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CNN Live Today

Deadly Kuwait Attack

Aired January 21, 2003 - 11:00   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: An ambush attack on Americans in Kuwait. One civilian, Michael Rene Pouliot of San Diego was killed and another one was wounded in today's shooting. We've just learned the name. Their vehicle was riddled with bullets as they traveled along a main road near a U.S. military base.
And our Martin Savidge joins us now live from Kuwait City. He was the first on the scene, as I understand it, and he's got more for us right now.

Hello, Marty.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.

As you mentioned, the name of that American who was killed was 47-year-old Michael Rene Pouliot of San Diego. We have known that name actually for quite some time. We were not going to release it until we were absolutely certain that his family had been notified. That is indeed the case, we've been assured by authorities.

As far as the identity of the American who was wounded and severely wounded in that attack, that name is not coming out yet. Again we know it, but we're waiting to get confirmation of his family being notified.

Let me take you back to when it all happened, it was 9:20 this morning Kuwaiti time, and it was just outside of Camp Doha. That is a large, it's the largest U.S. military installation in all of Kuwait, located north of Kuwait City. It was on Highway 85, and it appears these two Americans who were civilians and contractors working for the U.S. military were going away from Camp Doha. There is a four-way intersection there, and as they came to that four-way intersection, police speculate that they stopped for the traffic light, and it's there that the ambush occurred, and that is how the police are describing it here.

They say that it appears that one gunmen, perhaps two gunmen, were lying in wait in the bushes and trees that lined that particular part of the road, and opened fire with a Kalashnikov, an AK-47. The car was hit, or the SUV actually, was hit 24 times, according to police. The passenger is the man that was killed, Mr. Pouliot. He died almost instantaneously, and it was the driver that is now being treated. There is a major manhunt that is underway. So far, no one has claimed responsibility.

To the issue of the wounded American, CNN's Ryan Chilcote is standing by with the very latest on that -- Ryan. RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Martin, we're at the Al- Razi (ph) Hospital, and the American driver of that vehicle that you mentioned is now being treated in this hospital. He is recovering, we understand, in the intensive care unit, after enduring some five hours of some intensive surgery.

The lead surgeon involved in that surgery came out and spoke with reporters a short while ago, a Slovenian doctor, the head of the trauma unit here, and said his patient was a very lucky man. He said that his patient was hit by at least four bullets, three that went through his thigh, actually one that remained in his thigh, two that passed through. They took that bullet out, and one that went through his chest and actually came out of the right-hand side of his arm.

So he said his patient is a lucky man, but he is now in stable condition. They'll be careful to watch his condition, however, because he did have a fracture on his humerus bone in his right arm, something that could then later on perhaps develop into some kind of problem. So they'll be watching him, but right now, he's in stable condition -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: Thank you very much, CNN's Ryan Chilcote there. The U.S. ambassador Richard Jones to Kuwait here says that he is quite certain this was an act of terror. That is how he has labeled it. The Kuwaiti government seems to agree, and right now, they are trying to find out who exactly carried out this attack -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right, thank you very much, Marty. Marty Savidge reporting live for us from Kuwait City.

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 January 21, 2003 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: An ambush attack on Americans in Kuwait. One civilian, Michael Rene Pouliot of San Diego was killed and another one was wounded in today's shooting. We've just learned the name. Their vehicle was riddled with bullets as they traveled along a main road near a U.S. military base.
And our Martin Savidge joins us now live from Kuwait City. He was the first on the scene, as I understand it, and he's got more for us right now.

Hello, Marty.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.

As you mentioned, the name of that American who was killed was 47-year-old Michael Rene Pouliot of San Diego. We have known that name actually for quite some time. We were not going to release it until we were absolutely certain that his family had been notified. That is indeed the case, we've been assured by authorities.

As far as the identity of the American who was wounded and severely wounded in that attack, that name is not coming out yet. Again we know it, but we're waiting to get confirmation of his family being notified.

Let me take you back to when it all happened, it was 9:20 this morning Kuwaiti time, and it was just outside of Camp Doha. That is a large, it's the largest U.S. military installation in all of Kuwait, located north of Kuwait City. It was on Highway 85, and it appears these two Americans who were civilians and contractors working for the U.S. military were going away from Camp Doha. There is a four-way intersection there, and as they came to that four-way intersection, police speculate that they stopped for the traffic light, and it's there that the ambush occurred, and that is how the police are describing it here.

They say that it appears that one gunmen, perhaps two gunmen, were lying in wait in the bushes and trees that lined that particular part of the road, and opened fire with a Kalashnikov, an AK-47. The car was hit, or the SUV actually, was hit 24 times, according to police. The passenger is the man that was killed, Mr. Pouliot. He died almost instantaneously, and it was the driver that is now being treated. There is a major manhunt that is underway. So far, no one has claimed responsibility.

To the issue of the wounded American, CNN's Ryan Chilcote is standing by with the very latest on that -- Ryan. RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Martin, we're at the Al- Razi (ph) Hospital, and the American driver of that vehicle that you mentioned is now being treated in this hospital. He is recovering, we understand, in the intensive care unit, after enduring some five hours of some intensive surgery.

The lead surgeon involved in that surgery came out and spoke with reporters a short while ago, a Slovenian doctor, the head of the trauma unit here, and said his patient was a very lucky man. He said that his patient was hit by at least four bullets, three that went through his thigh, actually one that remained in his thigh, two that passed through. They took that bullet out, and one that went through his chest and actually came out of the right-hand side of his arm.

So he said his patient is a lucky man, but he is now in stable condition. They'll be careful to watch his condition, however, because he did have a fracture on his humerus bone in his right arm, something that could then later on perhaps develop into some kind of problem. So they'll be watching him, but right now, he's in stable condition -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: Thank you very much, CNN's Ryan Chilcote there. The U.S. ambassador Richard Jones to Kuwait here says that he is quite certain this was an act of terror. That is how he has labeled it. The Kuwaiti government seems to agree, and right now, they are trying to find out who exactly carried out this attack -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right, thank you very much, Marty. Marty Savidge reporting live for us from Kuwait City.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com