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CNN Live At Daybreak
British Prime Minister Blair Visits Troops in Basra
Aired May 29, 2003 - 06:31 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: Blair in Basra, the British prime minister is the first Western leader to visit Iraq since the war. His visit comes as more violent unrest unfolds. Yet another U.S. soldier has been killed by hostile fire northwest of Baghdad.
We take you live to Basra now and Jane Arraf.
Tony Blair spoke to the troops, oh, about 45 minutes ago. What did he say -- Jane?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, he mostly thanked him. He referred to the fact that even though it was very difficult and a potentially costly political decision for him, facing all of that opposition in Britain to get into war, to send his troops here to war, he said there was no dispute, no doubt whatsoever that their entire country was proud of them.
And he said even though the British forces had taken Basra and other parts of the south, had been here first, had taken those cities, the battle has not yet stopped.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: And there are people here, who in years to come will look back and will remember what you did and recognize that as the start of their future and the life of hope and the possibility of prosperity. You probably know this country, Iraq, is one of the wealthiest countries potentially in the world, and yet its people live in appalling poverty. Now, in the years to come as the result of what we've done, they can rebuild their country, and we've got to help them do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, people here in this port city, you can see the waterway behind me, aren't impressed that Tony Blair is here. What they really want are things like water and jobs and electricity, and those things are coming back slowly.
But one advantage Basra does have over Baghdad, and other parts of the country around there, is that it's relatively calm here. That incident you mentioned takes that number of U.S. soldiers killed to five and about a dozen wounded in those separate incidents. It's much more calm and much more relaxed here in the south -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Basra in southern Iraq this morning. 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 29, 2003 - 06:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Blair in Basra, the British prime minister is the first Western leader to visit Iraq since the war. His visit comes as more violent unrest unfolds. Yet another U.S. soldier has been killed by hostile fire northwest of Baghdad.
We take you live to Basra now and Jane Arraf.
Tony Blair spoke to the troops, oh, about 45 minutes ago. What did he say -- Jane?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, he mostly thanked him. He referred to the fact that even though it was very difficult and a potentially costly political decision for him, facing all of that opposition in Britain to get into war, to send his troops here to war, he said there was no dispute, no doubt whatsoever that their entire country was proud of them.
And he said even though the British forces had taken Basra and other parts of the south, had been here first, had taken those cities, the battle has not yet stopped.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: And there are people here, who in years to come will look back and will remember what you did and recognize that as the start of their future and the life of hope and the possibility of prosperity. You probably know this country, Iraq, is one of the wealthiest countries potentially in the world, and yet its people live in appalling poverty. Now, in the years to come as the result of what we've done, they can rebuild their country, and we've got to help them do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, people here in this port city, you can see the waterway behind me, aren't impressed that Tony Blair is here. What they really want are things like water and jobs and electricity, and those things are coming back slowly.
But one advantage Basra does have over Baghdad, and other parts of the country around there, is that it's relatively calm here. That incident you mentioned takes that number of U.S. soldiers killed to five and about a dozen wounded in those separate incidents. It's much more calm and much more relaxed here in the south -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Basra in southern Iraq this morning. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
