CNN Iraq War Coverage | April 7, 2003 – Tanks Enter Baghdad | 6 HOURS 📼

This video is a direct VHS transfer of CNN’s full six-hour broadcast from April 7, 2003, recorded live during the Iraq War. It captures the network’s continuous coverage: frontline reports from Baghdad and Basra, embeds with U.S. Marines crossing the Tigris, the seizure of Iraq’s atomic energy complex, British briefings, dramatic tank footage inside Saddam Hussein’s palaces, and official claims that the regime was near collapse. Also included are Iraqi Information Minister press conferences, Pentagon updates, and stories of Iraqi exiles returning to shape a post-Saddam government.

Looking back, the broadcast illustrates how early U.S. coverage emphasized symbols of victory and speed — tanks in Baghdad, statues falling, officials declaring success — while minimizing uncertainty and long-term risks. This framing lent the war a sense of inevitability, subtly steering public opinion toward acceptance.

Broadcast Segments (April 7, 2003)

00:00:00 – Opening Headlines
Coalition advances summarized: U.S. troops in Baghdad, British gains in Basra.

00:15:30 – Northern Iraq: Kurdish Frontlines
Report on Kurdish and U.S. Special Forces near Mosul; coverage of a friendly fire strike that killed 17 Kurds.

00:42:10 – Crossing the Tigris
Embedded report with Marines securing a river crossing under artillery fire.

01:18:45 – Iraqi Atomic Energy Complex
Marines seize Iraq’s main atomic facility; speculation about WMD evidence.

01:55:20 – British Defense Ministry Briefing
Officials claim “Chemical Ali” is dead and Basra is firmly under control.

02:33:00 – Tanks in Baghdad
Live images of U.S. armor at Saddam’s palaces; anchors frame this as a psychological victory.

03:05:40 – The Information War
Iraq’s Information Minister denies U.S. advances even as tanks roll nearby.

03:48:10 – Pentagon Briefing
Coalition spokesmen emphasize freedom of movement and inevitability of collapse.

04:22:50 – “Free Iraqi Forces”
Coverage of Ahmed Chalabi and exile fighters flown into Iraq as a potential new army.

05:10:30 – CENTCOM Briefing (Doha)
Brig. Gen. Brooks shows missile strike footage; insists regime is crumbling.

05:55:00 – Closing Recap
CNN summarizes the day as one of extraordinary gains and imminent regime collapse.

This description was created with help from AI.


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