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File: doc33_05.txt
S
`rhile within our reporting process to say if, in fact, Patriots engaged or aid not
* engage, and it even takes longer to say if in fact any damage or injuries occurred.
0: There van apparently a report on the flBC describing very heavy ~:itish
artillery battle all along the border, and the reporter described it as one Of the
heaviest barrages thus far. Do you have any information on that? Did ~t invol~e
U.S. forces?
A: I would probably defer that to the Br~ts, but ~ saw the same tbing~'an~ I
think it's Serely a continuation of the coalition efforts a1~ along the border area
of continuing to signal that no one is safe out there along the border area, ~ust as
they're not safe from any of the b~ing ca~~~aignv.
0: Could you characterize the past 24 hours activities? I think you've talked
about six separate engagenanta~ Is it any ~ore heavy, any less heavy than in the
past couple of days~
A: I think it's an atteapt to continue shaping the battle~iel~, and to get a
clear picture of what the ene~y disposition of forces are. I think we have a pretty
damn good feel of his dispoiltion of forces. I think it's an attenpt to try and
figure out his conbat capabilities~ what his action/reaction time is to certain
~aoveaenta by our forces. It's a continuation of our cait~paign plan almost to.the
letter. It's getting :nore at the tactical level now because we're closer to the
border1 they're on the border, and it's just a natural happenin~ I think, in the
continuation of the canpaign plan.
0: 1(flat was the rank of the cownander that you took in this operation yester
clay with nore than 400 prisoners? And do you yet know what the quality of the
intelligence jnforu~ation that was locked in this bunker is? was it a bonan:a or not?
A: The rank, I believe, was lieutenant colonel1 but I'll check on that for you
to sake sure :`~ not giving you bad information. As I indicated, that bunker was
discovered this atternoon, so any intelligence gleaned1 has not really been shared
with us yet. I probably will have :nore tomorrow and can elaborate on it, but right
now I can~t tell you if it was maps, if it was papers. I can't tell you that.
0: with so rany prisoners being taken, over 400, are you getting a lot ~re
intelligence infonnation -- particularly when you get 20 officers? Is it helping you
understand what :Right be going on on their side of the line?
A: It would give us a picture for that particular unit or units in the close
proxiatty, but as I've said on previous occasions, one of the things you have to hold
Upptr~st in ~ind is that essentially the trooper on the line doesn't know too inuch
except what's going on to his right or to his left, and naybe within the platoon that
be's a sember of. I think our forces are, obviously, inuch r~re aware of their
surroi&ndings, but even then I'~ sure sone of the pool reports that go out there, they
probably say I don't )~~ow what they ore doing1 they being CE~TC~ They probably
don't ha'te a bigger picture than their battalion. I can remaeeer as a second
lieutenant in Vietnam, I really didn't know zouch beyond the company I belonged to.
And basically, I didn't want to know much.
0: We're being told that the Republican Guards are sort of perched ~n the
border of ~uwait and are outside of Kuwait. Jiow :nuch Of a threat do they pose to
X~wait afLer an Iraqi withdrawal?
A: You're saying if in fact we had a withdrawal?
~: A withdrawal or after we push thorn out Row niuch of a threat \aould the
~epublican Cuard next~to Xuwait pose for Kuwait after that happened?
,-* ~* .*~ ,1**.~ *
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