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CNN Live At Daybreak
Big Hunt in Iraq Now For Two Missing U.S. Soldiers
Aired June 27, 2003 - 05:08 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The big hunt in Iraq right now is for two missing U.S. soldiers. Military officials lost contact with the G.I.s at a checkpoint near Baghdad.
Our Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf, joins us live with the latest on the search -- good morning, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredericka.
Well, U.S. military officials say they're interrogating those three men in connection with what they now believe is definitely an abduction of two U.S. soldiers. Now, they disappeared more than a day and a half ago from their checkpoint near Baghdad, north of Baghdad, along with their armored vehicle.
Now, the search started after they lost radio contact, communications contact, and it's been an intensive search, with helicopters whirring over the city on the outskirts and soldiers on the ground, as well. So far it's failed to turn them up. But it is part of a series of incidents of what appears to be escalating attacks, certainly in the last two days.
On Thursday, one U.S. soldier was killed and another wounded late in the day in an attack on their convoy near the city of Kufa, which is near the holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, an area traditionally thought to be safer for U.S. forces. There's also been a special forces soldier killed and eight more people in his unit wounded when they came under attack south -- sorry, that was northwest of the city.
Now, that one, they appear to have fallen into an ambush and that happened Thursday, as well, an indication, according to one military official, that the attacks are becoming more sophisticated and maybe being waged by groups who are becoming skilled in urban guerrilla warfare -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Jane, as these attacks seem to be picking up pace now, is there a feeling among the coalition forces there that these militant groups or these resistance fighters seem to be gaining momentum with just about every attack that seems to happen?
ARRAF: It's difficult to tell over that long period of time based on just a few days. But certainly every attack that happens, every high profile attack, particularly, a Humvee, an armored vehicle disappearing with its occupants and an ambush of special forces, increases not just the instability, but the feeling of instability among U.S. soldiers and among the people here. And perhaps that's the aim. It certainly is a feeling now that things are unsettled, they're unsafe and it's not clear which way this will go.
Whether the reality reflects that doesn't really matter so much even. The climate certainly changes every time we have an attack like that and we have had quite a lot of them over the past few days -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jane Arraf in Baghdad, thanks 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 27, 2003 - 05:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The big hunt in Iraq right now is for two missing U.S. soldiers. Military officials lost contact with the G.I.s at a checkpoint near Baghdad.
Our Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf, joins us live with the latest on the search -- good morning, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredericka.
Well, U.S. military officials say they're interrogating those three men in connection with what they now believe is definitely an abduction of two U.S. soldiers. Now, they disappeared more than a day and a half ago from their checkpoint near Baghdad, north of Baghdad, along with their armored vehicle.
Now, the search started after they lost radio contact, communications contact, and it's been an intensive search, with helicopters whirring over the city on the outskirts and soldiers on the ground, as well. So far it's failed to turn them up. But it is part of a series of incidents of what appears to be escalating attacks, certainly in the last two days.
On Thursday, one U.S. soldier was killed and another wounded late in the day in an attack on their convoy near the city of Kufa, which is near the holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, an area traditionally thought to be safer for U.S. forces. There's also been a special forces soldier killed and eight more people in his unit wounded when they came under attack south -- sorry, that was northwest of the city.
Now, that one, they appear to have fallen into an ambush and that happened Thursday, as well, an indication, according to one military official, that the attacks are becoming more sophisticated and maybe being waged by groups who are becoming skilled in urban guerrilla warfare -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Jane, as these attacks seem to be picking up pace now, is there a feeling among the coalition forces there that these militant groups or these resistance fighters seem to be gaining momentum with just about every attack that seems to happen?
ARRAF: It's difficult to tell over that long period of time based on just a few days. But certainly every attack that happens, every high profile attack, particularly, a Humvee, an armored vehicle disappearing with its occupants and an ambush of special forces, increases not just the instability, but the feeling of instability among U.S. soldiers and among the people here. And perhaps that's the aim. It certainly is a feeling now that things are unsettled, they're unsafe and it's not clear which way this will go.
Whether the reality reflects that doesn't really matter so much even. The climate certainly changes every time we have an attack like that and we have had quite a lot of them over the past few days -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jane Arraf in Baghdad, thanks 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
