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CNN Live Today
U.S. Soldiers Attacked
Aired July 03, 2003 - 10:01 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: In Iraq, where attackers have launched yet more hit and run ambushes on coalition forces and the U.S. casualties are mounting. At least 10 American soldiers were wounded in today's strike.
Let's go now to the Iraqi capital and Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, a top U.S. military official here says these attacks will not weaken the resolve of the American military. General Ricardo Sanchez told reporters that there is a war going on, but there is no crisis. And he says they will continue in their mission. That mission, though, is getting increasingly, seemingly risky for soldiers in the streets of Baghdad and in other places.
Today, three soldiers injured, as you mentioned, and an Iraqi civilian killed after a rocket-propelled grenade attack on their armored vehicle in a downtown street. Now this was quite early this morning on a crowded street, and it happened the way it's happened another time this week, with someone opening the sun roof of the vehicle and firing that grenade. In the end, three U.S. soldiers wounded.
And the more startling thing, perhaps, even than the attack, was the aftermath. As that vehicle was burning, the crowd around it started to cheer, jumping up and down and kicking it, in what appeared to be celebration.
Now, that was not the only attack. In the town of Vermonte (ph), west of here, which has been a troublespot for quite some time, there were six other soldiers wounded, an indication this is not going away. U.S. officials say it won't weaken resolve, on the streets and where American soldiers are patrolling and they're feeling quite vulnerable -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: When they say it won't change anything, mean they don't intend to reduce the number of U.S. troops there and coalition forces, but might it mean a new strategy for bringing more troops in to help beef up security there, if not for the security of Iraqi people, but for the U.S. troops alone?
ARRAF: According to at least the public statements of people like General Sanchez and other top military officials, they believe that things are essentially going fine. It's almost as if they actually do say that this is to be expected. It's an unfortunate part of this post-war period, this transition, what they're calling a combat zone, and today, what they're calling a war in some sense, but that these things are going to happen.
Certainly, though, every time there's an attack, they will re- evaluate their strategy to see how it could have been avoided and how it could have been dealt with.
One of the problems in this, these attacks are occurring on crowded streets. And the result is that these soldiers are shooting at Iraqis, not necessarily getting the people who attack them, but get being people who are standing in their way. In the case of today, for instance, another person in another vehicle was killed, and that's part of the reason why Iraqis, ordinary Iraqis, are enraged by these incidents. It's a very tough problem -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jane Arraf from Baghdad, thanks very much.
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Aired July 3, 2003 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq, where attackers have launched yet more hit and run ambushes on coalition forces and the U.S. casualties are mounting. At least 10 American soldiers were wounded in today's strike.
Let's go now to the Iraqi capital and Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, a top U.S. military official here says these attacks will not weaken the resolve of the American military. General Ricardo Sanchez told reporters that there is a war going on, but there is no crisis. And he says they will continue in their mission. That mission, though, is getting increasingly, seemingly risky for soldiers in the streets of Baghdad and in other places.
Today, three soldiers injured, as you mentioned, and an Iraqi civilian killed after a rocket-propelled grenade attack on their armored vehicle in a downtown street. Now this was quite early this morning on a crowded street, and it happened the way it's happened another time this week, with someone opening the sun roof of the vehicle and firing that grenade. In the end, three U.S. soldiers wounded.
And the more startling thing, perhaps, even than the attack, was the aftermath. As that vehicle was burning, the crowd around it started to cheer, jumping up and down and kicking it, in what appeared to be celebration.
Now, that was not the only attack. In the town of Vermonte (ph), west of here, which has been a troublespot for quite some time, there were six other soldiers wounded, an indication this is not going away. U.S. officials say it won't weaken resolve, on the streets and where American soldiers are patrolling and they're feeling quite vulnerable -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: When they say it won't change anything, mean they don't intend to reduce the number of U.S. troops there and coalition forces, but might it mean a new strategy for bringing more troops in to help beef up security there, if not for the security of Iraqi people, but for the U.S. troops alone?
ARRAF: According to at least the public statements of people like General Sanchez and other top military officials, they believe that things are essentially going fine. It's almost as if they actually do say that this is to be expected. It's an unfortunate part of this post-war period, this transition, what they're calling a combat zone, and today, what they're calling a war in some sense, but that these things are going to happen.
Certainly, though, every time there's an attack, they will re- evaluate their strategy to see how it could have been avoided and how it could have been dealt with.
One of the problems in this, these attacks are occurring on crowded streets. And the result is that these soldiers are shooting at Iraqis, not necessarily getting the people who attack them, but get being people who are standing in their way. In the case of today, for instance, another person in another vehicle was killed, and that's part of the reason why Iraqis, ordinary Iraqis, are enraged by these incidents. It's a very tough problem -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jane Arraf from 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
