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CNN Live At Daybreak

Five U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq This Week

Aired May 30, 2003 - 06:33   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: Stepped-up security, Iraq does remain a danger zone, and U.S. troops need help in keeping order and keeping safe. Five U.S. troops in the last week have been killed in skirmishes with the Iraqis.
We take you live to Baghdad and Matthew Chance.

Hello -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you as well, Carol.

And U.S. military commanders here in Iraq say they will crack down on those responsible, people they believe to be loyalists to the former regime of Saddam Hussein, as you say, killing five U.S. soldiers at least in the past week or so.

In the last incident, CENTCOM confirmed one U.S. soldier was killed -- and this is typical of the kind of attacks we've been seeing -- as his convey was fired upon by an unknown attacker wielding a rocket-propelled grenade. Several other attacks inside Baghdad and outside of the area as well.

There are so many places that present dangers, but the area of Ramadi to the west of Baghdad is a very hostile place to U.S. forces. At the town of Hit, the local police station was burned by rioters, angered after what they say were over-intrusive arms searches by U.S. forces accompanying them on occasion by Iraqi police.

U.S. military officials say armed opposition in that general Ramadi area is organized and orchestrated perhaps by remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime. David McKiernan, the coalition commander here in Baghdad, saying that the U.S. will take whatever means -- he says it will apply all of the necessary combat power to make sure the opposition is removed. U.S. officials saying that these flashpoints outside the capital, such as Ramadi, they may send additional forces to crush the opposition there.

COSTELLO: Matthew Chance reporting live from Baghdad for us this morning, 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 30, 2003 - 06:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Stepped-up security, Iraq does remain a danger zone, and U.S. troops need help in keeping order and keeping safe. Five U.S. troops in the last week have been killed in skirmishes with the Iraqis.
We take you live to Baghdad and Matthew Chance.

Hello -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you as well, Carol.

And U.S. military commanders here in Iraq say they will crack down on those responsible, people they believe to be loyalists to the former regime of Saddam Hussein, as you say, killing five U.S. soldiers at least in the past week or so.

In the last incident, CENTCOM confirmed one U.S. soldier was killed -- and this is typical of the kind of attacks we've been seeing -- as his convey was fired upon by an unknown attacker wielding a rocket-propelled grenade. Several other attacks inside Baghdad and outside of the area as well.

There are so many places that present dangers, but the area of Ramadi to the west of Baghdad is a very hostile place to U.S. forces. At the town of Hit, the local police station was burned by rioters, angered after what they say were over-intrusive arms searches by U.S. forces accompanying them on occasion by Iraqi police.

U.S. military officials say armed opposition in that general Ramadi area is organized and orchestrated perhaps by remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime. David McKiernan, the coalition commander here in Baghdad, saying that the U.S. will take whatever means -- he says it will apply all of the necessary combat power to make sure the opposition is removed. U.S. officials saying that these flashpoints outside the capital, such as Ramadi, they may send additional forces to crush the opposition there.

COSTELLO: Matthew Chance reporting live from Baghdad for us this morning, 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.