be made to disappear, to be vaporized. You have to consume it in flames for example, to get just the ashes in a crematorium at 25, 2,600 degrees for almost an hour.

You can bomb something, you can cause the fragments to be extremely minute.

They're going to have to take their time, sift through literally with sieves and dogs to see if they have the smallest piece of tissue. There may be thousands of pieces of tissue that are identified as human remains or thought to be that are going to have to be tested, each and every one separately, to establish its respective DNA pattern.

Then they come back to this DNA that we have, either whether it's hair from his comb or brush or his toothbrush or whether it's from his half brother, for mitochondrial DNA, and match each and every one of them up. This could be a long, arduous process and could take weeks and months.

I believe the DNA testing is most certainly going to be done by some of the top federal DNA labs here in the United States. They may call upon some of the top commercial labs because of the overwhelming quantity of materials to be tested.

I have a feeling, at least I would do this, I would have the British also perform some tests, both in order to expedite as well as to ultimately corroborate and scientifically validate in the eyes of the world, as well as for the scientific community, that these, indeed, are the remains of Saddam Hussein.

So that's the situation of finding something remains and then seeing what kind of DNA is extant, what is available that is representative to be Saddam Hussein's.

BLITZER: Dr. Cyril Wecht, the famed forensic pathologist. He knows what's talking about. A huge potential breakthrough in trying to resolve this mystery of Saddam Hussein is dead or alive.

Dr. Wecht, always good to speak with you.

WECHT: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thanks for spending a few moments with us. Thank you.

We'd love to hear directly from you, our viewers. "Our Web Question of the Day" once again is this, is the war over? Vote at cnn.com/wolf.

Much more coverage coming up including looted to a standstill. Iraqi oil fields shut down after being hit by thieves. The effort to get the black gold flowing again. We'll go live to Erbil for the latest. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: In northern Iraq, the company responsible for one third of Iraq's oil production says it has to shut down because most of its equipment has been looted.

CNN's Jane Arraf is standing by in nearby Erbil with details -- Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, hat looting started just a few hours after Iraqi forces pulled out of Kirkuk. And the head of the northern oil company also pulled out, apparently, leaving workers there with no instructions and leaving the area open to hours of looting.

Now, the main problem is the electrical system. Workers there say that that was cannibalized, computer parts were taken away, vehicles, anything they could get their hands on. But a few people are coming back to work, a few dozen of them spontaneously returning to the oil fields. which supply about half of Iraq's oil. And they say they're going try to get it up and running again -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jane this is critical to get these oil fields pumping oil so they can export and make some money and get some badly needed assistance. How important is it?

ARRAF: Absolutely critical. Not just for the money. It's essentially -- this is how Iraq is going to pay for its reconstruction. And it's also a huge part of Iraqi identity. This country provides -- it has the second largest oil reserves in the world. And particularly in the north, people are incredibly proud of the oil and the role that they play in it.

So any -- they do have to get it pumping again now. The experts say it could take a couple of months to get the north and the south going. The north is perhaps a little less badly than the south. But still, they obviously want to get it up and running as soon as possible to get that money back into the economy -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Could have been a lot worse if the Iraqis would have blown up the oil fields to begin with. They didn't and the oil is still there underground. Eventually they'll be pumping it.

Jane Arraf, thanks very much.

We have much more on the coverage of the war in Iraq coming up. Not everyone was necessarily as lucky as those seven American POWs who did manage to win their freedom yesterday.

When we return, the mystery of a shallow grave. Does it hold the answers to the mystery of one MIA?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Another American combat casualty was buried today at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C.

Marine 2nd Lieutenant Frederick Pokorney Jr. was killed in fighting near Nasiriyah on March 30. Last week his widow spoke about his death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHELLE POKORNEY, WIDOW: He's given me the strength. I just feel that I have no regrets. Loved each other so much. We shared special things. And he was a hero. He wanted to be a hero and that's what he did. And I think if he had had it any other way it wouldn't have made him happy. And I have to be proud of that. What wife wouldn't? I mean, what a heroic thing to give your life for your country, for the freedom of other people and stand tall and proud like he always was. He was always a proud, proud man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Lieutenant Pokorney also leaves behind a daughter. He was 31 years old. His uncle says Pokorney was proud of what he was doing and wanted to be buried at Arlington, where his grandmother and a great uncle also were buried.

A grave site in Iraq is proving to be a huge, huge mystery. Iraqis tell special forces an American fighter was buried there but now the grave is empty.

CNN's Mike Boettcher has details. He's with the U.S. special forces.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. special forces, accompanied by members of an Iraqi opposition army called the Free Iraqi Force, or FIF, were led to the empty gravesite near the town of Al Shatra (ph) in south central Iraq by a doctor who said he buried the body of what he was told was a dead American soldier.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a wound here, just a wound here. There was some blood, dry blood. Dry blood on his mouth.

