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CNN Live At Daybreak
Two Missiles Hit Building Housing Arab Media
Aired April 08, 2003 - 06:57 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You're looking at a live picture there of Central Command headquarters down in Qatar. We do anticipate that briefing to begin possibly within the next two, three, maybe five minutes at the most. They have been rather punctual for the past three weeks running. We'll get you down there again as soon as that begins.
As we close out this hour, though, we want to check in again with Rym Brahimi, who's standing by in Jordan, watching the events from there. Rym was in Baghdad for many, many months going back to the fall of last year -- Rym, we know the fighting has been intense again today and from your perspective right now, what are you watching at this hour?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Bill, very intensive fighting inside the Iraqi capital. And you can see as the U.S. troops move further into the heart of Baghdad how there is going to be, there are going to be more casualties. Already the Red Cross says that their hospitals are overwhelmed with the streams of casualties coming into their hospitals. One of the main hospitals in Baghdad, a high tech hospital that has 650 beds, has no water and no electricity at this stage.
Now, as you know, earlier on, Bill, a bomb hit the offices of Al Jazeera on the banks of the Tigris River. One journalist, a correspondent, Tareq Ayoub, was killed in that bombing and another Al Jazeera journalist was injured.
Tareq Ayoub was a very good correspondent. He's also worked for CNN at one point in Jordan when Al Jazeera had been banned temporarily from this country and everybody here has obviously very, very good memories about him.
It's a very sad day for us in the journalistic community, as you know, Bill. Tareq Ayoub, a 35-year-old journalist, leaves behind a little baby and a wife.
After the Al Jazeera building was hit, apparently the Adu Dhabi TV building, that's just next door to the Al Jazeera building, was also hit. It got, its reporting or its live coverage from the Adu Dhabi House in Baghdad was taken off air for something like four hours.
You could see from that place the tanks moving into the Iraqi capital across the Jumhuriya Bridge literally going from the west side of Baghdad, where all the government buildings are, to the east side. On the east side, Bill, is where The Palestine Hotel is and all the journalists are staying in that hotel. Apparently there was an exchange of fire and the tanks, the U.S. tanks hit back, shelling the hotel where all the journalists are staying.
Now, apparently it hit the 15th floor, which is were Reuters had a makeshift office there. Five Reuters journalists are injured as a result for the time being. So a very difficult day for everybody right now -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym, thanks.
Rym Brahimi watching things in Jordan for us. We'll be in touch again as the day grows older here.
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 April 8, 2003 - 06:57 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You're looking at a live picture there of Central Command headquarters down in Qatar. We do anticipate that briefing to begin possibly within the next two, three, maybe five minutes at the most. They have been rather punctual for the past three weeks running. We'll get you down there again as soon as that begins.
As we close out this hour, though, we want to check in again with Rym Brahimi, who's standing by in Jordan, watching the events from there. Rym was in Baghdad for many, many months going back to the fall of last year -- Rym, we know the fighting has been intense again today and from your perspective right now, what are you watching at this hour?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Bill, very intensive fighting inside the Iraqi capital. And you can see as the U.S. troops move further into the heart of Baghdad how there is going to be, there are going to be more casualties. Already the Red Cross says that their hospitals are overwhelmed with the streams of casualties coming into their hospitals. One of the main hospitals in Baghdad, a high tech hospital that has 650 beds, has no water and no electricity at this stage.
Now, as you know, earlier on, Bill, a bomb hit the offices of Al Jazeera on the banks of the Tigris River. One journalist, a correspondent, Tareq Ayoub, was killed in that bombing and another Al Jazeera journalist was injured.
Tareq Ayoub was a very good correspondent. He's also worked for CNN at one point in Jordan when Al Jazeera had been banned temporarily from this country and everybody here has obviously very, very good memories about him.
It's a very sad day for us in the journalistic community, as you know, Bill. Tareq Ayoub, a 35-year-old journalist, leaves behind a little baby and a wife.
After the Al Jazeera building was hit, apparently the Adu Dhabi TV building, that's just next door to the Al Jazeera building, was also hit. It got, its reporting or its live coverage from the Adu Dhabi House in Baghdad was taken off air for something like four hours.
You could see from that place the tanks moving into the Iraqi capital across the Jumhuriya Bridge literally going from the west side of Baghdad, where all the government buildings are, to the east side. On the east side, Bill, is where The Palestine Hotel is and all the journalists are staying in that hotel. Apparently there was an exchange of fire and the tanks, the U.S. tanks hit back, shelling the hotel where all the journalists are staying.
Now, apparently it hit the 15th floor, which is were Reuters had a makeshift office there. Five Reuters journalists are injured as a result for the time being. So a very difficult day for everybody right now -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym, thanks.
Rym Brahimi watching things in Jordan for us. We'll be in touch again as the day grows older here.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
