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CNN Live At Daybreak

U.S. Forces Attacked in Iraq

Aired June 20, 2003 - 06:28   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: To Iraq now. There have been at least five attacks on U.S. forces in the past 48 hours, and the U.S. casualty count is rising. The latest attack happened in the volatile city of Fallujah.
For more on the developments, let's go live to Baghdad and Ben Wedeman.

What happened this time -- Ben?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Carol, it really was a night of gunfire and explosions in Fallujah, that hot spot of clashes between U.S. forces and Iraqi irregulars about 35 miles west of Baghdad.

Now, what happened late at night there is that an American patrol came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades, a weapon frequently used in attacks on U.S. forces.

Now, this is the account of one local eyewitness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They shot at Americans. I saw it. The mujahideen shot towards the Americans. I saw one of the rocket-propelled grenades hit the American armored car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: Now, according to an American military spokesman, there were Americans wounded, just one slightly wounded, another received just bruises.

Now, the attack took place in the general vicinity of a power plant. In fact, the power plant itself was apparently hit by rocket- propelled grenades, causing a massive fire there and cutting the electricity to large parts of that city, which has a population of about 75,000.

Now, it appears that sabotage against the infrastructure, in particular water and electricity, is becoming evermore frequent -- an evermore frequent tactic used by those armed opponents to the American presence here, really complicating an already very complicated situation for a coalition authority that seems at this point very overwhelmed with problems -- 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 20, 2003 - 06:28   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: To Iraq now. There have been at least five attacks on U.S. forces in the past 48 hours, and the U.S. casualty count is rising. The latest attack happened in the volatile city of Fallujah.
For more on the developments, let's go live to Baghdad and Ben Wedeman.

What happened this time -- Ben?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Carol, it really was a night of gunfire and explosions in Fallujah, that hot spot of clashes between U.S. forces and Iraqi irregulars about 35 miles west of Baghdad.

Now, what happened late at night there is that an American patrol came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades, a weapon frequently used in attacks on U.S. forces.

Now, this is the account of one local eyewitness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They shot at Americans. I saw it. The mujahideen shot towards the Americans. I saw one of the rocket-propelled grenades hit the American armored car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: Now, according to an American military spokesman, there were Americans wounded, just one slightly wounded, another received just bruises.

Now, the attack took place in the general vicinity of a power plant. In fact, the power plant itself was apparently hit by rocket- propelled grenades, causing a massive fire there and cutting the electricity to large parts of that city, which has a population of about 75,000.

Now, it appears that sabotage against the infrastructure, in particular water and electricity, is becoming evermore frequent -- an evermore frequent tactic used by those armed opponents to the American presence here, really complicating an already very complicated situation for a coalition authority that seems at this point very overwhelmed with problems -- 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.