TIKRIT, Iraq, April 13 (UPI) -- A seven-vehicle CNN convoy Sunday ventured into the northern city of Tikrit, the last major Iraqi city not controlled by coalition troops, then had to shoot its way back out.
CNN reporter Brent Sadler, reporting the dramatic encounter live by videophone, said that Iraqi forces appeared to have vanished, leaving behind their weaponry.
The news convoy was traveling by itself, without any military escort.
After more than two hours of documenting abandoned Iraqi military equipment on the approach to the city, Sadler and the CNN convoy were waved past an armed checkpoint into the city at about 10:30 a.m. local time.
Shortly after entering, Sadler was advised that the Saddam loyalist governor was still in charge of the city and that they would need his permission to use cameras.
Seeing the situation deteriorate, Sadler and the rest of the convoy sped back through the checkpoint. The CNN armed guard fired his machine gun.
"That confirms our worst fears," Sadler said.
"That's as far as we're going to push it today," Sadler went on as he narrated the convoy's escape from Tikrit.
"We have just had to shoot our way out of that location and we're not out of it yet," he said.
Moments later, farther up the road, the convoy came under pistol fire. As shouts of, "Move it" could be heard, the convoy outraced another Iraqi vehicle that had pulled up behind.
Sadler continued to narrate. "That was a pretty ugly moment." There were, he said, no hostile vehicles following.
Then, a second time, an Iraqi vehicle approached as the convoy continued to speed north out of the city toward Mosul. "We're out of the gates now," Sadler said. "Is that vehicle hostile?" he asked another crewmember.
Finally, he said, "We're putting some distance between us and Tikrit now." In the background another CNN crewman shouted for everyone to keep their heads down.
At a brief stop to see if everyone was accounted for, the convoy camera showed one CNN vehicle had had its back windows shot out.
"We're okay and all vehicles are accounted for," Sadler said, quickly adding one of the CNN crew members appeared to have suffered a head wound.
CNN's Pentagon correspondent reported at the same time that U.S. military officials were watching Sadler's coverage closely, riveted to the screen.
As it became evident that escape was assured, CNN military analyst Mike Turner, a retired Air Force colonel, said, "I'm speechless."
He continued, "For him to maintain his composure through that is amazing," referring to Sadler, who had become the first U.S. journalist to enter Tikrit.
An hour and a half earlier Sadler had stopped the convoy to climb aboard an abandoned Iraqi armored personnel carrier about six kilometers (3.7 miles) from the city. "Extraordinary, the hatch is open, machine gun obviously working, bullet in the breech," Sadler said.
"No security, no sign of even recent security or control," Sadler said as his vehicle was driven among shelters filled with weaponry. "I've never seen anything like it."
Along the roadway an Iraqi teacher told Sadler, "Saddam is finished." The teacher also said that coalition forces were negotiating with authorities in the city to be able to enter without a fight.
U.S. officials would not immediately confirm such negotiations. But the word of negotiations encouraged Sadler and the rest of the CNN crews to keep going toward Tikrit for what turned out to be an extremely brief visit.
Saturday U.S. officials had said Tikrit's defenses may already have softened. But the CNN report was the first to show what appeared to be a complete absence of Iraqi defenders.
In the three weeks of coalition progress Tikrit was often described as likely to be the Iraqi regime's last -- and perhaps most fiercely defended -- refuge, surrounded by what was called "a ring of steel" made up of the best equipped Republican Guard troops based there.
Tikrit, Saddam's hometown, is about 110 miles north of the Baghdad capital and had provided many of his most trusted aides and guards.
As the convoy traveled toward Tikrit the CNN pictures did show men of fighting age walking along the road, waving to the camera -- and no sign of coalition forces.
"I think Tikrit has fallen without a single shot being fired on the ground," Sadler told his worldwide audience. "It would appear Tikrit was there for the taking."
Sadler said some weapons positioned on the outskirts showed the effects of constant U.S. bombardment in the past three weeks. Many other pieces of armored equipment were unscathed.
One picture showed an abandoned but seemingly intact artillery piece at the side of the highway from Mosul to Tikrit.
As the CNN convoy approached closer to the city more and more military equipment came into view, some of it dug in behind earth berms but seemingly intact.
Sadler said it appeared Iraqi troops had abandoned their positions on the outskirts of the city perhaps as much as 24 hours earlier.
The CNN camera at one point showed a wide expanse of Iraqi defensive positions with some tanks camouflaged by netting and untouched by bombs.
Sadler was cautioned by his Atlanta colleagues that Iraqis may be watching him on CNN via satellite.
Meanwhile cable competitor MSNBC reported "there are growing signs" that Tikrit was not going to be defended, without immediately mentioning CNN.
Some civilian vehicles could be seen loaded with belongings going away from Tikrit and other vehicles were going in the opposite direction.
As Sadler's vehicle was driven through the northern gates of the city without encountering any manned checkpoints he reported, "My assessment is there is no significant force in terms of conventional military inside Tikrit." The camera showed an abandoned military base, an empty tank in the foreground.
"We're not talking about destruction here, gentlemen," Sadler said. "We're talking about abandonment."
U.S. Central Command in Doha, Qatar, Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks had said Saturday that "there might not be much fight left" but all evidence is that "there is more fighting to do" in the city.
"Tikrit is one of the areas where we have concern that there may be a presence of regime forces," Brooks said.
