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CNN Live Sunday
Thousands Mourn In Najaf As Investigation Continues
Aired August 31, 2003 - 16:09 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.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, thousands have been in the streets of Najaf for another day of mourning after Friday's deadly mosque bombing there. Let's go live to CNN's Ben Wedeman in Najaf for that and the latest on the investigation -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka. As far as the investigation is concerned, the governor of Najaf told us at a press conference this evening, that at this point, Iraqi investigators do not have in custody more than five people being questioned for possible involvement in last Friday's bombing. He said all of those people are Iraqi nationals.
Now, that contradicts what we're hearing from a variety of other sources here in Najaf, that in fact, Iraqi police have well over ten people of a variety of nationalities, including Saudis, Kuwaitis, Jordanians, and Palestinians.
Now, the governor also downgraded the death toll here from the blast, saying at this point they have 83 dead from the explosion and somewhere in the area of about 175 wounded.
He said the blast was caused by two car bombs, not one, as originally thought, and that those car bombs contained in excess of 700 kilograms of explosives. That's more than 1,500 pounds, which probably helps to explain how those bombs caused such massive damage and such a high death toll.
Meanwhile, coalition forces are working with the Iraqi police here in Najaf, trying to strengthen the local security forces. At this point they're about to put out onto the streets around 400 additional Iraqi police who have been trained by the coalition. Those police will be responsible for the security in the immediate area around the Imam Ali Mosque. That is the area where the bombing occurred.
Now, meanwhile, we, this evening, had a chance to speak to the nephew of Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, that senior Shiite leader who was killed in Friday's blast. He criticized the coalition for not providing enough security, saying that the coalition appears more concerned with the security of its own troops than the security of the Iraqi people.
And increasingly, it appears there's growing pressure on the coalition to give more security responsibility to the Iraqi forces, Iraqi police and other sources will tell you that they are best qualified to get a handle on the situation, that they are better qualified to get the sort of intelligence on the ground that it appears that coalition forces simply are not able to get. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right, Ben Wedeman in Najaf.
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 31, 2003 - 16:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, thousands have been in the streets of Najaf for another day of mourning after Friday's deadly mosque bombing there. Let's go live to CNN's Ben Wedeman in Najaf for that and the latest on the investigation -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka. As far as the investigation is concerned, the governor of Najaf told us at a press conference this evening, that at this point, Iraqi investigators do not have in custody more than five people being questioned for possible involvement in last Friday's bombing. He said all of those people are Iraqi nationals.
Now, that contradicts what we're hearing from a variety of other sources here in Najaf, that in fact, Iraqi police have well over ten people of a variety of nationalities, including Saudis, Kuwaitis, Jordanians, and Palestinians.
Now, the governor also downgraded the death toll here from the blast, saying at this point they have 83 dead from the explosion and somewhere in the area of about 175 wounded.
He said the blast was caused by two car bombs, not one, as originally thought, and that those car bombs contained in excess of 700 kilograms of explosives. That's more than 1,500 pounds, which probably helps to explain how those bombs caused such massive damage and such a high death toll.
Meanwhile, coalition forces are working with the Iraqi police here in Najaf, trying to strengthen the local security forces. At this point they're about to put out onto the streets around 400 additional Iraqi police who have been trained by the coalition. Those police will be responsible for the security in the immediate area around the Imam Ali Mosque. That is the area where the bombing occurred.
Now, meanwhile, we, this evening, had a chance to speak to the nephew of Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, that senior Shiite leader who was killed in Friday's blast. He criticized the coalition for not providing enough security, saying that the coalition appears more concerned with the security of its own troops than the security of the Iraqi people.
And increasingly, it appears there's growing pressure on the coalition to give more security responsibility to the Iraqi forces, Iraqi police and other sources will tell you that they are best qualified to get a handle on the situation, that they are better qualified to get the sort of intelligence on the ground that it appears that coalition forces simply are not able to get. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right, Ben Wedeman in Najaf.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