BOETTCHER: The shallow grave was located on the edge of the trash dump in Al Shatra (ph). The doctor claims the remains were dug up one week ago by Americans who were searching for the gravesite. But U.S. special forces at the scene had no information of such an operation.

The U.S. Green Berets and the anti-Saddam Hussein FIF were led to the gravesite after they raided a house in Al Shatra (ph). Special forces believed it was used as a temporary prison for four American soldiers captured in the early days of the war.

The raiding party took away a role of photographic negatives found in the house. They also discovered a handkerchief that had been twisted and formed into a makeshift handcuff.

Four suspected pro-Saddam Hussein paramilitaries, discovered hiding in the house next door, were taken away for questioning. One was caught trying to bury a hand grenade and assault rifles.

Still, the question remains, who was buried in the shallow grave and who dug up the body?

Mike Boettcher, CNN with U.S. special operations forces in Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on "Our Web Question of the Day." Remember, we've been asking you, is the war over? Seventeen percent of you say yes; 83 percent of you say no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

Please stay with CNN throughout the night for continuing coverage of the war in Iraq. I'll be back with Paula Zahn in one hour for two hours special coverage. Lou Dobbs is standing by to pick up our special coverage right now.

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





had Chemical, Bilogical Weapons of Mass Destruction?>


Aired April 14, 2003 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Have U.S. troops found evidence that proves Saddam Hussein had chemical and bilogical weapons of mass destruction?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's major chemical lab facilities. Eleven different large size (UNINTELLIGIBLE) buried in the ground clearly marked so they can be found again, dual use, chemical and biologicial.

BLITZER: U.S. troops were expecting a big fight in Saddam Hussein's hometown, but they met little resistance. And what about their search for the deposed Iraqi dictator?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saddam Hussein's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and his family and the senior members of the regime who had hidden there, left the city of Tikrit before the Americans arrived.

BLITZER: America lays a hero to rest. He made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was a hero. He wanted to be a hero and that's what he did and I think if he'd had any other way it wouldn't have made him happy.

BLITZER: A widow remembers a man, a husband, a hero on day 26 of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS with correspondents from around the world. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.

BLITZER: Hello from Doha, Qatar. That's the temporary headquarters of the U.S. military's Central Command. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting the battle for Saddam Hussein's hometown. We'll talk with reporters who were there earlier today.

Also, the rescued POWs, their families want to know when they'll get to see them. We have reporters with two families.

And how looting is preventing Iraq's oil industry from getting back up to speed. We'll take you live to Iraq's northern oil regions. But first the hunt for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. So far U.S. led forces have come up empty handed but possibly, possibly that is about to change. U.S. troops discovered today what they believe to be some Iraqi mobile chemical and biological labs about 50 miles south of Baghdad. CNN's Ryan Chilcote is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the 101st, Wolf, continues to inspect so-called "sensitive sites." Sensitive sites are places where the U.S. believes the elements of an Iraqi chemical and biological weapons program may be hidden.

You'll recall that we discussed one such site near the city of Karbala about 50 miles south of Baghdad about a week ago where the 101st believed that they had either found a chemical agent or a high grade pesticide. A short while ago I spoke with General Benjamin Freakly from the 101st Airborne. He has been tracking these issues. He gave me an update on where the 101st is at the so-called sensitive sites. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. BENJAMIN FREAKLY, U.S. ARMY: We talked before you and I about the site there at Objective Murray (ph) where we found the chemicals, suspected chemicals. Those turned out after further analysis, as you and I had talked about, not being chemicals. They were high-grade pesticide but in Karbala when we were fighting there with the 2nd Brigade, the 2nd Brigade found about 11 buried CONEXs, large metal, 20 by probably 20-foot vans buried in the ground. They are dual use chemical labs, biological and chemical. About 1,000 pounds of documentation were found in that and they were close to an artillery ammunition plant.

So this is consistent with the Iraqi denial, Iraqi -- former Iraqi leadership denial of doing anything, any wrongdoing and yet here's major chemical lab facilities, 11 different large sized CONEXs buried in the ground clearly marked so they could be found again, dual used chemical and biological close to an artillery factory that has empty shells.

So we're exploring that further. Again, a little too early to tell but clearly new equipment, a lot of money in the 2000 to 2003 time period have been spent in that camp, probably over a $1 million worth of chemical capability found in these 11 CONEXs and we continue to develop that with better expertise.

CHILCOTE: And you found it a while ago but what was new? Yesterday you had people looking at it or...

FREAKLY: No, I think -- you know and when it was found in Karbala, the 2nd Brigade was fighting there and as the 2nd Brigade stabilized Karbala, then it was determined that these CONEXs were found.

They had them dug up and now the sensitive site teams that the military is using are using their expertise to pour through this and initial reports indicate that this is clearly a case of denial and deception on the part of the Iraqi government and that these chemical labs are present and that we just have to determine what in fact they were really being used for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHILCOTE: Wolf, inspecting these sites is both slow and complicated work. As you saw with the first site, they thought they were onto something. They'd done a barrage of tests using various chemical tests to look at the agents that they had there. I'm not even sure that we're that far with this new site. You probably noticed that the general never mentioned any specific chemical agents at those laboratories, what he is calling laboratories.

