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CNN Live Today
U.S. Troops Kill 70 in Iraq
Aired June 13, 2003 - 11:00 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.
LEON HARRIS, ANCHOR: I'm Leon Harris here at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
And we're going to begin this hour on a battlefield north of Baghdad. That's where Iraqi resistance today met overwhelming force with some deadly consequences.
This happened in Balad, where U.S. forces have been going after Saddam loyalists. Our Ben Wedeman joins us now. He's got the latest details in a live report -- Ben.
Apologies, that is not Ben Wedeman. I'm sorry. That is Mike Hanna, who is our Jerusalem bureau chief. We have technical difficulties there. We apologize for that, folks. We will see if we can raise Ben Wedeman now.
Ben Wedeman reporting live from Iraq on the latest clashes there. Ben, are you there?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm here, Leon. Can you see me?
HARRIS: Now we see you, Ben.
WEDEMAN: OK. Good. Good. All right.
Well, two major incidents I can tell you about today, Leon. Really indicative of the level of instability that still reigns in this country.
According to U.S. officials, 70 individuals were killed in a joint ground operation and air strikes in an area about northwest of Baghdad, the precise location is not altogether clear, because according to U.S. officials it is still an ongoing operation.
Now these 70 individuals, identity, as I said, not altogether clear, U.S. sources saying they could be, in addition to Iraqis, also some Arab volunteers, among those who flocked to Iraq before and during the war against the United States.
Now, what we do know is that, in addition to those people who were killed, U.S. forces have found a fairly large or significant cache of weapons there. According to a statement from American forces, they found 70 to 80 SAM-7 or surface-to-air missiles, around 75 rocket propelled grenades, and scores, in the words of the spokesman, of AK-47 assault rifles.
Now this is also the area in which yesterday a U.S. helicopter was shot down by hostile fire. The first U.S. aircraft to be shot down in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein two months ago.
Now, that other incident you referred to earlier, around the town of Balad, which is 45 miles north of Baghdad, that was what the U.S. Military spokesmen are calling an organized ambush on a U.S. tank patrol. During that ambush and the subsequent fire fight, 27 Iraqis, we are told by U.S. officials, were killed.
Now this is also the area which, until basically yesterday there was an operation dubbed Peninsula Strike going on, involving 4,000 troops including elements from the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
So very much a lot of action today on the ground here in Iraq -- Leon.
HARRIS: Thank you Ben. Ben Wedeman reporting live on all the activity there in Iraq. Ben, live in Baghdad.
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 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, ANCHOR: I'm Leon Harris here at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
And we're going to begin this hour on a battlefield north of Baghdad. That's where Iraqi resistance today met overwhelming force with some deadly consequences.
This happened in Balad, where U.S. forces have been going after Saddam loyalists. Our Ben Wedeman joins us now. He's got the latest details in a live report -- Ben.
Apologies, that is not Ben Wedeman. I'm sorry. That is Mike Hanna, who is our Jerusalem bureau chief. We have technical difficulties there. We apologize for that, folks. We will see if we can raise Ben Wedeman now.
Ben Wedeman reporting live from Iraq on the latest clashes there. Ben, are you there?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm here, Leon. Can you see me?
HARRIS: Now we see you, Ben.
WEDEMAN: OK. Good. Good. All right.
Well, two major incidents I can tell you about today, Leon. Really indicative of the level of instability that still reigns in this country.
According to U.S. officials, 70 individuals were killed in a joint ground operation and air strikes in an area about northwest of Baghdad, the precise location is not altogether clear, because according to U.S. officials it is still an ongoing operation.
Now these 70 individuals, identity, as I said, not altogether clear, U.S. sources saying they could be, in addition to Iraqis, also some Arab volunteers, among those who flocked to Iraq before and during the war against the United States.
Now, what we do know is that, in addition to those people who were killed, U.S. forces have found a fairly large or significant cache of weapons there. According to a statement from American forces, they found 70 to 80 SAM-7 or surface-to-air missiles, around 75 rocket propelled grenades, and scores, in the words of the spokesman, of AK-47 assault rifles.
Now this is also the area in which yesterday a U.S. helicopter was shot down by hostile fire. The first U.S. aircraft to be shot down in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein two months ago.
Now, that other incident you referred to earlier, around the town of Balad, which is 45 miles north of Baghdad, that was what the U.S. Military spokesmen are calling an organized ambush on a U.S. tank patrol. During that ambush and the subsequent fire fight, 27 Iraqis, we are told by U.S. officials, were killed.
Now this is also the area which, until basically yesterday there was an operation dubbed Peninsula Strike going on, involving 4,000 troops including elements from the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
So very much a lot of action today on the ground here in Iraq -- Leon.
HARRIS: Thank you Ben. Ben Wedeman reporting live on all the activity there in Iraq. Ben, live in Baghdad.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
