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CNN Live At Daybreak
Bomb Blast Outside Home of Leading Shiite Cleric in Iraq
Aired August 25, 2003 - 06:02 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 there.
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 did survive.
And there is one more thing we should tell you about out of Iraq. The Red Cross is pulling some of its staff out of Baghdad because it fears it could be the next target for violence.
Live to Baghdad now and Rym Brahimi.
Good morning -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
Well, as you mentioned, quite a series of security issues -- this latest one in the holy city of Najaf. It took place yesterday, when a bomb exploded near the house of a religious leader, who is related to the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
Now, that religious leader's three bodyguards died in the blast, and there were demonstrations this morning, along with the funerals, basically huge processions of people marching, protesting what happened.
The Shiite cleric, however, Mohamad Sa'eed al-Hakim, has called on people to remain calm. There hasn't been any finger pointing in any specific direction, but they have denounced it as an act of terrorism. And a spokesman for the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq has said that it was an act that was perpetrated by the enemies of the Iraqi people and the enemies of Islam.
The explosion that took place near the house of that leader actually also happens to be about half a mile away from the mosque of the Imam Ali, which is one of the most revered sites for Shiite Muslims. Now, you mentioned also that there is an issue with the Red Cross. There are problems of security. And the Red Cross, which is one of the international organizations that usually sticks it out in very difficult, dangerous situations, is now pulling out more of its staff. It pulled out some of the international staff three weeks ago when one of its workers got killed. Now, after the U.N. bombing, they feel they could be a target. They've been hearing things to that effect, and they're pulling out more non-Iraqi staff -- 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 - 06:02 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 there.
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 did survive.
And there is one more thing we should tell you about out of Iraq. The Red Cross is pulling some of its staff out of Baghdad because it fears it could be the next target for violence.
Live to Baghdad now and Rym Brahimi.
Good morning -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
Well, as you mentioned, quite a series of security issues -- this latest one in the holy city of Najaf. It took place yesterday, when a bomb exploded near the house of a religious leader, who is related to the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
Now, that religious leader's three bodyguards died in the blast, and there were demonstrations this morning, along with the funerals, basically huge processions of people marching, protesting what happened.
The Shiite cleric, however, Mohamad Sa'eed al-Hakim, has called on people to remain calm. There hasn't been any finger pointing in any specific direction, but they have denounced it as an act of terrorism. And a spokesman for the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq has said that it was an act that was perpetrated by the enemies of the Iraqi people and the enemies of Islam.
The explosion that took place near the house of that leader actually also happens to be about half a mile away from the mosque of the Imam Ali, which is one of the most revered sites for Shiite Muslims. Now, you mentioned also that there is an issue with the Red Cross. There are problems of security. And the Red Cross, which is one of the international organizations that usually sticks it out in very difficult, dangerous situations, is now pulling out more of its staff. It pulled out some of the international staff three weeks ago when one of its workers got killed. Now, after the U.N. bombing, they feel they could be a target. They've been hearing things to that effect, and they're pulling out more non-Iraqi staff -- 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.
