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foreign
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I'm Coy wire and welcome to a special
extended edition of CNN 10. now you may
not know this but this program that
you're watching right now started all
the way back in 1989 when CNN launched a
news program designed for the classroom
a year later though tensions in the
Persian Gulf would result in the first
major International crisis since the
Cold War in August of 1990 Saddam
Hussein the leader of Iraq ordered an
invasion of neighboring Kuwait with the
apparent goal of controlling the
nation's oil reserves the U.S led
response would set the precedent for the
use of military force for decades to
come on the brink of what would be known
as the Gulf War journalists were urged
to leave Iraq CNN stayed and became the
first Network to live broadcast a war in
this special edition of CNN 10 we'll
look back in here CNN news anchor at
Bernard Shaw famously say the Skies of
Baghdad are being illuminated and relive
the tense moments during the CNN
broadcast as journalists hid under beds
to stay live on the air bombs falling
around the city
it was January
1991. the U.S economy was sinking into
recession mob boss John Gotti the Teflon
Don had recently been arrested on
charges that would lead to life
imprisonment Macaulay Culkin faced off
with criminals in the first home alone
and President George H.W bush edged
towards war in the Persian Gulf then one
early January morning in Baghdad CNN
reported that the skies Over Baghdad
have been illuminated with being bright
plants and missiles
and an explosive development here the
Persian Gulf word that Iraq has invaded
neighboring state of Kuwait with
fighting reported along the border the
residents say that they were awakened by
Machine Gun fire and heavy artillery for
weeks a hundred thousand Iraqi troops
have been reported massing near the
border Arab countries have been trying
this month to defuse this building
crisis in Washington the White House is
condemning The Invasion calling for Iraq
to withdraw its forces immediately the
US is also calling for an emergency U.N
security Council session the security
sanctions no more trade with Iraq a
boycott of Iraqi oil a ban on arms sales
a ban on financial aid and investment
but will the sanctions work today
America stops mulling over its options
reportedly sending United States
warplanes and combat troops into Saudi
Arabia we seek the immediate
unconditional and complete withdrawal of
all Iraqi forces from Kuwait
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from the beginning of the gulf crisis
the underlying rationale for stopping
Saddam Hussein has been oiled the
oil-dependent world doesn't want a
single man with a big army to control
the flow from the Gulf
foreign
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with the Operation Desert Shield
deadline less than three weeks away
diplomats and journalists are ready to
leap at any trace of activity that might
lead to the bargaining table
unless Saddam Hussein withdraws from
Kuwait by late winter the U.S will go to
war
the bush White House now says war with
Iraq could begin at any moment it took
six months to come to this but as our
senior White House correspondent Charles
bierbauer reports President Bush
believed early on in this crisis that it
would ultimately be settled with Force
White House officials say even now
Saddam Hussein could avoid a war with a
massive pull out of his forces and yet
the Bush Administration does not expect
that good evening or rather good morning
from Saudi Arabia where it's now quarter
after two in the morning the latest
briefing we've received from the
military command here in Saudi Arabia
was on the number of troops here and
apparently there's a total of 425 000
U.S troops here that's an increase of
ten thousand over the last time we were
briefed the total multinational Force
here on the ground is about 690 thousand
foreign
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with us now is Casper Weinberger
Secretary of Defense during both Reagan
administrations Mr secretary thank you
for coming thank you secretary Weimar
you were credited with the military
buildup which is being put to use
but there is one area which which has
come to a lot of criticism we have to go
to Baghdad secretary we're going to
Bernard Shaw in Baghdad
this is uh something is happening
outside
um
Peter Arnett
join me here what let's describe to our
viewers what we're seeing the skies Over
Baghdad have been illuminated we're
seeing bright flashes going off all over
the sky Peter
well is uh Andy aircraft gunfire going
into the sky
however we have not yet heard
the sound of bombs Landing but there's
tremendous lightning in the sky I have a
sense Peter that people are shooting
towards the sky and they are not aware
or cannot see what they're shooting at
this is extraordinary we're getting uh
Starbursts seeming Starburst in the the
