Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
No Letup in Daily Attacks on American Troops in Iraq
Aired July 21, 2003 - 05:02 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: There has been no letup in the daily attacks on American troops in Iraq. We believe it's happened again this morning. Just a short time ago, an American convoy ambushed.
Let's go live to Baghdad now and Rym Brahimi -- Rym, what can you tell us about this latest incident?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's the latest. From what we have heard, and this is from a witness, an Iraqi reporter, and he says that there were two U.S. Humvees that were driving somewhere. Now, these two U.S. Humvees actually blew up. There was an apparent attack by a rocket propelled grenade against those vehicles. The reporter that was at the scene says three U.S. soldiers were killed.
Now, Carol, we don't have any independent confirmation of this event, this attack that occurred this morning at 10:00 a.m., so roughly three hours ago. So there is a military investigation going on right now, according to military authorities, and we will update you.
But clearly something has happened. There was an attack against U.S. soldiers. As for the number of casualties, we'll have to update you with the exact figure, whatever happened there, a little later.
And this follows, as you know, Carol, the killing yesterday in an ambush in the north of two U.S. soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division. They were killed in an attack by small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades. Their convoy was attacked. Another soldier from their group was wounded near Mosul, near the northern city of Mosul. And there's also been a funeral, or a memorial service, rather, for a soldier that was killed in Falluja. Joel Bertoldie was 20 years old and he was killed a couple of days ago in the western city of Falluja when his vehicle drove over an explosive device.
Now, all this almost daily killing of soldiers here in Iraq, not only in Baghdad now, outside of Baghdad, as well, as Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary, is in Iraq. He's on a low key tour, if you will, to see for himself what is happening here, to boost the morale of U.S. troops. He's also met with General Abizaid, the U.S. commander of, the commander of U.S. forces here in Iraq.
Now, Paul Wolfowitz went to the police academy. He's also spoken to a number of Iraqis. He's stressing that there is a need to basically look at what has been done by Saddam Hussein. He talked about the horrors of the previous regime. He also visited the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. Najaf, of course, being a place where there was a big demonstration against the U.S. occupation only yesterday.
So, again, a very, maybe a very agitated, if you will, few days. Paul Wolfowitz is going to tour another few places. Najaf has been a very tense area of late and well, Paul Wolfowitz is looking into what's happening. He says that he's also met with a few tribal chiefs and a lot of Iraqis to understand their grievances. And he's been told by many Iraqis that they really want to move forward with this political process in order to end the occupation quickly -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Rym Brahimi live from Baghdad this morning.
And just an interesting figure that I have here, 26 of the U.S. troops killed in Iraq, 26 were killed in July alone.
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 21, 2003 - 05:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There has been no letup in the daily attacks on American troops in Iraq. We believe it's happened again this morning. Just a short time ago, an American convoy ambushed.
Let's go live to Baghdad now and Rym Brahimi -- Rym, what can you tell us about this latest incident?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's the latest. From what we have heard, and this is from a witness, an Iraqi reporter, and he says that there were two U.S. Humvees that were driving somewhere. Now, these two U.S. Humvees actually blew up. There was an apparent attack by a rocket propelled grenade against those vehicles. The reporter that was at the scene says three U.S. soldiers were killed.
Now, Carol, we don't have any independent confirmation of this event, this attack that occurred this morning at 10:00 a.m., so roughly three hours ago. So there is a military investigation going on right now, according to military authorities, and we will update you.
But clearly something has happened. There was an attack against U.S. soldiers. As for the number of casualties, we'll have to update you with the exact figure, whatever happened there, a little later.
And this follows, as you know, Carol, the killing yesterday in an ambush in the north of two U.S. soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division. They were killed in an attack by small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades. Their convoy was attacked. Another soldier from their group was wounded near Mosul, near the northern city of Mosul. And there's also been a funeral, or a memorial service, rather, for a soldier that was killed in Falluja. Joel Bertoldie was 20 years old and he was killed a couple of days ago in the western city of Falluja when his vehicle drove over an explosive device.
Now, all this almost daily killing of soldiers here in Iraq, not only in Baghdad now, outside of Baghdad, as well, as Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary, is in Iraq. He's on a low key tour, if you will, to see for himself what is happening here, to boost the morale of U.S. troops. He's also met with General Abizaid, the U.S. commander of, the commander of U.S. forces here in Iraq.
Now, Paul Wolfowitz went to the police academy. He's also spoken to a number of Iraqis. He's stressing that there is a need to basically look at what has been done by Saddam Hussein. He talked about the horrors of the previous regime. He also visited the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. Najaf, of course, being a place where there was a big demonstration against the U.S. occupation only yesterday.
So, again, a very, maybe a very agitated, if you will, few days. Paul Wolfowitz is going to tour another few places. Najaf has been a very tense area of late and well, Paul Wolfowitz is looking into what's happening. He says that he's also met with a few tribal chiefs and a lot of Iraqis to understand their grievances. And he's been told by many Iraqis that they really want to move forward with this political process in order to end the occupation quickly -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Rym Brahimi live from Baghdad this morning.
And just an interesting figure that I have here, 26 of the U.S. troops killed in Iraq, 26 were killed in July alone.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
