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Seventeen Iraqis Killed in Clashes with U.S. Troops in Fallujah

Aired May 01, 2003 - 05:09   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.


ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Seventeen Iraqis have been killed in clashes with U.S. troops in Fallujah this week. We want to take you now to the city west of Baghdad and our correspondent Karl Penhaul to find out about the mood right now -- good morning, Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Arthel.

The U.S. compound that you can see behind me in downtown Fallujah came under attack last night. Officers inside the compound now tell me that unidentified assailants lobbed two grenades into the rear of the compound. Those grenades exploded, injuring five soldiers. The officers told me that those soldiers were not seriously injured, but they have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Now, that attack comes against the backdrop of a series of demonstrations in this city over the last couple of days in which 17 Iraqi civilians have been killed and many others wounded.

Take a look at a report we've prepared for you about what's been going on here in this city over the last few days.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PENHAUL (voice-over): Iraqi protesters, American armor. Beaten back by taunts and sandals thrown by the crowd. On the streets of Fallujah, the death toll keeps rising, 17 civilians killed in clashes with U.S. soldiers in less than 48 hours; 65 others wounded. The most recent shooting was outside this U.S. Army compound Wednesday morning. Each side accuses the other of firing first.

"The United States has killed children, the United States has killed people in their own homes." He says, "The United States is a terrorist country."

A coffin makes its final journey through the streets of Fallujah, one of two demonstrators shot dead Wednesday. He was in the throng that had gone to protest the deaths of 15 of his townsfolk in a separate demonstration Monday.

"A convoy of four or five American vehicles passed by the peaceful demonstration," he says. "One soldier from the convoy fired a shot, which provoked the other soldiers in the compound to fire at us."

Captain Mike Reedenmuller (ph), the commander of the unit in the compound, tells a different story. CAPT. MIKE REEDENMULLER: We didn't fire first. Somebody in part of the crowd took a weapon, fired at one of the soft-skinned vehicles, shot it and hit it. At that point, we fired two warning shots from this compound. What happened from there, from the convoy, I know they returned fire and that's all I know.

PENHAUL: The U.S. Army has pledged to investigate the deaths, but for now soldiers who came to free Iraq of Saddam Hussein can only hunker down and watch the mood go sour.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PENHAUL: The situation here in Fallujah this morning is calm. We have seen a number of protesters outside the U.S. compound protesting, chanting anti-American slogans again this morning. But there's been no signs of any repeat of the violence of the last few days -- Arthel.

NEVILLE: OK, Karl Penhaul, thank you very much for that report.

Now, if you would like to find more about life in Iraq after the war, you can do so on the Internet. It's part of our Web site special report on the new Iraq. Go to cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.

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




Fallujah>


Aired May 1, 2003 - 05:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Seventeen Iraqis have been killed in clashes with U.S. troops in Fallujah this week. We want to take you now to the city west of Baghdad and our correspondent Karl Penhaul to find out about the mood right now -- good morning, Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Arthel.

The U.S. compound that you can see behind me in downtown Fallujah came under attack last night. Officers inside the compound now tell me that unidentified assailants lobbed two grenades into the rear of the compound. Those grenades exploded, injuring five soldiers. The officers told me that those soldiers were not seriously injured, but they have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Now, that attack comes against the backdrop of a series of demonstrations in this city over the last couple of days in which 17 Iraqi civilians have been killed and many others wounded.

Take a look at a report we've prepared for you about what's been going on here in this city over the last few days.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PENHAUL (voice-over): Iraqi protesters, American armor. Beaten back by taunts and sandals thrown by the crowd. On the streets of Fallujah, the death toll keeps rising, 17 civilians killed in clashes with U.S. soldiers in less than 48 hours; 65 others wounded. The most recent shooting was outside this U.S. Army compound Wednesday morning. Each side accuses the other of firing first.

"The United States has killed children, the United States has killed people in their own homes." He says, "The United States is a terrorist country."

A coffin makes its final journey through the streets of Fallujah, one of two demonstrators shot dead Wednesday. He was in the throng that had gone to protest the deaths of 15 of his townsfolk in a separate demonstration Monday.

"A convoy of four or five American vehicles passed by the peaceful demonstration," he says. "One soldier from the convoy fired a shot, which provoked the other soldiers in the compound to fire at us."

Captain Mike Reedenmuller (ph), the commander of the unit in the compound, tells a different story. CAPT. MIKE REEDENMULLER: We didn't fire first. Somebody in part of the crowd took a weapon, fired at one of the soft-skinned vehicles, shot it and hit it. At that point, we fired two warning shots from this compound. What happened from there, from the convoy, I know they returned fire and that's all I know.

PENHAUL: The U.S. Army has pledged to investigate the deaths, but for now soldiers who came to free Iraq of Saddam Hussein can only hunker down and watch the mood go sour.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PENHAUL: The situation here in Fallujah this morning is calm. We have seen a number of protesters outside the U.S. compound protesting, chanting anti-American slogans again this morning. But there's been no signs of any repeat of the violence of the last few days -- Arthel.

NEVILLE: OK, Karl Penhaul, thank you very much for that report.

Now, if you would like to find more about life in Iraq after the war, you can do so on the Internet. It's part of our Web site special report on the new Iraq. Go to cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.

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




Fallujah>