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CNN Live Event/Special
3-7th Calvary is on Western Outskirts of Baghdad
Aired April 05, 2003 - 06:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Our Walter Rodgers is traveling with the 7th Calvary. He has been seeing action, a lot of action, over the last 48 hours.
Let's bring you there and let Walter bring you up to date.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Army sources have confirmed to CNN that elements of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, armed with very heavy tank units, have now moved well into the heart of Baghdad itself, not exactly the city center, but nonetheless deep within Baghdad itself.
Iraqi citizens probably received quite a jolt this Saturday morning when they awakened and saw U.S. Army tanks, elements of the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, literally rolling down their streets inside the Iraqi capital itself.
Having said that, the U.S. forces are meeting some resistance. So far, the Iraqis have not put tanks up against the U.S. Army tanks inside their capital. Nonetheless, there is a fair amount of shooting with rocket-propelled grenades. These are bouncing off the U.S. tanks, but there is also 20mm anti-aircraft fire shot horizontally down the corridors, the canyons of Baghdad's streets, and they are slowing the progress somewhat of the 3rd Infantry Division as it moves through the city.
For some of these U.S. soldiers, this is their first baptism under fire. That may account for the fact that the 3rd Infantry Division has slowed somewhat.
The objective overall appears to be for the Army to bite off a chunk of Baghdad at a time. That appears to be what we're seeing at this point, 3rd Infantry Division with its tank units essentially on a reconnaissance mission, but as soon as a reconnaissance mission is conducted, heavier units are brought up behind it, and Baghdad is about to see a large chunk of it fall under American control.
Walter Rodgers, CNN, with the U.S. Army 7th Calvary on the outskirts of Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired April 5, 2003 - 06:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Our Walter Rodgers is traveling with the 7th Calvary. He has been seeing action, a lot of action, over the last 48 hours.
Let's bring you there and let Walter bring you up to date.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Army sources have confirmed to CNN that elements of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, armed with very heavy tank units, have now moved well into the heart of Baghdad itself, not exactly the city center, but nonetheless deep within Baghdad itself.
Iraqi citizens probably received quite a jolt this Saturday morning when they awakened and saw U.S. Army tanks, elements of the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, literally rolling down their streets inside the Iraqi capital itself.
Having said that, the U.S. forces are meeting some resistance. So far, the Iraqis have not put tanks up against the U.S. Army tanks inside their capital. Nonetheless, there is a fair amount of shooting with rocket-propelled grenades. These are bouncing off the U.S. tanks, but there is also 20mm anti-aircraft fire shot horizontally down the corridors, the canyons of Baghdad's streets, and they are slowing the progress somewhat of the 3rd Infantry Division as it moves through the city.
For some of these U.S. soldiers, this is their first baptism under fire. That may account for the fact that the 3rd Infantry Division has slowed somewhat.
The objective overall appears to be for the Army to bite off a chunk of Baghdad at a time. That appears to be what we're seeing at this point, 3rd Infantry Division with its tank units essentially on a reconnaissance mission, but as soon as a reconnaissance mission is conducted, heavier units are brought up behind it, and Baghdad is about to see a large chunk of it fall under American control.
Walter Rodgers, CNN, with the U.S. Army 7th Calvary on the outskirts of Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