So it is a bit early to jump to any conclusions about what they have found. Obviously it would be nice to say this is this or that but this is complicated business. It really requires several levels of testing and that is what we have seen so far with the 101st. They bring in one level of an inspection team. They come to some conclusions then they bring it up another level. They come to conclusions and then bring it up yet another level. I think we can expect to see the same kind of process, very slow and tedious process in the inspection of this new site -- Wolf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: CNN's Ryan Chilcote, thanks very much. He's embedded with the 101st Airborne Division in central Iraq.

Joining us now to get some more perspective on what this may mean is Amoretta Hoeber. She's a chemical weapons expert, former deputy undersecretary of the U.S. Army.

Amoretta, thank you very much for joining us. Is this as far as you can tell based on this preliminary information potentially the first smoking gun evidence that Iraq was concealing weapons of mass destruction capabilities?

AMORETTA HOEBER, CHEMICAL WEAPONS EXPERT: Well, it could be. I think we still have a lot to go in the way of taking some samples and getting them to some proper laboratories so we can be sure what chemicals were actually present in the labs at some point but I think the simple fact that they were hidden creates some real concern as to whether they might not be part of a smoking gun.

BLITZER: Because as you well remember, before the war the Bush Administration repeatedly in statements before the U.N. Security Council and other statements insisting the Iraqis had these mobile vans, these flat bed trucks if you will...

HOEBER: Right.

BLITZER: That could put a laboratory on the back of them, move around, conceal the capability there and the inspectors would never find them. This sounds consistent with that kind of fear. HOEBER: Well, these may be exactly the labs that were being talked about at that point in time. I think 11 of them is a significant number. If we find out that there have been real agents in these laboratories at some point in the past and we can find that out with the appropriate kind of testing. I think that's very important and it will be a smoking gun. I think it's too early to know for sure though.

BLITZER: Because you believe there are traced -- there is residue -- there's trace elements perhaps of some chemical or biological agents that would still be detected even if they scrubbed those labs and cleaned them up.

HOEBER: Essentially. I -- the best way to clean up a lab like that to get it to where you can't detect it is essentially to destroy it, what the Army refers to as 5-X level of clean up but than would destroy the lab. You wouldn't even be able to tell as much as we've told today. So I'm sure they haven't decontaminated them to that level in which case there would be some traces.

BLITZER: Finally, one last question, Amoretta, before I let you go. The fact that these mobile labs, if in fact that these were mobile labs, were found so close to an artillery shell manufacturing plant, if you will, what does that say to you?

HOEBER: Well, it can either be used to help fill the shells or it could be used to help unfill the shells so it's a little early to tell for sure that it was used for an offensive illegal purpose but it certainly leads me to be suspicious.

BLITZER: All right. Amoretta Hoeber, a former deputy under Secretary of the U.S. Army, thanks very much. They also found what they're calling 1,000 pounds, a ton if you will, of documents at that location. I assume that U.S. officials are going to start going through those documents very, very carefully.

Meanwhile, facing resistance a lot less than expected, U.S. Marines have swept into Tikrit. That's the hometown of Saddam Hussein. They were expecting a lot more resistance. Reporter Larry Kaplow of the Cox Newspapers was there earlier today. Now he's in Baghdad.

Larry, fill us in what you saw and what you heard in Tikrit.

LARRY KAPLOW, COX NEWSPAPERS: Well, we had a very relatively easy trip into Tikrit. We didn't have any problems on the road. We saw a lot of destroyed Iraqi army vehicles, tanks and artillery but basically drove right into the city and were able to drive right to the main palace of Saddam Hussein there, the Omar Alfaruke (ph) palace, which by the time we got there mid afternoon was being looted by hundreds of Iraqis who were lifting out everything they could carry or drag away and then we talked to some people on the streets ...

BLITZER: We had heard Larry that ...

KAPLOW: That were starting to come of their houses. BLITZER: He had heard that these palaces were so opulent. I assume there was a lot of good stuff for these people to loot.

KAPLOW: Well, there was good stuff and anything that they could take. They were taking the good things, the ceramics and the furniture, carrying out televisions on their shoulders but they were also dismantling ceiling fans and taking away refrigerators and generators and putting anything they could into their trucks and cars and carts to take it with them.

BLITZER: Were the people of Tikrit happy to see U.S. troops arrive?

KAPLOW: No, I would say we've seen very complicated feelings all over in Baghdad and in other parts of the country about U.S. troops but I think Tikrit they were especially ambivalent and more openly against the presence of U.S. troops there. They said that the troops had caused civilian casualties before they came. They repeated what you hear all the time that they're only here for Iraqi oil and that they will be occupying Iraq one man told me for 500 years until all the oil is gone.

