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U.S. Troops Kill 27 Iraqis After Coming Under Attack
Aired June 13, 2003 - 06:05 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: We have new information just in to CNN right now. Apparently U.S. troops in Iraq have killed 27 Iraqis after coming under attack.
Let's go live to Baghdad right now and Jane Arraf to find out more on what's happened.
Jane -- bring us up to date.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, that attack apparently occurred near Bolid (ph), which is northwest of Baghdad, and it's one of the places that have been a focus of Operation Peninsula Strike, the biggest U.S. military operation here since the end of this war.
According to the U.S. Central Command, 27 Iraqis were killed -- the statement described them as "attackers" -- when they tried to fire a rocket-propelled grenade on U.S. forces. No word of U.S. casualties.
Now, that operation ended, Operation Peninsula Strike, but this wider ongoing effort is still clearly going on, proof if we needed it that Iraq is still a combat zone.
Now, the top U.S. military official here, General David McKiernan, told reporters on Thursday that the intent of that operation and this ongoing battle is to crack down on these individuals and groups that are continuing to target U.S. forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. DAVID MCKIERNAN, U.S. ARMY: I walked the ground with our soldiers there, the 4th Infantry Division and several other units today, and we're confident that this operation set back regime loyalists and others.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: And McKiernan had said that there were no U.S. casualties up until Thursday and no reports of any today. There were some wounded, American soldiers, but no deaths, but clearly quite a lot of Iraqi casualties. Now, he wouldn't give a figure on those. But, again, today, 27 Iraqis reported killed in this operation northwest of Baghdad -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf live from Baghdad 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 June 13, 2003 - 06:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We have new information just in to CNN right now. Apparently U.S. troops in Iraq have killed 27 Iraqis after coming under attack.
Let's go live to Baghdad right now and Jane Arraf to find out more on what's happened.
Jane -- bring us up to date.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, that attack apparently occurred near Bolid (ph), which is northwest of Baghdad, and it's one of the places that have been a focus of Operation Peninsula Strike, the biggest U.S. military operation here since the end of this war.
According to the U.S. Central Command, 27 Iraqis were killed -- the statement described them as "attackers" -- when they tried to fire a rocket-propelled grenade on U.S. forces. No word of U.S. casualties.
Now, that operation ended, Operation Peninsula Strike, but this wider ongoing effort is still clearly going on, proof if we needed it that Iraq is still a combat zone.
Now, the top U.S. military official here, General David McKiernan, told reporters on Thursday that the intent of that operation and this ongoing battle is to crack down on these individuals and groups that are continuing to target U.S. forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. DAVID MCKIERNAN, U.S. ARMY: I walked the ground with our soldiers there, the 4th Infantry Division and several other units today, and we're confident that this operation set back regime loyalists and others.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: And McKiernan had said that there were no U.S. casualties up until Thursday and no reports of any today. There were some wounded, American soldiers, but no deaths, but clearly quite a lot of Iraqi casualties. Now, he wouldn't give a figure on those. But, again, today, 27 Iraqis reported killed in this operation northwest of Baghdad -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf live from Baghdad 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.