black Sky we have not heard any jet
planes yet Peter
no plate now these Sirens are sounding
For the First Time The Iraqis have
informed us
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well we heard Peter Arnett saying the
Iraqis have informed us and then we
didn't hear anymore this is probably
just a technical glitch they have four
wires there that they can use and those
wires can be easily severed or pulled
wolf what have you for us at this moment
among indications here at the Pentagon
that this war may may be beginning right
now that the president may be going on
television later this evening to explain
what exactly is going on we've been
thinking it looks like don't let me
interrupt that I'm sorry to interrupt
we're going back to Baghdad now because
we can and we have Peter but we are
sending to them please come into us from
Baghdad this is David French in
Washington
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all right we've lost that for the moment
back to the Pentagon again
wolf you were just reporting that there
is new activity level
hello Atlanta Atlanta this is Holloman I
don't know whether you're able to hear
me now or not but I'm going to continue
to talk to you as long as I can but
there have been some Sirens here tonight
but
um we uh we still have seen no sign of
any airplanes coming in here all we are
seeing is the uh the Iraqi response from
the ground many uh many Tracer rounds
that you can perhaps hear the sound of
bombs in the background I'm gonna put
our microphone out the window I think
you'll be able to hear this sound
okay
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thank you
the night sky of Baghdad a time here
about the 20 minutes three in the
morning I'm getting away from the from
the windows I'm going to turn off the
microphone for one moment in an attempt
to see if we can we can hear Atlanta and
get some response from from CNN down the
line
all right we're not immediately able to
pick up to resume that sound from John
holloman's position so we will now
return to the Pentagon where a Wolf Wolf
Blitzer has some more for us wolf
yes David only moments ago before I came
into the studio here at the Pentagon I
had a chance to see two very senior
Pentagon officials almost running
through the Halls going up to secretary
Cheney's office let's go back to Baghdad
and see what John Holloman is reporting
in the meantime there's a response here
as if the city
with them with a hail of bullets and uh
from anti-aircraft guns and off in the
distance you can hear what appears to be
bombs of some kind hitting the ground or
perhaps artillery shells hitting the
ground there are loud reports and you
can feel the uh the building of this
very well-built Hotel shaking underneath
us as the uh as the attack apparently
continues
hi there is it possible to call United
States please
um an open microphone from Baghdad from
the hotel now being a hotel room now
being left We Believe by Bernard Shaw
Peter Arnett John Holloman and and their
supporter support staff there there is a
bomb shelter in that hotel we heard them
report earlier today back to the
Pentagon and Wolf Blitzer
David all day long we've been hearing
rumors that the attack would start at
night Baghdad time that the attack if it
did come would try to take advantage of
U.S night fighting equipment especially
with the radar evading stealth Fighters
and that is backed up by indications
that we're getting here in the Pentagon
the stepped up activity among the senior
civilian and Military staff well if we
can still hear John Holloman in Baghdad
and we'll we'll go listen and he can't
hear me but we can hear him
all right we're told he can David a
miracle has happened we are now able to
hear you as well my colleague Peter
Arnett and I are here at our uh CNN
magnet Bureau you have no idea David
French how nice it is to hear your voice
on this uh remarkable night Peter let's
let's uh tell our viewers what we what's
happened here you've got a lot of
experience with uh with being under
attack of course in Vietnam and other
places the anti-aircraft weapons in the
city center where we are living around
the government buildings erupted in five
there must have been 200 guns firing to
the sky we did not see any aircraft
around but we did hear the alarm Sirens
about two minutes after that there were
allowed explosions obviously bombing in
at least three parts of the outskirts of
the city we have no idea what those
targets were but they were in the
direction of the airport and some
military barracks and the bombing has
not come in this far yet the attack did
begin about 2 30 a.m our time now here
in the hotel the al-rasheed hotel where
we are there was some indication earlier
this evening some of our colleagues who
received calls from friends who said
tonight maybe the night Peter the uh for
the multi-national Force to begin its
strike Peter Arnett let me strike
against Iraq and tonight it has come
