Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Three-vehicle Convoy Struck by Explosive Device, Four U.S. Soldiers Wounded in Tikrit Area

Aired September 03, 2003 - 05:03   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, to Iraq now, and the Bush administration's policy toward that country. CNN has learned the administration will circulate a proposed Security Council resolution as early as today calling for a multinational force in Iraq. It also calls for strengthening the U.N. role in rebuilding Iraq. Several countries have said a U.N. mandate is needed to help the U.S. in Iraq.
A postscripts here. The Congressional Budget Office says keeping up to 64,000 troops in Iraq after March will cost up to $12 billion a year. Right now, there are about 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

American forces in Iraq are being attacked just about every day. In the latest incident, four U.S. soldiers were seriously wounded when an explosion hit their convoy.

Our Jason Bellini is live via video phone from Tikrit, where it all happened -- good morning to you, Jason.

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredricka.

They were hit by an improvised explosive device. That's what they're getting hit by very often these days, these IEVs, as they call them. In this particular incident, it was a three vehicle convoy that was struck. And, as you said, four soldiers were seriously injured. They were transported to a medical -- a military hospital for treatment.

Now, in the last few days, we've been out on raids with the 4th I.D., the 4th Infantry Division, in this Tikrit area, where they're trying to find the people responsible for these explosive device, these improvised explosive devices. And they're having some success in capturing people they believe are responsible. They're using sources that are -- that they've been developing on the ground here.

We went to one raid yesterday where they caught a man they believed was responsible for planting a mine that killed one of their very own soldiers. So it was very gratifying to them to catch this person. They said that it was on the source -- their source was someone who's been reliable in the past and so they believe they got their man.

But still, most of these incidents are really mysterious. They don't know who's responsible for them, in most cases -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And, Jason, what are some of the soldiers on the ground there saying about their need for greater support in terms of more forces heading that way?

BELLINI: Well, you know, you don't often hear them address that very question. You hear them talk more often about how they'd much rather stay on base where they're safe, where they're not at risk for some of these attacks. And a lot of the people, the incidents that I just mentioned to you involving the soldier who was hit by an IEV, he said that he was actually a mechanic who was out on the road in a convoy. And so his colleagues said they don't want to leave the base at all right now -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jason Bellini, thanks very much for that report via video phone from Tikrit.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Soldiers Wounded in Tikrit Area>


Aired September 3, 2003 - 05:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, to Iraq now, and the Bush administration's policy toward that country. CNN has learned the administration will circulate a proposed Security Council resolution as early as today calling for a multinational force in Iraq. It also calls for strengthening the U.N. role in rebuilding Iraq. Several countries have said a U.N. mandate is needed to help the U.S. in Iraq.
A postscripts here. The Congressional Budget Office says keeping up to 64,000 troops in Iraq after March will cost up to $12 billion a year. Right now, there are about 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

American forces in Iraq are being attacked just about every day. In the latest incident, four U.S. soldiers were seriously wounded when an explosion hit their convoy.

Our Jason Bellini is live via video phone from Tikrit, where it all happened -- good morning to you, Jason.

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredricka.

They were hit by an improvised explosive device. That's what they're getting hit by very often these days, these IEVs, as they call them. In this particular incident, it was a three vehicle convoy that was struck. And, as you said, four soldiers were seriously injured. They were transported to a medical -- a military hospital for treatment.

Now, in the last few days, we've been out on raids with the 4th I.D., the 4th Infantry Division, in this Tikrit area, where they're trying to find the people responsible for these explosive device, these improvised explosive devices. And they're having some success in capturing people they believe are responsible. They're using sources that are -- that they've been developing on the ground here.

We went to one raid yesterday where they caught a man they believed was responsible for planting a mine that killed one of their very own soldiers. So it was very gratifying to them to catch this person. They said that it was on the source -- their source was someone who's been reliable in the past and so they believe they got their man.

But still, most of these incidents are really mysterious. They don't know who's responsible for them, in most cases -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And, Jason, what are some of the soldiers on the ground there saying about their need for greater support in terms of more forces heading that way?

BELLINI: Well, you know, you don't often hear them address that very question. You hear them talk more often about how they'd much rather stay on base where they're safe, where they're not at risk for some of these attacks. And a lot of the people, the incidents that I just mentioned to you involving the soldier who was hit by an IEV, he said that he was actually a mechanic who was out on the road in a convoy. And so his colleagues said they don't want to leave the base at all right now -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jason Bellini, thanks very much for that report via video phone from Tikrit.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Soldiers Wounded in Tikrit Area>