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CNN Live At Daybreak

Demonstration in Iraq Takes Violent Turn

Aired June 18, 2003 - 07:25   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: Onto Iraq now because a big demonstration there has taken a violent turn; gunshots fired during fight between U.S. troops and some of Saddam's former forces. Ben Wedeman, live in Baghdad, has details.
Good morning.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Carol.

Well, what happened was there was a demonstration outside the coalition headquarters here in Baghdad; demonstrations being put on by former members of the Iraqi army. They're protesting the fact that they haven't been paid in three months. And basically, the Americans fired them all, as many as 250,000 quite recently.

Now, what happened, we are told by a U.S. officer on the scene, was that the demonstrators were throwing rocks at the U.S. soldiers guarding those headquarters. Despite that, the situation was somewhat stable, somewhat under control until American convoy showed up at the main entrance.

Now, the demonstrators started to rock, stone the convoy, breaking some of the window on those cars. A guard onboard the convoy opened fire with an M-16 rifle on the crowd, wounding one, we are told, lightly, another one fairly seriously.

Now, there are unconfirmed reports that either one or both of those demonstrators were in fact killed in the -- during this demonstration.

Now, this whole issue of the future of the former members of the Iraqi army is a very touchy one. I mentioned 250,000 people may have been included in this summary firing of the former soldiers, but that actually affects as many as 4 million people, their dependents, their extended family. So this is a very touchy topic and so it is not surprising that the emotions that are bubbling over this issue have boiled over into bloodshed, Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, this is sort of scheduled protest. They have been protesting everyday, every week?

WEDEMAN: Yes, I was told by one of the soldiers there that this is the fourth demonstration that has occurred recently, staged by these people. They are very angry. And it is not just in Baghdad, we've seen similar demonstrations throughout the country. This is really one of these examples of unforeseen consequences of decisions taken by the Americans. The Iraqi army soldiers will argue that, in fact, they were on the side of the Americans during the war by the fact that they didn't resist the Americans. That by and large the Iraqi army simply disappeared rather than fight the Americans. And now that the Americans are in a position of power in Iraq are turning around and punishing them for not resisting them.

Carol?

COSTELLO: Ben Wedeman reporting 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 18, 2003 - 07:25   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Onto Iraq now because a big demonstration there has taken a violent turn; gunshots fired during fight between U.S. troops and some of Saddam's former forces. Ben Wedeman, live in Baghdad, has details.
Good morning.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Carol.

Well, what happened was there was a demonstration outside the coalition headquarters here in Baghdad; demonstrations being put on by former members of the Iraqi army. They're protesting the fact that they haven't been paid in three months. And basically, the Americans fired them all, as many as 250,000 quite recently.

Now, what happened, we are told by a U.S. officer on the scene, was that the demonstrators were throwing rocks at the U.S. soldiers guarding those headquarters. Despite that, the situation was somewhat stable, somewhat under control until American convoy showed up at the main entrance.

Now, the demonstrators started to rock, stone the convoy, breaking some of the window on those cars. A guard onboard the convoy opened fire with an M-16 rifle on the crowd, wounding one, we are told, lightly, another one fairly seriously.

Now, there are unconfirmed reports that either one or both of those demonstrators were in fact killed in the -- during this demonstration.

Now, this whole issue of the future of the former members of the Iraqi army is a very touchy one. I mentioned 250,000 people may have been included in this summary firing of the former soldiers, but that actually affects as many as 4 million people, their dependents, their extended family. So this is a very touchy topic and so it is not surprising that the emotions that are bubbling over this issue have boiled over into bloodshed, Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, this is sort of scheduled protest. They have been protesting everyday, every week?

WEDEMAN: Yes, I was told by one of the soldiers there that this is the fourth demonstration that has occurred recently, staged by these people. They are very angry. And it is not just in Baghdad, we've seen similar demonstrations throughout the country. This is really one of these examples of unforeseen consequences of decisions taken by the Americans. The Iraqi army soldiers will argue that, in fact, they were on the side of the Americans during the war by the fact that they didn't resist the Americans. That by and large the Iraqi army simply disappeared rather than fight the Americans. And now that the Americans are in a position of power in Iraq are turning around and punishing them for not resisting them.

Carol?

COSTELLO: Ben Wedeman reporting 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