BLITZER: Did you get a sense, Larry, where the leadership of the Republican Guard, the leadership of the Ba'ath Party, Saddam Hussein's relatives and maybe Saddam Hussein may have all fled over the past few days because apparently no one was there by the time the Marines arrived, no one from the old regime that is?

KAPLOW: People told us that even local Ba'ath Party people who they recognized had sort of vanished in recent days and of course any of the important people, you know, your guess is as good as anyone's. There are so many of them but none of them have been found so it's really hard to say where they could be.

BLITZER: Larry Kaplow of Cox Newspapers now in Baghdad, earlier in the day in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, a hometown now under the control or at least most of it of U.S. Marines. Larry, thanks very much for that report.

Meanwhile amidst all of this, Cuban cigars, French wine and hundreds of oriental rugs were also discovered. Some of what U.S. forces found in a Baghdad palace belonging to Saddam Hussein's son, Uday. On display, pictures of President Bush's twin daughters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. KENT RIDGOUT, U.S. MARINE CORPS: This whole area what we determine to be is Uday and Qusay Hussein little penthouse -- mansions that they own and they bounce around in different places and store stuff.

There is UNICEF boxes in there that have, you know, kids' school supplies and things like that that obviously were meant from countries to this country for the children of Iraq. Yet these jerks, you know, took it all in there. And there's a lot of things like scuba equipment and there's a couple kayaks. You know, just the playboy, you know, that kind of stuff. That's what's in this house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: No explanation why the pictures of President Bush's twin daughters were in that palace. We'll try to do some more digging on that.

Meanwhile, there's an unbelievable sight now unfolding on the streets of Baghdad. Get this, U.S. Marines patrolling those streets together with former Iraqi police officers. Let's go live to Baghdad. That's where CNN's Rula Amin is standing by.

I guess this is something a lot of people never expected to see in their lifetime, Rula.

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of things are happening here, Wolf, that people are very surprised at. Many people we speak to say they can't believe their eyes at what is happening here in Baghdad.

Let me start with the Iraqis. They tell us they were promised democracy and now they are claiming it. Small groups but very vocal of Iraqis have been coming to the Palestine Hotel. That's where the Marines are based and hundreds of western journalists.

They have different demands. Those, the ones we are seeing their pictures now, are demanding that the troops actually leave Baghdad. They're happy that Saddam Hussein is gone but they want the U.S. troops to leave now. They say they want to see Iraq free. Others were asking the Marines to take a more active role in Iraq and to firm them, the Marines control over the Iraqi capital. They want the Marines to put an end to the endless looting.

Today the looting extended to the library, a major library in Baghdad. The looters went there. They took away furniture. They destroyed the contents of the library. They took away books and then they set the library on fire. It was a scene that outraged many Iraqis. So many of them are so proud of their heritage, they are considered among the well educated in the Arab world, very well read, and they feel that these are embarrassing scenes. They are calling on the Marines to try to help to stop the looters and today the U.S. Marines were on the move in practical terms in doing that.

In one neighborhood there were some young men who were trying to rob a bank. They used Rocket Propelled Grenades to force their way into that building where the bank is. However, the Marines came to site very quickly and they took over. They arrested the men and they made sure that all the Iraqi residents who were watching this developing and they were waiting on the streets to get into the bank after the robbers leave it where they did understand the message that looting is not and will not be tolerated in Baghdad anymore.

The Marines are selling up (ph). They are going to take a more active role to put an end to this phenomena that is creating fear and panic among residents in Baghdad -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Rula Amin, in Baghdad for us tonight. Rula, thanks very much.

Meanwhile, in a further sign that this war is winding down or at least the traditional battlefield out of it is virtually over, the United States Navy is now reducing the number of aircraft carriers deployed in the Persian Gulf. The Kitty Hawk handed over air operations to the Nimitz earlier today and is expected to leave this Gulf this week, return to its homeport in Japan.

Another carrier is expected to leave the Gulf within several days and that's the Constellation. When it happens, that would leave the Nimitz in the Gulf and the Harry S. Truman and the Theodore Roosevelt in the Red Sea. This scaling back of course also involves the U.S. Army.

Pentagon sources are telling CNN some 20,000 members of the 1st Calvary Division will remain at their home base at Fort Hood, Texas at least for now meaning they're not coming over here to the Persian Gulf. The division had received deployment orders and was gearing up to move to the Gulf also.

About 20,000 members of the 1st Armored Division based in Germany may have their re-deployment plans revised as well with only part of the division going to the Gulf in the near future.

Here's your turn to weigh in on the war in Iraq. "Our Web Question of the Day" is this: is the war over? We'll have the results later in this broadcast. Please vote at cnn.com/wolf.

While you're there, I'd love to hear from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also of course where you can read my daily online column and I'm writing one everyday from here in the Gulf, cnn.com/wolf.

