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CNN Live At Daybreak
American Investigators Going Through Debris at Jordanian Embassy
Aired August 08, 2003 - 05:36 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: In Baghdad, the dust, the splintered glass, the twisted metal -- American investigators are going through the debris at the Jordanian embassy trying to learn who was behind the blast that killed 17 people.
Let's go live to Baghdad and Harris Whitbeck -- what have they found out, anything, Harris?
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
No one has claimed responsibility yet for the explosion at the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad. That explosion, as you know, occurred mid morning yesterday, leaving several people dead and dozens of injured. The morgue at a nearby children's hospital is now saying that the number of dead has increased. they're estimating between 15 and 17 people were killed during yesterday's blast.
The bomb went off, as I say, in front of the diplomatic compound. It caused the collapse of one of the building's outer walls and destroyed several cars that were parked in the vicinity.
U.S. investigators were at the scene almost immediately, trying to gather clues as to the identities of the attackers. U.S. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who heads the U.S. military effort in Iraq, said the bombing proved that there are terrorist elements working in the country.
Now, Jordan's actions vis-a-vis the American occupation of Iraq have raised a lot of eyebrows here. Some people accuse Jordan of being too close to Washington while others have criticized the fact that Jordan's King Abdullah gave what he terms humanitarian asylum to Saddam Hussein's two daughters earlier this week -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I just wondered if Jordanian investigators would be allowed in to perhaps help Americans with this.
Do you think that's possible?
WHITBECK: One would think so, Carol, and, of course, Jordan is very interested in trying to find out as much as possible about this. We do know that the Jordanian consul was inside the embassy when the attack occurred yesterday morning. There were some Jordanian diplomats there, but no word yet on whether the higher level diplomats, meaning the ambassador and such, have returned to Iraq.
As you know, many of the foreign diplomats posted in Iraq have not yet returned to the country because the U.S.-backed government here has still not granted credentials to all of those diplomats.
COSTELLO: And just one more question for you, Harris.
I guess this is a soft target. This is a different thing to attack than has been normal in Iraq.
WHITBECK: That's correct, a soft target meaning a civilian target or a non-military target, if you will, and yesterday U.S. officials were saying that this is the worst attack on a "soft target" since the American occupation of Iraq. And the U.S. military is concerned. They say that they fear that there are "foreign fighters" in Iraq who are ready and willing to carry out more terrorist type attacks and those terrorist attacks would include targets that are not necessarily military.
COSTELLO: Harris Whitbeck reporting 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
Embassy>
Aired August 8, 2003 - 05:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Baghdad, the dust, the splintered glass, the twisted metal -- American investigators are going through the debris at the Jordanian embassy trying to learn who was behind the blast that killed 17 people.
Let's go live to Baghdad and Harris Whitbeck -- what have they found out, anything, Harris?
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
No one has claimed responsibility yet for the explosion at the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad. That explosion, as you know, occurred mid morning yesterday, leaving several people dead and dozens of injured. The morgue at a nearby children's hospital is now saying that the number of dead has increased. they're estimating between 15 and 17 people were killed during yesterday's blast.
The bomb went off, as I say, in front of the diplomatic compound. It caused the collapse of one of the building's outer walls and destroyed several cars that were parked in the vicinity.
U.S. investigators were at the scene almost immediately, trying to gather clues as to the identities of the attackers. U.S. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who heads the U.S. military effort in Iraq, said the bombing proved that there are terrorist elements working in the country.
Now, Jordan's actions vis-a-vis the American occupation of Iraq have raised a lot of eyebrows here. Some people accuse Jordan of being too close to Washington while others have criticized the fact that Jordan's King Abdullah gave what he terms humanitarian asylum to Saddam Hussein's two daughters earlier this week -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I just wondered if Jordanian investigators would be allowed in to perhaps help Americans with this.
Do you think that's possible?
WHITBECK: One would think so, Carol, and, of course, Jordan is very interested in trying to find out as much as possible about this. We do know that the Jordanian consul was inside the embassy when the attack occurred yesterday morning. There were some Jordanian diplomats there, but no word yet on whether the higher level diplomats, meaning the ambassador and such, have returned to Iraq.
As you know, many of the foreign diplomats posted in Iraq have not yet returned to the country because the U.S.-backed government here has still not granted credentials to all of those diplomats.
COSTELLO: And just one more question for you, Harris.
I guess this is a soft target. This is a different thing to attack than has been normal in Iraq.
WHITBECK: That's correct, a soft target meaning a civilian target or a non-military target, if you will, and yesterday U.S. officials were saying that this is the worst attack on a "soft target" since the American occupation of Iraq. And the U.S. military is concerned. They say that they fear that there are "foreign fighters" in Iraq who are ready and willing to carry out more terrorist type attacks and those terrorist attacks would include targets that are not necessarily military.
COSTELLO: Harris Whitbeck reporting 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
Embassy>
