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CNN Live Sunday
Coalition Commanders: Saboteurs Set Oil Pipeline on Fire in Iraq
Aired August 17, 2003 - 16:04 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: In Iraq more blows against the country's hopes for speedy post-war recovery. Coalition commanders believe saboteurs have set a second oil pipeline on fire, this time near Mosul. Our Chris Plante is live at the Pentagon with the latest details -- Chris.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the first oil pipeline fire was set Saturday morning at about 3:00 a.m. That was 15 miles or so north of Baghdad. Quick action was taken on that pipeline fire yesterday. The fire was put out. The expectation now is that it's going to take probably about a week to get oil flowing again.
That pipeline feeds a port city in Turkey where the oil would be loaded onto ships for sale. That means millions of dollars to the Iraqi economy will not be coming in while those repairs are taking place. We did get another report today from military officials that pilots flying in the area north and west of Mosul in northern Iraq spotted yet another oil pipeline on fire.
This is an area near the border with Syria and close to the border with Turkey. That situation is still being investigated. It's in a fairly remote area. But certainly, there's a concern about the ongoing sabotage, and Ambassador Bremer, who is the chief of the civilian administration there, had this to say about these incidents today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BREMER, U.S. IRAQI CIVIL ADMINISTRATOR: Iraq finds itself poor because of the astonishing mismanagement of the Iraqi economy over the last four decades and the great costs to the Iraqi people of the political sabotage which continues in Iraq, including the attack on the Kirkuk pipeline just two days ago. The cost of which is $7 million a day to the Iraqi people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLANTE: Now, part of the message in there from Ambassador Bremer is to the Iraqi people, certainly, pointing out to them that if this sabotage continues to go on, that in the end they're the ones that will pay the economic price. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Chris Plante at the Pentagon. Thanks very much.
Well, oil isn't the only problem in Baghdad. Water taps are running dry today as well. Explosives tore open a large water main in the northern part of the capital. So much water is flowing from the damaged pipeline that it's flooding the streets. Engineers have shut down water to the entire city to work on the damage.
Coalition commanders are investigating a deadly mortar attack outside Baghdad where Iraqi detainees and prisoners are kept. Our Baghdad chief, Jane Arraf, brings us the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Military officials say three mortar rounds slammed into the main prison at Abu Ghraib just outside of Baghdad on Saturday night. Three Iraqis were killed instantly. Three others died in hospitals. The governing council said up to ten people were killed. And both sides say up to 59 may have been injured.
Now, that is the main prison for Baghdad, as well as being a detainee center, which holds people rounded up by the U.S. for various reasons including suspected attacks on U.S. soldiers. Two American soldiers wounded last night as they least a restaurant by gunfire. Not critically. And in the south, a Danish soldier was said to have been killed in a gunfight late last night as he was trying to stop looters.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And that was Jane Arraf.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
in Iraq>
Aired August 17, 2003 - 16:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq more blows against the country's hopes for speedy post-war recovery. Coalition commanders believe saboteurs have set a second oil pipeline on fire, this time near Mosul. Our Chris Plante is live at the Pentagon with the latest details -- Chris.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the first oil pipeline fire was set Saturday morning at about 3:00 a.m. That was 15 miles or so north of Baghdad. Quick action was taken on that pipeline fire yesterday. The fire was put out. The expectation now is that it's going to take probably about a week to get oil flowing again.
That pipeline feeds a port city in Turkey where the oil would be loaded onto ships for sale. That means millions of dollars to the Iraqi economy will not be coming in while those repairs are taking place. We did get another report today from military officials that pilots flying in the area north and west of Mosul in northern Iraq spotted yet another oil pipeline on fire.
This is an area near the border with Syria and close to the border with Turkey. That situation is still being investigated. It's in a fairly remote area. But certainly, there's a concern about the ongoing sabotage, and Ambassador Bremer, who is the chief of the civilian administration there, had this to say about these incidents today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BREMER, U.S. IRAQI CIVIL ADMINISTRATOR: Iraq finds itself poor because of the astonishing mismanagement of the Iraqi economy over the last four decades and the great costs to the Iraqi people of the political sabotage which continues in Iraq, including the attack on the Kirkuk pipeline just two days ago. The cost of which is $7 million a day to the Iraqi people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLANTE: Now, part of the message in there from Ambassador Bremer is to the Iraqi people, certainly, pointing out to them that if this sabotage continues to go on, that in the end they're the ones that will pay the economic price. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Chris Plante at the Pentagon. Thanks very much.
Well, oil isn't the only problem in Baghdad. Water taps are running dry today as well. Explosives tore open a large water main in the northern part of the capital. So much water is flowing from the damaged pipeline that it's flooding the streets. Engineers have shut down water to the entire city to work on the damage.
Coalition commanders are investigating a deadly mortar attack outside Baghdad where Iraqi detainees and prisoners are kept. Our Baghdad chief, Jane Arraf, brings us the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Military officials say three mortar rounds slammed into the main prison at Abu Ghraib just outside of Baghdad on Saturday night. Three Iraqis were killed instantly. Three others died in hospitals. The governing council said up to ten people were killed. And both sides say up to 59 may have been injured.
Now, that is the main prison for Baghdad, as well as being a detainee center, which holds people rounded up by the U.S. for various reasons including suspected attacks on U.S. soldiers. Two American soldiers wounded last night as they least a restaurant by gunfire. Not critically. And in the south, a Danish soldier was said to have been killed in a gunfight late last night as he was trying to stop looters.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And that was Jane Arraf.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
in Iraq>