Rescued American POWs on their way home soon, very soon. Find out when they'll be coming home. Find out where they're being treated, how they were being treated by the Iraqis before they were freed and what shape they're in right now also.

Shallow grave, was a missing American soldier buried there? We'll go to the scene where Special Forces are now investigating.

Plus, sights on Syria, President Bush puts on the pressure to keep Iraqi leaders out.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Seven American POWs, they're going to be coming home back to the United States very soon. They were freed on Sunday. Just within the past few minutes we've received some new Department of Defense video of those seven Americans as they were freed. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Marines (UNINTELLIGIBLE) they came (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How does it feel?

UNIDENTIFIED I'm happy. I'm very happy (UNINTELLIGIBLE) came for us. I'm happy that I'm going home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm happy that I'm going home to see my family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you all, Marines! I love you all, Marines.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: An excellent prognosis for all seven of those American former POWs. The POWs were rescued yesterday. Earlier we talked to an Army physician who treated some of them upon their arrival in Kuwait. He says it was an emotional but very happy occasion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had an opportunity to converse with them and to talk with them. Their spirits were high. They actually uplifted our spirits to take care of these extremely brave young Americans who came in harm's way. They appear amazingly resilient and in good humor when we spoke.

Some did have some wounds, which we cared for. But as I say, in general they were in very good shape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That of course is very, very welcome news for the families of those seven POWs. CNN's Jamie Colby is with -- spending a lot of time with one of those families, the family of Chief Warrant Officer David Williams. He's been spending some time with his wife. He of course was one of those two Apache helicopter pilots who had been POWs. Jamie's joining us now live from Fort Hood, Texas. She's got an exclusive report -- Jamie.

JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, earlier we talked exclusively with Michelle Williams who is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. There wasn't much information about her or her husband prior to today because she was asked by the military not to talk to the media so that her military status wouldn't endanger her husband but I want to tell you about what happened shortly after he was confirmed a POW. In front of his house a flag was installed, a flagpole with the official POW flag along with a monument that was inscribed with the date of his capture and also a quote from a Colonel that had been a Vietnam POW, someone that David Williams highly regarded that his wife knew about and here's what it said. It said, "So look up ahead at times to come, despair is not for us," and now today with the news that her husband has been freed, despair has dissipated and been replaced by unending joy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE WILLIAMS, WIFE OF FORMER POW: The first thing I want to say is to my husband. If you can see me, I want you to know that I love you and that I support you and I am so, so proud of you.

COLBY (voice-over): It's a great American love story. Michelle and David Williams met in flight school and now have two beautiful children, two-year-old Jason and six month old Madison (ph).

Michelle says after her husband's capture, it became as great a challenge to be a soldier's spouse as it was to be a soldier. Michelle, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, also with the 1st Calvary, had been advised her military status could be used against her husband and was ordered not to speak to the media.

WILLIAMS: It was hard at first because I was scared that my husband was going to be the only one not hearing from, you know, one of his immediate family members but just to tell him how much I loved him and supported him.

COLBY: Now that he's free, she's broken her silence.

WILLIAMS: It was a little disheartening but now looking back it was -- it was the right decision absolutely.

COLBY: The couple's only spoken briefly and Michelle says she knows few details of his ordeal but though she admits David looks a little thin, she says he remains strong.

WILLIAMS: I always believed that this day would come. I've prayed for it and the good Lord has answered my prayers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLBY: And Michelle is doing what all of the families of POWs are doing right now, waiting by the phone for news of when they can rejoin their loved ones -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks for that excellent report, Jamie Colby in Texas for us.

Let's head north to Kansas. That's where CNN's Jeff Flock is standing by. He's been spending some time with the family, the loved ones of another one of those former POWs, Private 1st Class Patrick Miller. Jeff, tell us how they're reacting. JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, indeed a breezy day on the Kansas plain here, signs literal and figurative of joy all around this town. We've spent a good part of this day talking to family members and friends of Private First Class Patrick Miller who are joyous but they say their joy is somewhat tempered by the fact that not everyone is yet accounted for and in fact many have been lost in this war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FLOCK (voice-over): The yellow ribbons are still tied around the old oak trees and the rest here in Valley Center, Kansas even though hometown hero Patrick Miller has done his time and is coming home.

SHANE PARKER, MILLER'S HALF-BROTHER: The ribbons up. I mean they're not just for Pat. I mean they're for everybody that's over there.

FLOCK: His brother now shares with me his deepest fears since he saw the images of Miller broadcast on Iraqi TV after his capture.

(on camera): You were thinking the worst could happen.

PARKER: Yes. I mean when we -- when we had seen of him, he looked good but when they took Baghdad that was worrying us I mean because we didn't know where he was or anything like that but ...

FLOCK (voice-over): Miller's father has been wearing a button with a picture of his son over his heart.

JOHN MILLER, MILLER'S FATHER: My wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I told her I wanted my son home. I got it.

FLOCK: Miller's best friends growing up here in this small town just north of Wichita remember Pat was always tough, perhaps not as talented as his wrestling opponents in high school but always more tenacious.

