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CNN Live Sunday

U.S. Troops Face Occasional Attacks Near Tikrit

Aired August 17, 2003 - 10:13   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Lots of news from Iraq this Sunday.
In one incident two U.S. soldiers were shot and wounded leaving a restaurant in Baghdad. With a complete report from Baghdad now, we to CNN's Jane Arraf.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, it's one of those continuing series of incidents that shows that American soldiers are being targeted in places that you might not expect in Baghdad.

Now, the main news just now is reports by the U.S. military that mortar rounds slammed into the main prison just outside Baghdad, Abu Ghraib prison. Now, that is a combination prison and detainee center, where people detained by U.S. forces are held.

Six Iraqis have died in that attack Saturday night. The news just being released by the U.S. now. Three of them were critically wounded. Three of them died later in hospital and up to 59 other people wounded, as well.

Also acts of sabotage continuing. The latest one early this morning, an explosion just outside a main water pipeline in a neighborhood in Baghdad. That has flooded parts of city streets in that neighborhood and it's left up to 300,000 people without water.

Residents say they heard an explosion and saw a car speeding away.

And in the north, the main sabotage has -- on the main oil pipeline to Turkey has disabled that pipeline. No oil exports for five to seven days, according to ministry officials. And officials say that's costing Iraq $7 million a day.

In other parts of the country, Fredricka, U.S. forces say they are continuing to fight what they call a low-grade war, including in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARRAF (voice-over): This was Saddam Hussein's hometown. At night, American soldiers make a point of moving through the streets as if they own them.

Just before the 11 p.m. curfew Iraqis gather in the cool of evening, the children wary as they watch the soldiers. "Do you have any problems?" the colonel's translator asks the shopkeeper.

"One of the biggest problems is electricity. When Saddam was in charge Tikrit never wanted for it. When Saddam was here, we had security and electricity," says this man. "I want things to be better than when Saddam was here so I can feel my life has improved."

After curfew it still seems relaxed until the 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Regiment heads down what they call RPG Alley. This is where Iraqis hidden on rooftops fire rocket-propelled grenades at the soldiers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looking at the rooftops, normally coming from the rooftops or out in the open field out here in the darkness.

ARRAF: Soldiers say if they don't have media with them they drive up and down this street to provoke attackers into aiming at them so they can kill them.

Some of the soldiers put their faith in luck. Others, like this one, with the 23rd Psalm on his rifle, in God.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Look at it and read it, it reminds me, it keeps me safe.

ARRAF: Soldiers say it's been relatively calm the past few weeks, since the arrest of some key Fedayeen leaders. Calm enough for the commanding officer to try to correct some local spelling.

The brigade commander, Colonel Lawrence Hickey, says he believes that somewhere around here Saddam Hussein is hiding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is his political base of support, this particular area. This is where he came from; this is where he grew up. This is where he's got a lot of loyalties, and that's still up until this day.

ARRAF: They've taken over Saddam's palace and his hometown. It's just a matter of time, they'd like to say, before they find the man himself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARRAF: At that U.S. base in Tikrit, rocket-propelled grenades were fired last night for the first time in two weeks, according to military sources. They're also fairly regular mortar attacks.

But despite that, the feeling in Tikrit seems quite a bit more relaxed, even on night patrol than it does here in this chaotic, complicated capital city of Baghdad -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Relaxed and, Jane, it also appears, even though there are these Saddam loyalties that the coalition forces believe are in Tikrit, it looks like the citizens there are more apt and more open to talking, having these conversations right out in the open with some of these troops?

ARRAF: I think it's probably the difference between a relatively small town and a huge bustling city that's full of unknown danger.

Now, people here are pretty vocal as well. When the U.S. troops go and talk to them, they do talk. After 30 years where they weren't allowed to complain, they're very free and very vocal about their complaints.

Their main complaint, of course, is electricity. I mean, some of them are less vocal about how they feel about Saddam or political matters. Still, it's hard to get out of that mindset that you've had for decades. But certainly, people are complaining. There's no shortage of complaints. And it's the electricity and the security and you hear that over and over across the country -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jane, thanks very much for that nighttime look in Tikrit.

