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CNN Live At Daybreak
Red Cross Cuts Staff in Iraq
Aired August 25, 2003 - 06:32 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: The pressure is on. Congressional critics say the Bush administration needs to take a hard look at what's happening in Iraq and take some action.
Two more U.S. soldiers died over the weekend in separate non- hostile incidents.
In the meantime, an explosion took out a U.S. Humvee on a bridge near Baghdad. There were unconfirmed reports of injuries.
And four days after the deadly explosion at U.N. headquarters last week, staffers are returning to work this morning. They're working in tents, in trailers and other temporary offices.
And in the holy city of Najaf, a bomb went off outside the home of a leading Shiite cleric on Sunday, killing three people. The cleric survived.
One more thing to tell you about. The Red Cross says it may be the next target for violence in Baghdad, so it's sending some staffers home.
Live to Baghdad now and Rym Brahimi.
Hello -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Indeed, the funerals this morning took place in the holy city of Najaf for those three who were killed in the blast yesterday afternoon. That blast took place near the home of a religious cleric, Ayatollah Mohamad Sa-eed al-Hakim.
Now, there is this morning the group that he belongs to, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, is calling on Shiites to remain calm. But they are saying that this is the work of terrorists, and that this is the work of enemies of Islam and enemies of Iraq. That said, they're also saying that the responsibility for security does lie in the hands of the United States.
And there are issues with security in this country. As you mentioned, Carol, the Red Cross for one is not really prepared to stick it out with its full effective. They are pulling out some people, some non-Iraqi staff. The Red Cross had actually stayed during the war and has stayed throughout. It has been reducing its number of non-Iraqi staff in the past three weeks gradually -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Rym Brahimi 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.
Aired August 25, 2003 - 06:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The pressure is on. Congressional critics say the Bush administration needs to take a hard look at what's happening in Iraq and take some action.
Two more U.S. soldiers died over the weekend in separate non- hostile incidents.
In the meantime, an explosion took out a U.S. Humvee on a bridge near Baghdad. There were unconfirmed reports of injuries.
And four days after the deadly explosion at U.N. headquarters last week, staffers are returning to work this morning. They're working in tents, in trailers and other temporary offices.
And in the holy city of Najaf, a bomb went off outside the home of a leading Shiite cleric on Sunday, killing three people. The cleric survived.
One more thing to tell you about. The Red Cross says it may be the next target for violence in Baghdad, so it's sending some staffers home.
Live to Baghdad now and Rym Brahimi.
Hello -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Indeed, the funerals this morning took place in the holy city of Najaf for those three who were killed in the blast yesterday afternoon. That blast took place near the home of a religious cleric, Ayatollah Mohamad Sa-eed al-Hakim.
Now, there is this morning the group that he belongs to, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, is calling on Shiites to remain calm. But they are saying that this is the work of terrorists, and that this is the work of enemies of Islam and enemies of Iraq. That said, they're also saying that the responsibility for security does lie in the hands of the United States.
And there are issues with security in this country. As you mentioned, Carol, the Red Cross for one is not really prepared to stick it out with its full effective. They are pulling out some people, some non-Iraqi staff. The Red Cross had actually stayed during the war and has stayed throughout. It has been reducing its number of non-Iraqi staff in the past three weeks gradually -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Rym Brahimi 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.
