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CNN Live Today
The New Iraq: Still Dangerous
Aired June 18, 2003 - 10:35 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, CNN ANCHOR: Now, we turn our attention to Iraq, which remain a very dangerous place for American forces. In one incident, a U.S. soldier was shot and killed in a drive-by attack, and in another, American forces cased an angry crowd of Iraqis.
Again, our Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf joins us live from Baghdad. She has more on these stories.
Hello, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
It's been a terrible day in Baghdad. One American soldier dead and two Iraqis killed as well in two separate incidents.
Now, in the one that is near Dora, a suburb on the southern edge of Baghdad, a soldier with the 1st Armored Division was shot in the neck as he was guarding a propane station. Now, propane is used for cooking fuel. And there are long lines which often get tense and angry, especially in this heat, as people wait for that scarce commodity.
The U.S. military is calling it a drive-by shooting. But according to witnesses there, there was more to it than that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The soldier had a quarrel with a woman. He pushed her and threw her propane tank aside. A passerby by in a car saw what happened and didn't like it. He got out of the car, along with two more men. They parked their car away, or came back on foot -- I really don't know. Anyway, one of them walked up to the soldier and shot him before running away. He shot him at a close range.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: That's an indication if we needed any that this occupation is not sitting well in many parts of the population. Across town, just on the outskirts at the gate of the palace, which is occupied by American coalition forces now, a protest of former Army officers and former soldiers turned deadly.
Now, these soldiers started throwing stones, some of them, at an armored vehicle that was trying to get inside the palace gates. This is a protest by people who have not been paid in months, they say. They say they've run out of money, they're running out of food, they can't feed their families, and they've made clear to them they have no future with the army (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Now according to the U.S. military, a guard on that convoy, on the armored vehicle, fired into the crowd. Two Iraqis were killed at least. And certainly, the situation there, and with army officers and former soldiers remains relatively tense -- Leon.
HARRIS: The situation there is still continuously (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Thank you, Jane. We appreciate that. Jane Arraf, reporting live for us from Baghdad. She will continue to keep an eye on that story for us.
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 - 10:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, we turn our attention to Iraq, which remain a very dangerous place for American forces. In one incident, a U.S. soldier was shot and killed in a drive-by attack, and in another, American forces cased an angry crowd of Iraqis.
Again, our Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf joins us live from Baghdad. She has more on these stories.
Hello, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
It's been a terrible day in Baghdad. One American soldier dead and two Iraqis killed as well in two separate incidents.
Now, in the one that is near Dora, a suburb on the southern edge of Baghdad, a soldier with the 1st Armored Division was shot in the neck as he was guarding a propane station. Now, propane is used for cooking fuel. And there are long lines which often get tense and angry, especially in this heat, as people wait for that scarce commodity.
The U.S. military is calling it a drive-by shooting. But according to witnesses there, there was more to it than that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The soldier had a quarrel with a woman. He pushed her and threw her propane tank aside. A passerby by in a car saw what happened and didn't like it. He got out of the car, along with two more men. They parked their car away, or came back on foot -- I really don't know. Anyway, one of them walked up to the soldier and shot him before running away. He shot him at a close range.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: That's an indication if we needed any that this occupation is not sitting well in many parts of the population. Across town, just on the outskirts at the gate of the palace, which is occupied by American coalition forces now, a protest of former Army officers and former soldiers turned deadly.
Now, these soldiers started throwing stones, some of them, at an armored vehicle that was trying to get inside the palace gates. This is a protest by people who have not been paid in months, they say. They say they've run out of money, they're running out of food, they can't feed their families, and they've made clear to them they have no future with the army (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Now according to the U.S. military, a guard on that convoy, on the armored vehicle, fired into the crowd. Two Iraqis were killed at least. And certainly, the situation there, and with army officers and former soldiers remains relatively tense -- Leon.
HARRIS: The situation there is still continuously (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Thank you, Jane. We appreciate that. Jane Arraf, reporting live for us from Baghdad. She will continue to keep an eye on that story for us.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