TIM KERN, FRIEND OF MILLER: Always hope for the best, prepare for the worst but I knew I'd see him again. You always hope for that and it came true.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLOCK: And now of course, Wolf, the question is how soon does he get back together with his family? His wife Jessa (ph) has not done any interviews yet but I talked to the pastor who was speaking for her this afternoon. He says that she is planning to make a trip to either Washington or somewhere on the east coast where she is being told by him, Patrick Miller that is, that they will come for a reunion, all of the POWs coming together for a reunion with their families.

She and his two children will be there as well as his mother for that reunion. How soon that's going to happen, they think at least another day or two but still not sure.

That's the latest from Kansas, Wolf. Back to you. BLITZER: Thanks very much Jeff Flock. It'll be a happy, happy reunion. That's for sure.

You know "The Washington Post" reporter Peter Baker accompanied those seven POWs, the former POWs on a flight out of Iraq. They gave him some extraordinary details of their ordeal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER BAKER, "WASHINGTON POST" CORRESPONDENT: When they were first captured they were, you know, kicked and beaten some, some sticks against the back and that sort of thing but after that they said the physical abuse really subsided. It became more just really mental torture in a way not knowing what would come next.

You know any moment they could be killed they thought by either their captors or really by even American bombs. They were in the middle of Baghdad as it was getting pummeled from the air. One of the bombs hit 50 yards from the prison that they were in one night.

So they were in a constant state of uncertainty not knowing what could happen at any moment. I mean every couple of nights they were moved to a house, to a government building, all over the place seemingly as jailers were trying to basically get rid of them and pawn them off on somebody else. Nobody wanted to be caught by Americans holding their prisoners.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And now they're awaiting word when they'll be coming to the United States. Presumably it'll be very soon.

We have much more coverage of the war in Iraq coming up.

In the meantime, the coalition, specifically the Bush Administration, is turning its sights on Syria, one of Iraq's neighbors. Find out why Washington is issuing some stern warnings to the -- to the Damascus regime.

Plus, shut down by looters, an Iraqi oil field drip-dry after being hit by thieves.

And where's Saddam Hussein? Find out how science may be the key to tracking him down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm reporting tonight from Doha, Qatar, home of the U.S. military's Central Command, at least for now during this war in Iraq. Welcome back to our up to the minute nonstop live coverage of the war in Iraq.

In a moment, all eyes on Syria. The Bush administration leaning heavily on the Damascus regime. We'll go live to the White House in just a moment to check out what is going on. And before we do that, let's go to the CNN newsroom now. That's where CNN's Kyra Phillips is standing by with a quick check of all the late breaking headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Kyra.

We're going to check out the situation now involving one of Iraq's neighbors, namely Syria. The heat is being turned on against the Syrian government, specifically because of suspicions, deep suspicions by the Bush administration, the Syrians may be aiding and abetting.

Let's turn to our State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel. She has more -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, well, as you know, the drumbeat against Syria has already been sounding off for days here in Washington. But today, it got a little louder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (voice-over): Ramping up the rhetoric, Secretary of State Powell delivered the toughest warning shot yet across Syria's bows.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We will examine possible measures of diplomatic, economic or other nature as we move forward. We are in touch with Syrian authorities.

KOPPEL: In fact, Britain's deputy foreign secretary met with Syria's president, Bashar Al-Assad, in Damascus Monday, the U.K. playing good cop to the U.S. bad cop. Both Washington and London looking to capitalize on their military success in removing the Iraqi regime to send a powerful signal to Iraq's neighbors.

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: Gone is the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Next, hopefully is a re-examination by Syria and perhaps others about how they can conduct their affairs.

KOPPEL: At issue, U.S. claims that Syria, a state sponsor of terrorism, may be allowing thousands of Syrian and other Arab fighters to cross into Iraq to fight coalition forces, continuing its own chemical and biological weapons program and providing safe haven to senior Iraqi Ba'ath Party officials, war controls and scientists.

A senior Syria official told CNN his government has asked for but not received hard evidence proving these allegations.

ROSTOM AL-ZOURI, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: That all these accusations are baseless. We deny them. We don't have weapons of mass destruction.

KOPPEL: But the White House said President Bush is convinced and wants Syria's president to get the message. FLEISCHER: The president, Bashar Al-Assad, is a young leader. He is an untested leader. He has his chance to be a leader who makes the right decisions. We hope he does.

KOPPEL: Saber rattling aside, the Bush administration has stopped short of saying Syria could be the next military target.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

As one senior administration official explained, he said this is a chance to read Damascus the riot act, he said, to tell them that this is an opportunity for them to turn a new page, but as this official put it, Wolf, he said they're already in the process of blowing it -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Andrea Koppel at the State Department, thanks very much.

