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CNN Live At Daybreak
Prayer Breakfast Held at Baghdad Airport
Aired September 11, 2003 - 06:06 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: For U.S. troops who are fighting in Iraq, it will be an emotional day, too. They've held their own memorial. There was a prayer breakfast at the Baghdad Airport.
But let's take you live to Baghdad now and Walter Rodgers to tell us more.
Hello -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
For more than a few U.S. soldiers, this day is too busy to actually pause and commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The reason being the U.S. has put a high profile presence on the streets of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. You see many more U.S. soldiers on the streets in Baghdad today, many of them guarding buildings.
Still, with 138,000 U.S. and coalition forces in country, it is only natural that there were commemorative services out around Iraq today; this one in Baghdad, where the U.S. ambassador and administrator here, Ambassador Paul Bremer, was present. He hosted it, along with the military commander, General Ricardo Sanchez. And a piper from the British forces played "Amazing Grace" more than a little mournfully.
More than a few of the U.S. soldiers here in Iraq these days say they actually enlisted in the armed forces after the September 11 terror attacks.
In Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, there was also another service, as there are around many military bases in this country; again, a service commemorating the victims of September 11 terror attacks.
Ironically, the Iraqi people themselves are paying little note to this day. The attacks, of course, were not against them; they were against Americans. And the Iraqi people have other things on their minds, most principally getting their lives back to some sort of order, restoring order out of chaos in this country.
Many of them still would like some clean drinking water and not all places have electrical power restored, although in Baghdad, the electrical power is now nearly back to normal -- 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 11, 2003 - 06:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: For U.S. troops who are fighting in Iraq, it will be an emotional day, too. They've held their own memorial. There was a prayer breakfast at the Baghdad Airport.
But let's take you live to Baghdad now and Walter Rodgers to tell us more.
Hello -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
For more than a few U.S. soldiers, this day is too busy to actually pause and commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The reason being the U.S. has put a high profile presence on the streets of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. You see many more U.S. soldiers on the streets in Baghdad today, many of them guarding buildings.
Still, with 138,000 U.S. and coalition forces in country, it is only natural that there were commemorative services out around Iraq today; this one in Baghdad, where the U.S. ambassador and administrator here, Ambassador Paul Bremer, was present. He hosted it, along with the military commander, General Ricardo Sanchez. And a piper from the British forces played "Amazing Grace" more than a little mournfully.
More than a few of the U.S. soldiers here in Iraq these days say they actually enlisted in the armed forces after the September 11 terror attacks.
In Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, there was also another service, as there are around many military bases in this country; again, a service commemorating the victims of September 11 terror attacks.
Ironically, the Iraqi people themselves are paying little note to this day. The attacks, of course, were not against them; they were against Americans. And the Iraqi people have other things on their minds, most principally getting their lives back to some sort of order, restoring order out of chaos in this country.
Many of them still would like some clean drinking water and not all places have electrical power restored, although in Baghdad, the electrical power is now nearly back to normal -- 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.
