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CNN Live Today

Bomb Kills One Near Iraqi Police Station

Aired September 02, 2003 - 10:05   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, ANCHOR: And now to the situation in Iraq.
It has been yet another day of violence and volatility in Iraq. A car bomb has exploded near police headquarters in Baghdad, one day after a deadly attack on U.S. troops.

With the very latest on these developing stories, let's check in now with CNN's Rym Brahimi in the capital city.

Hello to you, Rym.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi.

Well, one person was killed, 18 other people were wounded in that latest car bomb. The car exploded at a car park right by a police station that wasn't far from the police academy where the new Iraqi police are training.

Now, a major from the police force told reporters that -- that there was a thick wall that was separating the building of the police station from the car park, and if that hadn't been the case, the explosion would have had much more serious consequences on people and on the building itself.

As it were though, witnesses at the scene said the explosion was very powerful indeed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There was a huge explosion, immense fire, smoke and glass flying over us from every direction.

Those close to me fell on me. One fainted because of the intensity of the blast.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRAHIMI: There were four other cars around that car that seemed to have been damaged in the explosion. Now, the time at which the bomb went off is also a time when there would have been a lot of policemen, or former Iraqi policemen, going to collect their salaries, as they do every first or second of each month. They also try to find jobs there.

That's the fourth explosion or car bomb in Iraq in four weeks, Heidi. Now, Paul Bremer, later on in the day, was speaking to reporters. He referred to the bomb attack in the holy city of Najaf on Friday and told reporters that the U.S. and coalition forces will leave no stone unturned to find who is behind that, to fight terrorism, and he said they will prevail.

COLLINS: Rym, also wondering a little bit more about those type of comments coming from the U.S. military, saying that even after all of these latest events, not changing their strategy whatsoever?

BRAHIMI: Well, no, absolutely. Paul Bremer has said that. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, with who I spoke just this morning, also said that they had no reason to change their strategy.

On the one hand, for instance, Paul Bremer was asked if there was any reason to put in an emergency law. He said, "No, I don't see any point in introducing an emergency law. We have to have more intelligence." And that's something that they've been repeating for awhile. They don't need more troops; they don't need an emergency law. They just need more intelligence.

And that, he said, was something that was going to come progressively. He said people have been coming forward, providing information. They've been working on various bits and pieces with regard to intelligence and he says that that will improve in time, and this is how they will be able to find out who's behind these attacks and crack down on them -- Heidi.

COLLINS: CNN's Rym Brahimi coming to us live 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 September 2, 2003 - 10:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, ANCHOR: And now to the situation in Iraq.
It has been yet another day of violence and volatility in Iraq. A car bomb has exploded near police headquarters in Baghdad, one day after a deadly attack on U.S. troops.

With the very latest on these developing stories, let's check in now with CNN's Rym Brahimi in the capital city.

Hello to you, Rym.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi.

Well, one person was killed, 18 other people were wounded in that latest car bomb. The car exploded at a car park right by a police station that wasn't far from the police academy where the new Iraqi police are training.

Now, a major from the police force told reporters that -- that there was a thick wall that was separating the building of the police station from the car park, and if that hadn't been the case, the explosion would have had much more serious consequences on people and on the building itself.

As it were though, witnesses at the scene said the explosion was very powerful indeed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There was a huge explosion, immense fire, smoke and glass flying over us from every direction.

Those close to me fell on me. One fainted because of the intensity of the blast.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRAHIMI: There were four other cars around that car that seemed to have been damaged in the explosion. Now, the time at which the bomb went off is also a time when there would have been a lot of policemen, or former Iraqi policemen, going to collect their salaries, as they do every first or second of each month. They also try to find jobs there.

That's the fourth explosion or car bomb in Iraq in four weeks, Heidi. Now, Paul Bremer, later on in the day, was speaking to reporters. He referred to the bomb attack in the holy city of Najaf on Friday and told reporters that the U.S. and coalition forces will leave no stone unturned to find who is behind that, to fight terrorism, and he said they will prevail.

COLLINS: Rym, also wondering a little bit more about those type of comments coming from the U.S. military, saying that even after all of these latest events, not changing their strategy whatsoever?

BRAHIMI: Well, no, absolutely. Paul Bremer has said that. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, with who I spoke just this morning, also said that they had no reason to change their strategy.

On the one hand, for instance, Paul Bremer was asked if there was any reason to put in an emergency law. He said, "No, I don't see any point in introducing an emergency law. We have to have more intelligence." And that's something that they've been repeating for awhile. They don't need more troops; they don't need an emergency law. They just need more intelligence.

And that, he said, was something that was going to come progressively. He said people have been coming forward, providing information. They've been working on various bits and pieces with regard to intelligence and he says that that will improve in time, and this is how they will be able to find out who's behind these attacks and crack down on them -- Heidi.

COLLINS: CNN's Rym Brahimi coming to us live 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