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CNN Live Saturday
U.S. Troops Say Iraqi Officers Looked Like Attackers
Aired September 13, 2003 - 18:21 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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the United States military apologized to Iraqis today and launched an investigation, looking into a firefight yesterday involving U.S. troops, Iraqi security officers, and gunmen who had attacked a police station. At least eight Iraqis were killed by U.S. soldiers in the shootout. It occurred at night near a hospital in Fallujah. A Jordanian soldier was also killed. U.S. troops said they thought the Iraqi officers were attackers.
In the meantime, funeral services were held in Fallujah today for some of those killed in that firefight. And angry demonstrators filled the streets; some of them firing weapons into the air. CNN's Nic Robertson has a live report from Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the gunmen began gathering shortly before the funeral services late in the afternoon. Several groups of gunmen at different mosques around the city, as the funeral corteges came together in the center of Fallujah. Many gunmen started to fire into the air. They were firing automatic weapons, AK-47s.
These weapons are banned by the coalition. People are only allowed to have them if they keep them in their house; one per family for defensive measures. It is completely against coalition regulations for people to have them on the streets and use them in this way.
We also saw today weapons that are completely against the coalition laws here. Heavy machineguns and some men who claim to be members of the Iraqi resistance here carrying rocket-propelled grenades, they said they would attack U.S. soldiers, they would continue to attack U.S. soldiers. Many of the people on the streets there not happy with the apologies that they are hearing from the coalition officials, saying that if they could that they would go and attack U.S. troops, and saying that if U.S. troops came into the town of Fallujah then they would attack them.
But what made the situation in Fallujah this day very interesting, that while all these gunmen were out on the streets, the Fallujah police force, who control the security in the city and have done for the last two months since the coalition handed them the authority to do that, the Fallujah police withdrew from the streets, essentially leaving control of the town of Fallujah to these gunmen and the Iraqi resistance.
We talked as well with some of the injured policemen inside the hospital where they are still receiving treatment. They told us that they thought it was very clear who they were when they were shot by the U.S. troops. They said that they thought it was some sort of conspiracy to attack them.
So the apologies today apparently falling on very deaf ears. And for the first time in the town of Fallujah since coalition forces -- for the first time in Iraq, in fact, since coalition forces came to Iraq, gunmen taking control of the city for a number of hours -- Carol.
LIN: All right. A very grim situation there. Thank you very much, Nic Robertson, reporting 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 13, 2003 - 18:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the United States military apologized to Iraqis today and launched an investigation, looking into a firefight yesterday involving U.S. troops, Iraqi security officers, and gunmen who had attacked a police station. At least eight Iraqis were killed by U.S. soldiers in the shootout. It occurred at night near a hospital in Fallujah. A Jordanian soldier was also killed. U.S. troops said they thought the Iraqi officers were attackers.
In the meantime, funeral services were held in Fallujah today for some of those killed in that firefight. And angry demonstrators filled the streets; some of them firing weapons into the air. CNN's Nic Robertson has a live report from Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the gunmen began gathering shortly before the funeral services late in the afternoon. Several groups of gunmen at different mosques around the city, as the funeral corteges came together in the center of Fallujah. Many gunmen started to fire into the air. They were firing automatic weapons, AK-47s.
These weapons are banned by the coalition. People are only allowed to have them if they keep them in their house; one per family for defensive measures. It is completely against coalition regulations for people to have them on the streets and use them in this way.
We also saw today weapons that are completely against the coalition laws here. Heavy machineguns and some men who claim to be members of the Iraqi resistance here carrying rocket-propelled grenades, they said they would attack U.S. soldiers, they would continue to attack U.S. soldiers. Many of the people on the streets there not happy with the apologies that they are hearing from the coalition officials, saying that if they could that they would go and attack U.S. troops, and saying that if U.S. troops came into the town of Fallujah then they would attack them.
But what made the situation in Fallujah this day very interesting, that while all these gunmen were out on the streets, the Fallujah police force, who control the security in the city and have done for the last two months since the coalition handed them the authority to do that, the Fallujah police withdrew from the streets, essentially leaving control of the town of Fallujah to these gunmen and the Iraqi resistance.
We talked as well with some of the injured policemen inside the hospital where they are still receiving treatment. They told us that they thought it was very clear who they were when they were shot by the U.S. troops. They said that they thought it was some sort of conspiracy to attack them.
So the apologies today apparently falling on very deaf ears. And for the first time in the town of Fallujah since coalition forces -- for the first time in Iraq, in fact, since coalition forces came to Iraq, gunmen taking control of the city for a number of hours -- Carol.
LIN: All right. A very grim situation there. Thank you very much, Nic Robertson, reporting 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
