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CNN Live At Daybreak
In Iraq, One American Dead, Several More Wounded
Aired September 10, 2003 - 05:33 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: Several days of relative calm for U.S. troops in Iraq is now shattered. One American dead, several more wounded.
Live to Baghdad now and Walter Rodgers -- hello, Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
There does seem to be a surge in attacks against U.S. and other coalition forces within the past 24 hours. Perhaps it's a coincidence, but recall tomorrow is, indeed, the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks in the United States.
One U.S. soldier killed in the northern suburbs of Baghdad last night, another injured in that attack. What these involve is usually patrols, soldiers in Humvees, which are essentially soft-skinned vehicles on patrol around the city. Someone detonates, in this case, what's called a improvised explosive device. The device goes off. It's remotely controlled. It's like a road side bomb, sprays out shrapnel, perhaps even something like nails.
The soldiers wear body armor. Still, these are very lethal explosive devices, even if they are homemade.
Additionally, U.S. soldiers find themselves increasingly under attacks by what is known in the arms trade as rocket propelled grenades, shoulder fired rockets. Those are very lethal when they strike U.S. weapons. And in remote areas we're told that, in fact, the resistance, whoever it is that's attacking the U.S. forces, are using even land mines.
There was also an explosion in a U.S. house in northern Iraq last night, Erbil. An Iraqi employee inside the house was killed in that. This as Iraq itself becomes the land of remotely controlled bombs.
Perhaps most disturbing in all of this is the report that the United Nations hotel, where most U.N. forces are now staying, was seen being cased out by a driver in an automobile. The driver was taking pictures of the hotel. The potential there could be, of course, very, very serious.
Iraq remains very unstable, increasingly so. This as the anniversary of September 11 approaches -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, Walter, you were talking about these homemade bombs. Wouldn't it be nice if the soldiers could get their hands on just one of these people who are planting these devices. But some of these homemade explosives are actually hidden in stuff like dead animals and soda cans and things like that, isn't that right?
RODGERS: That's true. And remember, the Israelis encounters these same sorts of roadside combs in North Lebanon. These are very lethal devices and what the U.S. is facing here is nothing like the improvised Claymore mines. Remember, Iraq is a country awash in weapons. There was an army of 450,000 men, fewer than 10,000 casualties. What happened to the entire arsenal that Saddam's army had? It's obviously out there. His resistance fighters, the cells of resistance have access to those weapons and they are using them against U.S. troops, very lethally at times -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers 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 September 10, 2003 - 05:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Several days of relative calm for U.S. troops in Iraq is now shattered. One American dead, several more wounded.
Live to Baghdad now and Walter Rodgers -- hello, Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
There does seem to be a surge in attacks against U.S. and other coalition forces within the past 24 hours. Perhaps it's a coincidence, but recall tomorrow is, indeed, the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks in the United States.
One U.S. soldier killed in the northern suburbs of Baghdad last night, another injured in that attack. What these involve is usually patrols, soldiers in Humvees, which are essentially soft-skinned vehicles on patrol around the city. Someone detonates, in this case, what's called a improvised explosive device. The device goes off. It's remotely controlled. It's like a road side bomb, sprays out shrapnel, perhaps even something like nails.
The soldiers wear body armor. Still, these are very lethal explosive devices, even if they are homemade.
Additionally, U.S. soldiers find themselves increasingly under attacks by what is known in the arms trade as rocket propelled grenades, shoulder fired rockets. Those are very lethal when they strike U.S. weapons. And in remote areas we're told that, in fact, the resistance, whoever it is that's attacking the U.S. forces, are using even land mines.
There was also an explosion in a U.S. house in northern Iraq last night, Erbil. An Iraqi employee inside the house was killed in that. This as Iraq itself becomes the land of remotely controlled bombs.
Perhaps most disturbing in all of this is the report that the United Nations hotel, where most U.N. forces are now staying, was seen being cased out by a driver in an automobile. The driver was taking pictures of the hotel. The potential there could be, of course, very, very serious.
Iraq remains very unstable, increasingly so. This as the anniversary of September 11 approaches -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, Walter, you were talking about these homemade bombs. Wouldn't it be nice if the soldiers could get their hands on just one of these people who are planting these devices. But some of these homemade explosives are actually hidden in stuff like dead animals and soda cans and things like that, isn't that right?
RODGERS: That's true. And remember, the Israelis encounters these same sorts of roadside combs in North Lebanon. These are very lethal devices and what the U.S. is facing here is nothing like the improvised Claymore mines. Remember, Iraq is a country awash in weapons. There was an army of 450,000 men, fewer than 10,000 casualties. What happened to the entire arsenal that Saddam's army had? It's obviously out there. His resistance fighters, the cells of resistance have access to those weapons and they are using them against U.S. troops, very lethally at times -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers 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