John that's right Peter I think it would
be good for those of us in Baghdad to uh
to turn off our microphone for just a
moment uh we have our CNN colleagues of
course all over the world perhaps David
French may be able to tell us as much
about uh what they know about this
potential attack as we can tell looking
out our window
John I think you might have thrown it to
me I couldn't tell but if you did we
have a radio pool report in from John
Bascom he's reporting that a squadron of
F-15 fighter bombers has taken off from
a base in central Saudi Arabia the
fighters designed for a long-range
bombing at night were completely loaded
with bombs according to this report with
missiles and with 20 millimeter guns I
was looking out the window earlier John
and oh Peter look over here there is a
sky is lighting up I guess to the South
with Andy aircraft fire some as bright
red other splashes of yellow light what
seems clear is that city is well
defended with anti-aircraft fire and I
we can only presume that because they
have started up again with considerable
rapidity that there is another attack
coming in I just heard whoa holy cow
that was a large air burst that we saw
it was
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took out the Telecommunications
still with us you can hear the
defender of this city
way across behind a window and here
we're about three miles from where the
center of action at this point seems to
be it's good to have a colleague like
Peter Arnett to help out I'll tell you
that my my experience of being under
attack is very limited I'm proud to say
but I think by the time the sun comes up
tomorrow my experience will be much
improved in this regard we have a
feeling cameraman Mark biello by the way
is taking pictures of this and as soon
as we're able to establish a uh a video
link to you which sure won't be anytime
soon but will be hours from now we'll be
able to show you the pictures that we're
talking about right now John and Peter
we're going to the White House for just
a minute presidential spokesman Marlon
Fitzwater is about to address the nation
and therefore the world
I have a statement by the president of
the United States
the liberation of Kuwait has begun
in conjunction with the forces of our
Coalition Partners the United States has
moved under the code name Operation
Desert Storm
to enforce the mandates of the United
Nations security Council
as of seven o'clock P.M Eastern Standard
Time Operation Desert Storm forces were
engaging Targets in Kuwait and Iraq
President Bush will address the nation
at nine o'clock P.M tonight from the
Oval Office I'll try to get you more as
soon as we can thank you very much
okay Peter we're back I think what is
most interesting to me John is that
these bombs seem right on target during
the Vietnam war there was a major
problem with bombing Targets in North
Vietnam many bridges survived for years
tonight every bomb we've seen land
seemed to have hit something it's they
have these laser directed the the the
the the guided bomb systems now which
seem to be proving effective here
tonight
oh
we have been waiting for this to happen
since the deadline on the U.N ultimatum
passed at eight o'clock yesterday
morning in Baghdad and certainly is the
day progressed it was clear here that
the authorities seemed to be preparing
for some kind of action I I'm sure they
didn't have any kind of advanced word
but as I speak to you the anti-air crop
fire has started up again and there is
another wave of playing presumably
coming in we haven't yet to see the
bombs fall but it's the same pattern of
the previous at least three rays that we
have witnessed wherever you are
following CNN's coverage of this
our colleagues in Washington and our
colleagues in Saudi Arabia obviously
know a lot more than we know but we are
on the receiving end of it I just want
to add one thing to everybody that we
are safe relatively speaking Peter and
there is no sense of an immediate threat
to our lives are you concur with that
I would concur to that I think we're
safe enough here for the time being
within a minute we can get to a shelter
downstairs John it occurs to me that
this attack
is going to just shake the psyches of
the baghdadis here uh this is
unprecedented and I'm really anxious for
Daybreak to come so that we can get out
and see what has been wrought here
correct Daybreak is only four hours away
and if we make it that long we'll
certainly be able to do that
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Richard blystone is standing by in
Jerusalem the streets are unnaturally
quiet the Israeli government of course
does know about it the Prime Minister
says he has been informed the military
will be making a statement very soon the
radio here now is uh is broadcasting CNN
Live the foreign Ministry also is
watching CNN a lot of people now are
getting their news from CNN nothing has
changed David all the lights in the city
of Baghdad are now out from everything
