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CNN Live At Daybreak

U.S. Soldier Killed in Small-Arms Attack

Aired July 31, 2003 - 06:31   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: Eerie calm has given way to violence. It had been three days since American troops were attacked, but it has happened again. One soldier dead, two wounded.
Live to Baghdad now and Rym Brahimi.

Tell us what happened -- Rym.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, it appears that a U.S. soldier from the 4th Infantry Division was killed, when he fell under attack by small-arms fire. Six other people were wounded in that same attack, two of them U.S. military from the 4th I.D. and four of them Iraqis.

Now, this comes -- actually, this happened last night near the town of Ba'qubah, which is an area where there was already an attack a few days ago against U.S. soldiers guarding a children's hospital.

But we've also just heard word, Carol, of another attack on the highway that goes from Baghdad to the airport, the airport that's newly been named Baghdad International Airport. Well, it's about a 25-minute drive from here to the airport, but it's known as a very dangerous highway.

We understand that a convoy of U.S. soldiers fell under attack on that highway. We don't have more details on this, but it is a highway that's frequently patrolled by U.S. troops and is also a very important checkpoint, a very secure checkpoint at the airport. Nobody can just enter the airport like that. But we will be bringing you details on that attack as soon as we get them.

And this comes, of course, at a moment when U.S. coalition authorities are really trying to pursue more aggressive measures, and certainly want to be seen as pursuing more aggressive measures, to try and bring back security on the streets of Baghdad and Iraq as a whole. In the past 24 hours, they say they've conducted some 44 raids, and among those raids they've arrested 161 people, all of them on criminal charges -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Rym Brahimi bringing us up-to-date live from Baghdad this morning.

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 31, 2003 - 06:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Eerie calm has given way to violence. It had been three days since American troops were attacked, but it has happened again. One soldier dead, two wounded.
Live to Baghdad now and Rym Brahimi.

Tell us what happened -- Rym.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, it appears that a U.S. soldier from the 4th Infantry Division was killed, when he fell under attack by small-arms fire. Six other people were wounded in that same attack, two of them U.S. military from the 4th I.D. and four of them Iraqis.

Now, this comes -- actually, this happened last night near the town of Ba'qubah, which is an area where there was already an attack a few days ago against U.S. soldiers guarding a children's hospital.

But we've also just heard word, Carol, of another attack on the highway that goes from Baghdad to the airport, the airport that's newly been named Baghdad International Airport. Well, it's about a 25-minute drive from here to the airport, but it's known as a very dangerous highway.

We understand that a convoy of U.S. soldiers fell under attack on that highway. We don't have more details on this, but it is a highway that's frequently patrolled by U.S. troops and is also a very important checkpoint, a very secure checkpoint at the airport. Nobody can just enter the airport like that. But we will be bringing you details on that attack as soon as we get them.

And this comes, of course, at a moment when U.S. coalition authorities are really trying to pursue more aggressive measures, and certainly want to be seen as pursuing more aggressive measures, to try and bring back security on the streets of Baghdad and Iraq as a whole. In the past 24 hours, they say they've conducted some 44 raids, and among those raids they've arrested 161 people, all of them on criminal charges -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Rym Brahimi bringing us up-to-date live from Baghdad this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.