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CNN Live At Daybreak

U.S. Troops Trying to Keep Order in Baghdad

Aired May 15, 2003 - 06:20   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the new Iraq. Some Republicans and Democrats alike are growing ever more concerned about the unrest in Baghdad. Looting continues. Some say anarchy reigns. And U.S. troops are trying to keep order.
We want to take you live to Baghdad now and John Vause, who patrolled the mean streets with U.S. troops when it's most dangerous, at night -- hello, John.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Assam Yahir shot in the left leg by unknown gunmen while playing football in a Baghdad suburb.

ASSAM YAHIR, SHOOTING VICTIM (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): There is no security. Anyone can come and loot or open fire, all without reason.

VAUSE: Althra al-Dikrasi (ph), 7 years old, her left foot hit by a stray bullet. Her mother, Samid Jasman (ph), her face grazed by another shot. Satar al-Yasman (ph), a taxi driver, a gunshot shattered his shin. He says it happened during an attempted carjacking. All admitted for treatment within hours of each other at Baghdad's Al-Kharki General Hospital (ph).

Dr. Muamer Al-Shalah, the chief resident, his hand crushed when his pickup rolled over. He says he was delivering medical supplies to the hospital when thieves opened fire, forcing him off the road.

DR. MUAMER AL-SHALAH, CHIEF RESIDENT: It's a serious condition and a bad situation because every day we have more than 10 victims, most of them civilian people.

VAUSE: By day, Baghdad is still dangerous. By night it can be terrifying. Many areas are still without power. There are no streetlights, no way to know who may be lurking in those dark alleyways.

U.S. soldiers make regular patrols through this sprawling city of five million, where their job is more policemen than soldier.

SGT. MICHAEL ANSLINGER, U.S. ARMY: A lot of us have been on peacekeeping missions, you know, have been to Bosnia, Kosovo and all that stuff. We know how to do this.

VAUSE: In the coming weeks, the U.S. says there will be more patrols, more soldiers on the streets, a crackdown on the lawlessness. (END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And, Carol, that patrol that we went out with was the scout platoon from the 3rd I.D. They are patrolling an area called Zone 14, which is in downtown Baghdad, just one of the many patrols now which go out by day and by night. And word that there will be more patrols, more soldiers on the streets, well, it was welcomed by most Iraqis. But there's now a great deal of skepticism here, some people saying yes, well, that's great, but we'll believe it when we see it -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you about the new U.S. civil administrator there, Paul Bremmer. We've heard that he wants U.S. troops to be able to shoot looters on sight.

Is that happening yet?

VAUSE: No. That report seems to be wildly exaggerated, Carol. We spoke to the U.S. officials here over the last 24 hours and what they're saying is that there are already very robust rules of engagement. And what that means is that the troops can shoot, they can open fire if they feel that they are in a threatening situation. That hasn't changed. The rules of engagement are the same.

What is going to change is that there will be a crackdown now with the looters. Instead of just holding them for 24 or a 48 period, they'll take them away for a week or so, put them to community service. And what we've noticed today already is that Paul Bremmer has, in fact, been out and about. He visited a hospital this morning. He spoke with doctors and patients there. This was a children's hospital. He promised to improve the water supply, the situation with the electricity and he pledged a better health system for all Iraqis.

And it's very important to see Paul Bremmer out and about because one of the criticisms that was leveled at Jay Garner, his predecessor, is that this guy just didn't have any face contact with the people of Iraq. So Paul Bremmer certainly making a difference, in the public relations anyway, in these early stages and certainly promising that crackdown on the looters and also the lawlessness -- Carol.

COSTELLO: John Vause live from Baghdad.

Many thanks.

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 May 15, 2003 - 06:20   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the new Iraq. Some Republicans and Democrats alike are growing ever more concerned about the unrest in Baghdad. Looting continues. Some say anarchy reigns. And U.S. troops are trying to keep order.
We want to take you live to Baghdad now and John Vause, who patrolled the mean streets with U.S. troops when it's most dangerous, at night -- hello, John.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Assam Yahir shot in the left leg by unknown gunmen while playing football in a Baghdad suburb.

ASSAM YAHIR, SHOOTING VICTIM (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): There is no security. Anyone can come and loot or open fire, all without reason.

VAUSE: Althra al-Dikrasi (ph), 7 years old, her left foot hit by a stray bullet. Her mother, Samid Jasman (ph), her face grazed by another shot. Satar al-Yasman (ph), a taxi driver, a gunshot shattered his shin. He says it happened during an attempted carjacking. All admitted for treatment within hours of each other at Baghdad's Al-Kharki General Hospital (ph).

Dr. Muamer Al-Shalah, the chief resident, his hand crushed when his pickup rolled over. He says he was delivering medical supplies to the hospital when thieves opened fire, forcing him off the road.

DR. MUAMER AL-SHALAH, CHIEF RESIDENT: It's a serious condition and a bad situation because every day we have more than 10 victims, most of them civilian people.

VAUSE: By day, Baghdad is still dangerous. By night it can be terrifying. Many areas are still without power. There are no streetlights, no way to know who may be lurking in those dark alleyways.

U.S. soldiers make regular patrols through this sprawling city of five million, where their job is more policemen than soldier.

SGT. MICHAEL ANSLINGER, U.S. ARMY: A lot of us have been on peacekeeping missions, you know, have been to Bosnia, Kosovo and all that stuff. We know how to do this.

VAUSE: In the coming weeks, the U.S. says there will be more patrols, more soldiers on the streets, a crackdown on the lawlessness. (END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And, Carol, that patrol that we went out with was the scout platoon from the 3rd I.D. They are patrolling an area called Zone 14, which is in downtown Baghdad, just one of the many patrols now which go out by day and by night. And word that there will be more patrols, more soldiers on the streets, well, it was welcomed by most Iraqis. But there's now a great deal of skepticism here, some people saying yes, well, that's great, but we'll believe it when we see it -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you about the new U.S. civil administrator there, Paul Bremmer. We've heard that he wants U.S. troops to be able to shoot looters on sight.

Is that happening yet?

VAUSE: No. That report seems to be wildly exaggerated, Carol. We spoke to the U.S. officials here over the last 24 hours and what they're saying is that there are already very robust rules of engagement. And what that means is that the troops can shoot, they can open fire if they feel that they are in a threatening situation. That hasn't changed. The rules of engagement are the same.

What is going to change is that there will be a crackdown now with the looters. Instead of just holding them for 24 or a 48 period, they'll take them away for a week or so, put them to community service. And what we've noticed today already is that Paul Bremmer has, in fact, been out and about. He visited a hospital this morning. He spoke with doctors and patients there. This was a children's hospital. He promised to improve the water supply, the situation with the electricity and he pledged a better health system for all Iraqis.

And it's very important to see Paul Bremmer out and about because one of the criticisms that was leveled at Jay Garner, his predecessor, is that this guy just didn't have any face contact with the people of Iraq. So Paul Bremmer certainly making a difference, in the public relations anyway, in these early stages and certainly promising that crackdown on the looters and also the lawlessness -- Carol.

COSTELLO: John Vause live from Baghdad.

Many thanks.

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