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CNN Live At Daybreak
Reuters: Two U.S. Soldiers Possibly Killed in Iraq
Aired July 28, 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: Another grenade attack in Baghdad; this time, two Americans killed. Reuters correspondents on the scene says it appears that the two soldiers have indeed been killed.
Let's see if we can find out more about what happened. Let's go live to Baghdad and Rym Brahimi.
Good morning -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
Indeed, Reuters News Agency reports that two U.S. soldiers may have been killed in a grenade attack. The grenade attack took place in downtown Baghdad, and apparently the reporters at the scene say that they saw -- arriving after the attack, they saw two motionless U.S. soldiers. One of them was sitting in a Humvee. The other one was lying motionless on the ground.
Now, the U.S. official officer that was at the scene refused to actually confirm that these two soldiers were dead. But apparently from the reporter's account, well, they were motionless and they were not getting any medical aid, and he says they appeared to be dead.
Now, eyewitnesses at the scene say that the attack occurred when the Humvee or the vehicle was driving on this street, and there's a pedestrian bridge right above it from where maybe somebody would have thrown a grenade into the vehicle.
Now, this comes, Carol, as you know, at a moment when basically since the killing of Uday and Qusay, well, some 10 U.S. soldiers have died. In the past week alone, 16 have been killed. So, a very tough week for U.S. soldiers here.
At the same time, Carol, U.S. officials say they are tightening the noose on Saddam Hussein. There have been a series of raids, not only in Tikrit, but also in Baghdad yesterday afternoon in which three Iraqi civilians are reportedly -- have been reported to have been killed -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Back to the attack where the two Americans were killed, do they ever catch anyone who is doing this?
BRAHIMI: It appears that so far nobody has been caught. We are waiting ourselves for details on this issue, but a lot of these attacks, Carol, as you know, happen in a similar fashion. They are either hit-and-run or they are sometimes explosive devices that are remotely detonated. And so, it's very difficult, I imagine, for the U.S. troops to really realize where it's coming from. And once they're busy looking after their injured, well, by that time, maybe a lot of people have gotten away.
The hospital attack -- the grenade attack in the hospital a couple of days ago, well, they sealed off the hospital, and we haven't heard that they caught anyone there, although they said that the grenade actually came from within the compounds of the hospitals -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, as you said, the search for Saddam does go on as well this morning. Rym Brahimi live from Baghdad.
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 28, 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: Another grenade attack in Baghdad; this time, two Americans killed. Reuters correspondents on the scene says it appears that the two soldiers have indeed been killed.
Let's see if we can find out more about what happened. Let's go live to Baghdad and Rym Brahimi.
Good morning -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
Indeed, Reuters News Agency reports that two U.S. soldiers may have been killed in a grenade attack. The grenade attack took place in downtown Baghdad, and apparently the reporters at the scene say that they saw -- arriving after the attack, they saw two motionless U.S. soldiers. One of them was sitting in a Humvee. The other one was lying motionless on the ground.
Now, the U.S. official officer that was at the scene refused to actually confirm that these two soldiers were dead. But apparently from the reporter's account, well, they were motionless and they were not getting any medical aid, and he says they appeared to be dead.
Now, eyewitnesses at the scene say that the attack occurred when the Humvee or the vehicle was driving on this street, and there's a pedestrian bridge right above it from where maybe somebody would have thrown a grenade into the vehicle.
Now, this comes, Carol, as you know, at a moment when basically since the killing of Uday and Qusay, well, some 10 U.S. soldiers have died. In the past week alone, 16 have been killed. So, a very tough week for U.S. soldiers here.
At the same time, Carol, U.S. officials say they are tightening the noose on Saddam Hussein. There have been a series of raids, not only in Tikrit, but also in Baghdad yesterday afternoon in which three Iraqi civilians are reportedly -- have been reported to have been killed -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Back to the attack where the two Americans were killed, do they ever catch anyone who is doing this?
BRAHIMI: It appears that so far nobody has been caught. We are waiting ourselves for details on this issue, but a lot of these attacks, Carol, as you know, happen in a similar fashion. They are either hit-and-run or they are sometimes explosive devices that are remotely detonated. And so, it's very difficult, I imagine, for the U.S. troops to really realize where it's coming from. And once they're busy looking after their injured, well, by that time, maybe a lot of people have gotten away.
The hospital attack -- the grenade attack in the hospital a couple of days ago, well, they sealed off the hospital, and we haven't heard that they caught anyone there, although they said that the grenade actually came from within the compounds of the hospitals -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, as you said, the search for Saddam does go on as well this morning. Rym Brahimi live from Baghdad.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