we can tell my colleague Bernie Shaw is
with me as we look out on this now dark
city it's absolutely pitch black we are
confined to the hotel we can give this
report tonight because we're on the
ninth floor of the El Rashid hotel which
has a commanding view of this very flat
City to the north south east and west
and for about the last two hours that
has been enormous activity and now we
hear planes actually going over here
yeah well I'll see if I can see anything
all right there's a plane nearby Bernie
you can see something right it's broken
out on either side of us here at the
hotel and I'm just going to be quiet and
let you listen
thank you
this is the heaviest raid so far so
close in maybe the outskirts have been
pounded this way but certainly several
planes came right over the hotel and hit
targets within a mile and a half of us
but anybody has seen the other side of
the hotel yeah I just come back from the
other side I'm really wearing out
trousers here crawling on my knees and
hands but gentlemen does it occur to you
that it is not accidental that we are
still reporting to the world
this government has told us frequently
including the information Minister last
night that he wanted the press to stay
here in fact he expressed anger that
some of the press had left he said uh
the international press says it covers
human rights it should be here to see
what the United States the Mali National
Force is going to do now I don't see any
government officials around here tonight
to assist us but they have said that we
can work here and up to now this has to
be unique that we are continuing to
cover this story to talk to you despite
a series of Major Impact bombing raids
you know I'm anxious for daylight to
come maybe we can get some visibility
Peter look at this this is a bright
flash of light that seems to be uh it
came across from north to south and even
came up here by us in the hotel and
there it goes I was almost like a
shooting star I think that shooting star
is probably an F-15 John yeah
we have temporarily lost contact with
Baghdad I don't wish to alarm anyone we
did expect to have this come in and out
but our three correspondents Bernard
Shaw Peter Arnett and John Holloman are
there in the al-rasheed hotel we expect
to and we hope to be bringing you some
more of their reports uh later
assistant
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I'm pleased to report that we can go
back to Baghdad now and our three
correspondents there let's see who picks
up the phone
just to explain to our viewers why you
did not hear from us for a nervously
long time for the past 20 minutes I've
been hiding under a table
and what happened was the security
people made a sweep they got very upset
that there were three Mortals on this
floor as just three men standing in a
hotel room so I scampered to hide to
make sure that if they pulled Arnett and
Holloman out and took them downstairs
into custody at least there would still
be one CNN person on the air John I did
the same thing you did Bernie only I hit
under a bed and it's amazing that
somebody's large as I am can get under a
bed that close to the ground but I was
able to do it at least and all these
security fellows also took some of the
videotape out of one of our cameras they
say we'll get it back tomorrow we I'm a
little skeptical that we will but it was
the beautiful pictures that we took to
go along with the commentary that you
heard earlier tonight on CNN
keep using that word beautiful this is
not beautiful to me
foreign
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just two hours ago Allied Air Forces
began an attack on Military Targets in
Iraq and Kuwait
these attacks continue as I speak
ground forces are not engaged
tonight 28 Nations countries from five
continents Europe and Asia Africa and
the Arab League
have forces in the Gulf area standing
shoulder to shoulder against Saddam
Hussein
these countries had hoped the use of
force could be avoided
regrettably we now believe
that only Force
will make him leave
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I've told the American people before
that this will not be another Vietnam
and I repeat this here tonight
our troops will have the best possible
support in the entire world
and they will not be asked to fight with
one hand tied behind their back
we have no argument
the people of Iraq
indeed for the Innocence caught in this
conflict I pray for their safety
our goal is not the conquest of Iraq
it is the liberation of Kuwait
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17 hours after the bombing
on the Holloman and as Bernie Shore and
myself Peter Arnett who was signing off
from Baghdad for CNN and I hope he can
resume our communication with you in the
very near future
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best reporting that I've seen on what
transpired in Baghdad was on CNN
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