So does the Bush administration have a serious case against Syria? For that, let's turn to our national security correspondent David Ensor -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, in addition to the warnings today there were more specifics on what exactly are the allegations against Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We have intelligence that indicates that some Iraqi people have been allowed into Syria, in some cases to stay, in some cases to transit.

ENSOR (voice-over): Family members some of senior Iraqi leaders and senior Ba'ath Party officials are desperately trying to get into Syria, say Pentagon officials, and may try to go from there to Libya.

But other U.S. officials, while they confirm evidence some lower level Iraqis may have crossed the border, say there is, in fact, no evidence any senior Iraqi leader has been allowed into Syria thus far.

Pentagon officials also say Syria should resist the temptation to acquire Iraqi scientists to help with its chemical weapons program.

RUMSFELD: We have seen a chemical weapons test in Syria over the past 12, 15 months.

ENSOR: A recent CIA report says Syria has a stockpile of the nerve agent sarin and is trying to develop more toxic and persistent nerve agents. Syria denies it has any weapons of mass destruction.

GEOFFREY KEMP, NIXON CENTER: Someone said that with the demise of Saddam Hussein, there is now a vacancy in the axis of evil. And that Syria is a natural candidate to join the axis.

ENSOR: But it is not that simple. Complicating the picture, Syria's help in the war on terrorism. Secretary of State Powell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last year that, quote, "The president has taken note on of Syria's cooperation on Al Qaeda. Syria's cooperation in this regard has been substantial and has helped save American lives.

Furthermore, analysts say, the U.S. has limited leverage over Damascus. Military action, they say, would not make sense.

KEMP: The danger is that if you get involved with Syria in a military way, it's very difficult to see how Israel would be left out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: Still, Assad deeply angered the U.S. by sending fighters to Iraq to kill Americans. The pressure on him from here now will be unrelenting -- Wolf.

BLITZER: David Ensor with a comprehensive report. Thanks, David, very much.

Yesterday, here in Doha, Qatar, at the Central Command, I asked General Tommy Franks if they have samples of Saddam Hussein's DNA. For the first time, he said, yes, he confirmed they do. What are they going to do with that DNA? When we come back, I'll ask forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht. He'll join me live. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to our special coverage. Yesterday, general Tommy Franks told me they do indeed have samples of Saddam Hussein's DNA.

Joining me now from Pittsburgh, Dr. Cyril Wecht, the famed forensic pathologist.

Help us understand what precisely that means. They say they have some samples. We don't know what the samples consist of. But does this mean that if Saddam Hussein, for example, is buried in one of the craters, the U.S. will know?

CYRIL WECHT, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: Well, Wolf if they have real samples of blood, sweat, saliva, semen, from some receptacle or another, then, yes, a regular DNA, the cellular kind, PCR, prelimininaes (ph) chain reaction, could be done with a human remain, a fragment of tissue found in the burned out, bombed out rubble and that could be the exclusionary type of one in a trillion. That would be the ultimate.

I doubt -- and I don't know that they're going to have blood. I think when the general says they have DNA, that they're probably talking about hair, which would be mitochondrial.

He may be talking about DNA from the half brother. The half brother shares the same mother. And therefore the mitochondrial DNA, the non-cellular kind, would be the same between these two half brothers. And that would lead to an exclusionary identification high enough in the hundreds of thousands, maybe even to the millions, I think is sufficient for this purpose.

That, correlated with investigative background information that Saddam Hussein was known to have gone into a particular building, and maybe, maybe he might be found with one of his sons and so on, that could be pretty, pretty positive.

BLITZER: And if they have this kind of DNA -- but let's get back to that crater in that Mansour area inside that restaurant in Baghdad that was bombed with four 2,000 pound bombs. Do you suspect given the enormity of the explosion that occurred there, there would be residue of Saddam Hussein left, some of his DNA that you could make a match?

WECHT: Yes, Wolf, I do believe there would be. A human body cannot be made to disappear, to be vaporized. You have to consume it in flames for example, to get just the ashes in a crematorium at 25, 2,600 degrees for almost an hour.

You can bomb something, you can cause the fragments to be extremely minute.

They're going to have to take their time, sift through literally with sieves and dogs to see if they have the smallest piece of tissue. There may be thousands of pieces of tissue that are identified as human remains or thought to be that are going to have to be tested, each and every one separately, to establish its respective DNA pattern.

Then they come back to this DNA that we have, either whether it's hair from his comb or brush or his toothbrush or whether it's from his half brother, for mitochondrial DNA, and match each and every one of them up. This could be a long, arduous process and could take weeks and months.

I believe the DNA testing is most certainly going to be done by some of the top federal DNA labs here in the United States. They may call upon some of the top commercial labs because of the overwhelming quantity of materials to be tested.

I have a feeling, at least I would do this, I would have the British also perform some tests, both in order to expedite as well as to ultimately corroborate and scientifically validate in the eyes of the world, as well as for the scientific community, that these, indeed, are the remains of Saddam Hussein.

