Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Twenty-Three Now Reported Dead in U.N. Bombing
Aired August 21, 2003 - 05:23 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: Just a short time ago, we gave you an update on the number of dead in Baghdad as a result of that bombing at the U.N. headquarters there. Twenty-three now reported dead. We also have some new information on the investigation. So let's head right to Baghdad now and Rym Brahimi -- Rym, bring us up to date.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, indeed, 23 confirmed dead is the latest figure that was given to us by the spokesman of the United Nations mission here, Sadeem Lohn (ph). Now, he told us that it seemed that there was still one person missing. They found a few bodies last night and there's one person that it seems they're still looking for. In terms of the injured, well, that hasn't changed. Still close to 100 injured. They're spread out in various hospitals according to their needs and some of them, I believe at least 20, have been transported to Jordan for treatment, as well -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Any new word on the investigation itself, Rym?
BRAHIMI: Not much new since yesterday, Carol, although, as you can see, the work does continue. There's quite a lot of activity around the site. You still have the FBI that's taken charge of the investigation, working on the site. The difficulty, Carol, we're told by the FBI person in charge here, is that the truck that basically exploded the building was carrying a certain number of explosives, including a 500 pound bomb and mortar shells, a variety of ammunition, many of which haven't actually exploded. And that's making the investigation difficult.
We do know, also, that they're planning to take some samples when they can from the crater, from the site of the bombing, and that that will be analyzed in the United States in the coming days -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I know you've been busy, Rym, but have you gotten a chance to go out and talk to just common folk in Iraq to find out how they're feeling about this?
BRAHIMI: Yes, we've been talking to a few people. There are very mixed emotions with regards to this. A lot of people are actually quite shocked and want to believe that Iraqis could have been behind this. A lot of people say no, no, foreigners must have done this, Iraqis would never do that. And many people said we would like the United Nations to stay, they haven't been doing anything bad, they've been helping us, only someone who would want to work against the interests of Iraq would do something like that.
That said, fingers were pointed in various directions. Some people said it was remnants of the Baath Party and Saddam Hussein. Other people said it was the United States, even. There's always a complicity theory that emerges in these kinds of situations here in this part of the world. But generally speaking, a lot of people were not really happy with what happened. Only a few people criticized the United Nations, saying they were close to the United States anyway -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Rym Brahimi bringing us up to date live on the phone 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 August 21, 2003 - 05:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Just a short time ago, we gave you an update on the number of dead in Baghdad as a result of that bombing at the U.N. headquarters there. Twenty-three now reported dead. We also have some new information on the investigation. So let's head right to Baghdad now and Rym Brahimi -- Rym, bring us up to date.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, indeed, 23 confirmed dead is the latest figure that was given to us by the spokesman of the United Nations mission here, Sadeem Lohn (ph). Now, he told us that it seemed that there was still one person missing. They found a few bodies last night and there's one person that it seems they're still looking for. In terms of the injured, well, that hasn't changed. Still close to 100 injured. They're spread out in various hospitals according to their needs and some of them, I believe at least 20, have been transported to Jordan for treatment, as well -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Any new word on the investigation itself, Rym?
BRAHIMI: Not much new since yesterday, Carol, although, as you can see, the work does continue. There's quite a lot of activity around the site. You still have the FBI that's taken charge of the investigation, working on the site. The difficulty, Carol, we're told by the FBI person in charge here, is that the truck that basically exploded the building was carrying a certain number of explosives, including a 500 pound bomb and mortar shells, a variety of ammunition, many of which haven't actually exploded. And that's making the investigation difficult.
We do know, also, that they're planning to take some samples when they can from the crater, from the site of the bombing, and that that will be analyzed in the United States in the coming days -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I know you've been busy, Rym, but have you gotten a chance to go out and talk to just common folk in Iraq to find out how they're feeling about this?
BRAHIMI: Yes, we've been talking to a few people. There are very mixed emotions with regards to this. A lot of people are actually quite shocked and want to believe that Iraqis could have been behind this. A lot of people say no, no, foreigners must have done this, Iraqis would never do that. And many people said we would like the United Nations to stay, they haven't been doing anything bad, they've been helping us, only someone who would want to work against the interests of Iraq would do something like that.
That said, fingers were pointed in various directions. Some people said it was remnants of the Baath Party and Saddam Hussein. Other people said it was the United States, even. There's always a complicity theory that emerges in these kinds of situations here in this part of the world. But generally speaking, a lot of people were not really happy with what happened. Only a few people criticized the United Nations, saying they were close to the United States anyway -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Rym Brahimi bringing us up to date live on the phone 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
