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CNN Live At Daybreak

Combat Over, But U.S. Troops Still Targets

Aired May 22, 2003 - 05:12   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: Combat may be over, but U.S. troops are still targets.
CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us live by video phone from Falluja, the scene of a gun battle today -- good morning, Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Yes, overnight a U.S. Army Bradley fighting vehicle like the one you can see behind me was hit by a rocket propelled grenade. That was the trigger for a two hour firefight in which two Iraqi gunmen were killed and five people are still in detention as a result of that firefight.

I've spoken this morning with Captain Mike Reedmiller (ph) (UNINTELLIGIBLE) company commanders of the patrol that came under fire and he said about 11 o'clock last night a man stepped from a dark alleyway and opened fire with an RPG on the Bradley. The Bradley was hit. Captain Reedmiller has told me it wasn't seriously damaged and none of the U.S. soldiers inside were hurt.

But a gun battle did erupt. Men on foot with AK-47s opened fire. There were also snipers on the roofs firing down at that patrol. The patrol was then reinforced with more Bradley fighting vehicles and in the course of the gun battle, a pickup truck tried to ram one of the Bradley vehicles. The U.S. Army opened fire on those, killing two occupants inside -- Carol.

COSTELLO: This isn't the first time there has been unrest in Falluja, right, Karl?

PENHAUL: Certainly not, Carol, though this is the worst incident since the end of last month, when, you may recall, there was a wave of anti-American protests. Those lasted for about three days. And in the course of those protests, 17 Iraqi civilians were killed in a shooting incident involving (AUDIO GAP).

COSTELLO: OK, we have lost Karl Penhaul. We'll get back to him in the next half hour, though.

Follow the latest developments from the new Iraq in our special Web report. Our address, 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






Aired May 22, 2003 - 05:12   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Combat may be over, but U.S. troops are still targets.
CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us live by video phone from Falluja, the scene of a gun battle today -- good morning, Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Yes, overnight a U.S. Army Bradley fighting vehicle like the one you can see behind me was hit by a rocket propelled grenade. That was the trigger for a two hour firefight in which two Iraqi gunmen were killed and five people are still in detention as a result of that firefight.

I've spoken this morning with Captain Mike Reedmiller (ph) (UNINTELLIGIBLE) company commanders of the patrol that came under fire and he said about 11 o'clock last night a man stepped from a dark alleyway and opened fire with an RPG on the Bradley. The Bradley was hit. Captain Reedmiller has told me it wasn't seriously damaged and none of the U.S. soldiers inside were hurt.

But a gun battle did erupt. Men on foot with AK-47s opened fire. There were also snipers on the roofs firing down at that patrol. The patrol was then reinforced with more Bradley fighting vehicles and in the course of the gun battle, a pickup truck tried to ram one of the Bradley vehicles. The U.S. Army opened fire on those, killing two occupants inside -- Carol.

COSTELLO: This isn't the first time there has been unrest in Falluja, right, Karl?

PENHAUL: Certainly not, Carol, though this is the worst incident since the end of last month, when, you may recall, there was a wave of anti-American protests. Those lasted for about three days. And in the course of those protests, 17 Iraqi civilians were killed in a shooting incident involving (AUDIO GAP).

COSTELLO: OK, we have lost Karl Penhaul. We'll get back to him in the next half hour, though.

Follow the latest developments from the new Iraq in our special Web report. Our address, 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