So that's the situation of finding something remains and then seeing what kind of DNA is extant, what is available that is representative to be Saddam Hussein's.

BLITZER: Dr. Cyril Wecht, the famed forensic pathologist. He knows what's talking about. A huge potential breakthrough in trying to resolve this mystery of Saddam Hussein is dead or alive.

Dr. Wecht, always good to speak with you.

WECHT: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thanks for spending a few moments with us. Thank you.

We'd love to hear directly from you, our viewers. "Our Web Question of the Day" once again is this, is the war over? Vote at cnn.com/wolf.

Much more coverage coming up including looted to a standstill. Iraqi oil fields shut down after being hit by thieves. The effort to get the black gold flowing again. We'll go live to Erbil for the latest. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: In northern Iraq, the company responsible for one third of Iraq's oil production says it has to shut down because most of its equipment has been looted.

CNN's Jane Arraf is standing by in nearby Erbil with details -- Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, hat looting started just a few hours after Iraqi forces pulled out of Kirkuk. And the head of the northern oil company also pulled out, apparently, leaving workers there with no instructions and leaving the area open to hours of looting.

Now, the main problem is the electrical system. Workers there say that that was cannibalized, computer parts were taken away, vehicles, anything they could get their hands on. But a few people are coming back to work, a few dozen of them spontaneously returning to the oil fields. which supply about half of Iraq's oil. And they say they're going try to get it up and running again -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jane this is critical to get these oil fields pumping oil so they can export and make some money and get some badly needed assistance. How important is it?

ARRAF: Absolutely critical. Not just for the money. It's essentially -- this is how Iraq is going to pay for its reconstruction. And it's also a huge part of Iraqi identity. This country provides -- it has the second largest oil reserves in the world. And particularly in the north, people are incredibly proud of the oil and the role that they play in it.

So any -- they do have to get it pumping again now. The experts say it could take a couple of months to get the north and the south going. The north is perhaps a little less badly than the south. But still, they obviously want to get it up and running as soon as possible to get that money back into the economy -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Could have been a lot worse if the Iraqis would have blown up the oil fields to begin with. They didn't and the oil is still there underground. Eventually they'll be pumping it.

Jane Arraf, thanks very much.

We have much more on the coverage of the war in Iraq coming up. Not everyone was necessarily as lucky as those seven American POWs who did manage to win their freedom yesterday.

When we return, the mystery of a shallow grave. Does it hold the answers to the mystery of one MIA?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Another American combat casualty was buried today at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C.

Marine 2nd Lieutenant Frederick Pokorney Jr. was killed in fighting near Nasiriyah on March 30. Last week his widow spoke about his death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHELLE POKORNEY, WIDOW: He's given me the strength. I just feel that I have no regrets. Loved each other so much. We shared special things. And he was a hero. He wanted to be a hero and that's what he did. And I think if he had had it any other way it wouldn't have made him happy. And I have to be proud of that. What wife wouldn't? I mean, what a heroic thing to give your life for your country, for the freedom of other people and stand tall and proud like he always was. He was always a proud, proud man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Lieutenant Pokorney also leaves behind a daughter. He was 31 years old. His uncle says Pokorney was proud of what he was doing and wanted to be buried at Arlington, where his grandmother and a great uncle also were buried.

A grave site in Iraq is proving to be a huge, huge mystery. Iraqis tell special forces an American fighter was buried there but now the grave is empty.

CNN's Mike Boettcher has details. He's with the U.S. special forces.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. special forces, accompanied by members of an Iraqi opposition army called the Free Iraqi Force, or FIF, were led to the empty gravesite near the town of Al Shatra (ph) in south central Iraq by a doctor who said he buried the body of what he was told was a dead American soldier.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a wound here, just a wound here. There was some blood, dry blood. Dry blood on his mouth.

BOETTCHER: The shallow grave was located on the edge of the trash dump in Al Shatra (ph). The doctor claims the remains were dug up one week ago by Americans who were searching for the gravesite. But U.S. special forces at the scene had no information of such an operation.

The U.S. Green Berets and the anti-Saddam Hussein FIF were led to the gravesite after they raided a house in Al Shatra (ph). Special forces believed it was used as a temporary prison for four American soldiers captured in the early days of the war.

The raiding party took away a role of photographic negatives found in the house. They also discovered a handkerchief that had been twisted and formed into a makeshift handcuff.

Four suspected pro-Saddam Hussein paramilitaries, discovered hiding in the house next door, were taken away for questioning. One was caught trying to bury a hand grenade and assault rifles.

Still, the question remains, who was buried in the shallow grave and who dug up the body?

Mike Boettcher, CNN with U.S. special operations forces in Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on "Our Web Question of the Day." Remember, we've been asking you, is the war over? Seventeen percent of you say yes; 83 percent of you say no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

Please stay with CNN throughout the night for continuing coverage of the war in Iraq. I'll be back with Paula Zahn in one hour for two hours special coverage. Lou Dobbs is standing by to pick up our special coverage right now.

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