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CNN Live At Daybreak
Sniper in Iraq Kills U.S. Soldier
Aired June 17, 2003 - 06:03 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: Now the number stands at 41. Another U.S. soldier is killed in Iraq; this time by a single sniper in the northern part of Baghdad. The shooting comes as U.S. troops continue to root out Saddam loyalists in an operation they call Desert Scorpion.
Live to Baghdad now and Jane Arraf for more on this latest incident.
Good morning -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol.
U.S. troops are sweeping through Baghdad and other troubled spots here after that soldier was shot overnight. The U.S. military now says he died from a gunshot wound to the back. Original reports said he had been shot in the chest.
Now, that appeared to happen on an overnight patrol in the north of Baghdad, but soldiers are out in the streets sealing off roads and searching houses for weapons caches and would-be attackers, as well as whoever might have been responsible for that attack.
Also, yesterday in the west of Baghdad a car exploded, an apparent car bomb, killing a woman and child. That followed another landmine explosion on a highway frequented by U.S. soldiers.
Now, all of this indicates that the U.S. military is fighting against still a significant amount of opposition both in Baghdad and particularly in areas north and west of the capital.
To the west in the town of Habaniya, soldiers were out looking for suspected attackers and arms caches using night scopes and thermal imaging, devices which let them see great distances, people that they wouldn't normally be able to see at night even with night scopes, which use the available light. But with all of these instruments and all of this equipment at their command, they're still coming up against quite a lot of trouble, putting down what they call "pockets of resistance."
Now, part of the problem is there still is a wide anti-American sentiment, particularly in these areas against American soldiers. And in Baghdad, it still obviously remains unsettled as well -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, you know, Jane, the soldiers didn't want to become police officers, but that's sure what they sound like now, because they have to do an initial investigation before they find out where these pockets of resistance are.
ARRAF: They're kind of doing everything, and it's really a problem. A lot of these people, particularly, for instance, the 3rd Infantry Division, the first unit into Baghdad, thought they'd be going home. And now they're in Fallujah, which is one of the worst and most violent-prone cities in Iraq in terms of violence against U.S. soldiers.
As for those in the capital and other places, they seem to be doing a bit of everything: patrols, cracking down on criminals, trying to round up weapons caches, playing with children, building ballparks, all sorts of things. It's a very varied role and a challenging role.
Now, later today, we're expecting to hear some more details from the U.S. civil administrator about getting the court system up and running. That, as you know, has been a major problem with the prisoner release just before the war that put thousands of former criminals out on the streets, and they're trying to round those up and get them back into jail again -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, you can see why, because, you know, you round up all of these people, then what do you do with them, besides hold them?
ARRAF: Exactly.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad this morning. Thank you very much.
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 17, 2003 - 06:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now the number stands at 41. Another U.S. soldier is killed in Iraq; this time by a single sniper in the northern part of Baghdad. The shooting comes as U.S. troops continue to root out Saddam loyalists in an operation they call Desert Scorpion.
Live to Baghdad now and Jane Arraf for more on this latest incident.
Good morning -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol.
U.S. troops are sweeping through Baghdad and other troubled spots here after that soldier was shot overnight. The U.S. military now says he died from a gunshot wound to the back. Original reports said he had been shot in the chest.
Now, that appeared to happen on an overnight patrol in the north of Baghdad, but soldiers are out in the streets sealing off roads and searching houses for weapons caches and would-be attackers, as well as whoever might have been responsible for that attack.
Also, yesterday in the west of Baghdad a car exploded, an apparent car bomb, killing a woman and child. That followed another landmine explosion on a highway frequented by U.S. soldiers.
Now, all of this indicates that the U.S. military is fighting against still a significant amount of opposition both in Baghdad and particularly in areas north and west of the capital.
To the west in the town of Habaniya, soldiers were out looking for suspected attackers and arms caches using night scopes and thermal imaging, devices which let them see great distances, people that they wouldn't normally be able to see at night even with night scopes, which use the available light. But with all of these instruments and all of this equipment at their command, they're still coming up against quite a lot of trouble, putting down what they call "pockets of resistance."
Now, part of the problem is there still is a wide anti-American sentiment, particularly in these areas against American soldiers. And in Baghdad, it still obviously remains unsettled as well -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, you know, Jane, the soldiers didn't want to become police officers, but that's sure what they sound like now, because they have to do an initial investigation before they find out where these pockets of resistance are.
ARRAF: They're kind of doing everything, and it's really a problem. A lot of these people, particularly, for instance, the 3rd Infantry Division, the first unit into Baghdad, thought they'd be going home. And now they're in Fallujah, which is one of the worst and most violent-prone cities in Iraq in terms of violence against U.S. soldiers.
As for those in the capital and other places, they seem to be doing a bit of everything: patrols, cracking down on criminals, trying to round up weapons caches, playing with children, building ballparks, all sorts of things. It's a very varied role and a challenging role.
Now, later today, we're expecting to hear some more details from the U.S. civil administrator about getting the court system up and running. That, as you know, has been a major problem with the prisoner release just before the war that put thousands of former criminals out on the streets, and they're trying to round those up and get them back into jail again -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, you can see why, because, you know, you round up all of these people, then what do you do with them, besides hold them?
ARRAF: Exactly.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad this morning. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