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 August 17, 2003 - 10:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Lots of news from Iraq this Sunday.
In one incident two U.S. soldiers were shot and wounded leaving a restaurant in Baghdad. With a complete report from Baghdad now, we to CNN's Jane Arraf.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, it's one of those continuing series of incidents that shows that American soldiers are being targeted in places that you might not expect in Baghdad.

Now, the main news just now is reports by the U.S. military that mortar rounds slammed into the main prison just outside Baghdad, Abu Ghraib prison. Now, that is a combination prison and detainee center, where people detained by U.S. forces are held.

Six Iraqis have died in that attack Saturday night. The news just being released by the U.S. now. Three of them were critically wounded. Three of them died later in hospital and up to 59 other people wounded, as well.

Also acts of sabotage continuing. The latest one early this morning, an explosion just outside a main water pipeline in a neighborhood in Baghdad. That has flooded parts of city streets in that neighborhood and it's left up to 300,000 people without water.

Residents say they heard an explosion and saw a car speeding away.

And in the north, the main sabotage has -- on the main oil pipeline to Turkey has disabled that pipeline. No oil exports for five to seven days, according to ministry officials. And officials say that's costing Iraq $7 million a day.

In other parts of the country, Fredricka, U.S. forces say they are continuing to fight what they call a low-grade war, including in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARRAF (voice-over): This was Saddam Hussein's hometown. At night, American soldiers make a point of moving through the streets as if they own them.

Just before the 11 p.m. curfew Iraqis gather in the cool of evening, the children wary as they watch the soldiers. "Do you have any problems?" the colonel's translator asks the shopkeeper.

"One of the biggest problems is electricity. When Saddam was in charge Tikrit never wanted for it. When Saddam was here, we had security and electricity," says this man. "I want things to be better than when Saddam was here so I can feel my life has improved."

After curfew it still seems relaxed until the 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Regiment heads down what they call RPG Alley. This is where Iraqis hidden on rooftops fire rocket-propelled grenades at the soldiers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looking at the rooftops, normally coming from the rooftops or out in the open field out here in the darkness.

ARRAF: Soldiers say if they don't have media with them they drive up and down this street to provoke attackers into aiming at them so they can kill them.

Some of the soldiers put their faith in luck. Others, like this one, with the 23rd Psalm on his rifle, in God.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Look at it and read it, it reminds me, it keeps me safe.

ARRAF: Soldiers say it's been relatively calm the past few weeks, since the arrest of some key Fedayeen leaders. Calm enough for the commanding officer to try to correct some local spelling.

The brigade commander, Colonel Lawrence Hickey, says he believes that somewhere around here Saddam Hussein is hiding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is his political base of support, this particular area. This is where he came from; this is where he grew up. This is where he's got a lot of loyalties, and that's still up until this day.

ARRAF: They've taken over Saddam's palace and his hometown. It's just a matter of time, they'd like to say, before they find the man himself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARRAF: At that U.S. base in Tikrit, rocket-propelled grenades were fired last night for the first time in two weeks, according to military sources. They're also fairly regular mortar attacks.

But despite that, the feeling in Tikrit seems quite a bit more relaxed, even on night patrol than it does here in this chaotic, complicated capital city of Baghdad -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Relaxed and, Jane, it also appears, even though there are these Saddam loyalties that the coalition forces believe are in Tikrit, it looks like the citizens there are more apt and more open to talking, having these conversations right out in the open with some of these troops?

ARRAF: I think it's probably the difference between a relatively small town and a huge bustling city that's full of unknown danger.

Now, people here are pretty vocal as well. When the U.S. troops go and talk to them, they do talk. After 30 years where they weren't allowed to complain, they're very free and very vocal about their complaints.

Their main complaint, of course, is electricity. I mean, some of them are less vocal about how they feel about Saddam or political matters. Still, it's hard to get out of that mindset that you've had for decades. But certainly, people are complaining. There's no shortage of complaints. And it's the electricity and the security and you hear that over and over across the country -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jane, thanks very much for that nighttime look in Tikrit.

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