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CNN Live Today
Grim Milestone Reached in Iraq
Aired July 16, 2003 - 11:00 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we go on to Iraq. That's where a grim milestone has been reached. U.S. combat deaths now equal those to the 1991 Gulf War. One soldier was killed today by a rocket propelled grenade in western Baghdad. That brings the death toll from hostile acts to 148, the same as in the first Gulf War. There were also other incidents and casualties.
Our Harris Whitbeck has the latest from the Iraqi capital -- Harris.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
One of the latest attacks occurred earlier this afternoon in western Baghdad. One U.S. soldier was injured when a grenade was apparently thrown at the truck he was using as he helped safeguard a bank in that part of city.
Earlier this morning, as you said, one U.S. soldier was killed, three more injured , when the vehicle they were traveling in as part of a convoy on Highway 1, which is west of Baghdad, was attacked. There's a loud explosion, and still a little bit of conflicting reports on exactly what happened, but the soldiers who were on the scene, they said there had been an apparent abandoned vehicle on the side of the road, and it was that vehicle that exploded when they drove by.
When that happened, a group of Iraqi civilians gathered at the site and started cheering when they realized this was an attack on military forces in the country.
Now as the day goes by, we are nearing the anniversary of the Baath Party's rise to power in Iraq, and many fear that Saddam Hussein loyalists might try to commemorate that anniversary by launching more attacks on U.S. Military forces. There's one report that a U.S. C-130 transport plane was targeted by a surface-to-air missile as it was operating near Baghdad International Airport.
Now the coalition authority here is trying to take measures towards improving security, particularly in the capital. And today, the Baghdad police academy graduated its first 96 graduates. These graduates have been trained in the principles of human rights, and also in basic policing techniques. The idea of this police academy is to have about 900 graduates patrolling the streets of Baghdad over the next few months -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Harris Whitbeck, bringing us the latest from Baghdad. Harris, thank you for that. 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 July 16, 2003 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we go on to Iraq. That's where a grim milestone has been reached. U.S. combat deaths now equal those to the 1991 Gulf War. One soldier was killed today by a rocket propelled grenade in western Baghdad. That brings the death toll from hostile acts to 148, the same as in the first Gulf War. There were also other incidents and casualties.
Our Harris Whitbeck has the latest from the Iraqi capital -- Harris.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
One of the latest attacks occurred earlier this afternoon in western Baghdad. One U.S. soldier was injured when a grenade was apparently thrown at the truck he was using as he helped safeguard a bank in that part of city.
Earlier this morning, as you said, one U.S. soldier was killed, three more injured , when the vehicle they were traveling in as part of a convoy on Highway 1, which is west of Baghdad, was attacked. There's a loud explosion, and still a little bit of conflicting reports on exactly what happened, but the soldiers who were on the scene, they said there had been an apparent abandoned vehicle on the side of the road, and it was that vehicle that exploded when they drove by.
When that happened, a group of Iraqi civilians gathered at the site and started cheering when they realized this was an attack on military forces in the country.
Now as the day goes by, we are nearing the anniversary of the Baath Party's rise to power in Iraq, and many fear that Saddam Hussein loyalists might try to commemorate that anniversary by launching more attacks on U.S. Military forces. There's one report that a U.S. C-130 transport plane was targeted by a surface-to-air missile as it was operating near Baghdad International Airport.
Now the coalition authority here is trying to take measures towards improving security, particularly in the capital. And today, the Baghdad police academy graduated its first 96 graduates. These graduates have been trained in the principles of human rights, and also in basic policing techniques. The idea of this police academy is to have about 900 graduates patrolling the streets of Baghdad over the next few months -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Harris Whitbeck, bringing us the latest from Baghdad. Harris, thank you for that. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
