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CNN Live Saturday

U.S. Investigates Friendly Fire Mistake In Iraq

Aired September 13, 2003 - 12:03   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.


FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, as Powell gets ready to travel to Kuwait and Iraq, after his Geneva trip, the situation in Iraq remains volatile. Today, the U.S. military launched an investigation into a deadly friendly-fire gun battle mistake. CNN's senior international correspondent, Walter Rodgers, is in Baghdad with the latest from there -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrives in Iraq about mid-day Sunday, after a brief visit in Kuwait. And, Powell may not like what he finds here. In the last week, the number of attacks against U.S. Soldiers have escalated considerably. There are at least 15 attacks a day. Two U.S. soldiers killed again, yesterday, not quite one soldier a day, but it is very, very close to that figure. Powell's search for stability in Iraq is somewhere far over the horizon, as this country remains something like the "Wild, Wild West."

One day, after nine Iraqi policemen were killed, in Fallujah, and one Jordanian officer as well, it was a near violent riot as one of the Iraqis was being buried there. The Iraqis marched through the streets of Fallujah, shooting their guns in America -- in the air, shouting "America is the enemy of god." Now, it's not clear who was entirely responsible for all the deaths in that shootout, Iraqi police were shooting, some Iraqi gunmen were shooting in the direction of the police, Jordanians guarding a hospital were shooting, and the U.S. soldiers were shooting, as well. But, what's important to remember, of course, is that the Iraqi populace is blaming the Americans entirely for the deaths of those nine Iraqi soldiers. A U.S. Military spokesman has apologized for this, said there will be a U.S. investigation of the incident. Again, not clear how many of those deaths the Americans were responsible for, but the public, here, is more than furious with the United States, particularly in Fallujah. But, we also need to point out that increasingly, there are people in Iraq, who are now saying that it's time for the Americans to go home, because all they've done is bring death to the Iraqi people -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Walter, there was some criticism when Defense Secretary Rumsfeld went to Iraq, that some say he was under such tight security he really did not get a real view of what security situation is there. Might that procedure change for Secretary Powell?

RODGERS: That's very unlikely, Fredricka. Listen, when an American secretary of state or secretary of defense comes to a very hostile area like this, they travel in a very tight security cocoon. Reporters, like myself, can go out, we can talk to soldiers, we can talk to Iraqis and we have a much better read of the sentiment among the U.S. soldiers, of the coalition soldiers in this part of the world, and a read of the Iraqi public sentiment than the secretary of state or secretary of defense will ever get because they don't stay long, they can't stay long, the security cocoon is too tight. So, read your papers, watch CNN -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Walter Rodgers, from Baghdad, thank you very much.

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 13, 2003 - 12:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, as Powell gets ready to travel to Kuwait and Iraq, after his Geneva trip, the situation in Iraq remains volatile. Today, the U.S. military launched an investigation into a deadly friendly-fire gun battle mistake. CNN's senior international correspondent, Walter Rodgers, is in Baghdad with the latest from there -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrives in Iraq about mid-day Sunday, after a brief visit in Kuwait. And, Powell may not like what he finds here. In the last week, the number of attacks against U.S. Soldiers have escalated considerably. There are at least 15 attacks a day. Two U.S. soldiers killed again, yesterday, not quite one soldier a day, but it is very, very close to that figure. Powell's search for stability in Iraq is somewhere far over the horizon, as this country remains something like the "Wild, Wild West."

One day, after nine Iraqi policemen were killed, in Fallujah, and one Jordanian officer as well, it was a near violent riot as one of the Iraqis was being buried there. The Iraqis marched through the streets of Fallujah, shooting their guns in America -- in the air, shouting "America is the enemy of god." Now, it's not clear who was entirely responsible for all the deaths in that shootout, Iraqi police were shooting, some Iraqi gunmen were shooting in the direction of the police, Jordanians guarding a hospital were shooting, and the U.S. soldiers were shooting, as well. But, what's important to remember, of course, is that the Iraqi populace is blaming the Americans entirely for the deaths of those nine Iraqi soldiers. A U.S. Military spokesman has apologized for this, said there will be a U.S. investigation of the incident. Again, not clear how many of those deaths the Americans were responsible for, but the public, here, is more than furious with the United States, particularly in Fallujah. But, we also need to point out that increasingly, there are people in Iraq, who are now saying that it's time for the Americans to go home, because all they've done is bring death to the Iraqi people -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Walter, there was some criticism when Defense Secretary Rumsfeld went to Iraq, that some say he was under such tight security he really did not get a real view of what security situation is there. Might that procedure change for Secretary Powell?

RODGERS: That's very unlikely, Fredricka. Listen, when an American secretary of state or secretary of defense comes to a very hostile area like this, they travel in a very tight security cocoon. Reporters, like myself, can go out, we can talk to soldiers, we can talk to Iraqis and we have a much better read of the sentiment among the U.S. soldiers, of the coalition soldiers in this part of the world, and a read of the Iraqi public sentiment than the secretary of state or secretary of defense will ever get because they don't stay long, they can't stay long, the security cocoon is too tight. So, read your papers, watch CNN -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Walter Rodgers, from Baghdad, thank you very much.

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