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CNN Live Sunday
3 More U.S. Soldiers Dead in Iraq
Aired September 21, 2003 - 10:00 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.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get right to our top story today. Three more U.S. troops have paid the ultimate price in Iraq. They were killed in two separate attacks this weekend near Baghdad. For the very latest information, we now go to CNN's Walter Rodgers live in Baghdad.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Sean. Well, if you're counting, that brings to a total of 165 dead Americans in Iraq since President Bush declared this war over. Last night's fatalities involved two separate incidents, the techniques and tactics of the insurgents and Iraqi guerrillas seems to be to try to make the Americans bleed.
At about 9:30 last night, in Ramadi, outside Baghdad, an American military patrol, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, was traveling down a road. Suddenly, an explosive device, an improvised explosive device, a roadside bomb, ripped into the convoy. An American soldier was killed, mortally wounded, died before he could ever be taken to hospital.
Then, less than 30 minutes later, at the Abu Ghurayb Prison, a unit where Iraqi security detainees, as well as common criminals are held by U.S. forces, about, as I say, 20 minutes later, two mortar shells flew in over the walls of the prison. Two more American soldiers again killed here.
They were from the 205th Military Intelligence Unit here, 205th Military Intelligence Brigade. Thirteen other Americans wounded. And then it is not just the U.S. military and coalition forces which are bleeding here. There was a bloody assassination attempt on a member of the Iraqi ruling council.
Akila al-Hashimi, a woman who might have gone to the United Nations for Iraq sometime in the future, it was though what happened, she was on her way to work, when suddenly gunmen pulled up in a car, began shooting the car filled with automatic weapons fire. Mrs. al- Hashimi was wounded mortally in the abdomen, rushed to hospital. There has been, of course, very strong condemnation of that assassination attempt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUGLAS BRAND, ADVISER TO IRAQI POLICE: This was a cowardly attack on a member of the governing council. Mrs. Hashimi has undergone two operations. She remains in critical, but stable condition at the Abin Sanal (ph) Hospital under the care of top U.S. doctors. There's an intensive investigation being undertaken by the Iraqi police service.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: Police officials here are calling on anyone in the public with information about the assassination attempt to step forward. Of course, the problem is that, as Mrs. al-Hashimi was trying to collaborate, help the Americans here, she, too, became a victim of the anti-Americanism here. And anyone who becomes associated with the Americans is automatically targeted these days -- Sean.
CALLEBS: OK. Walter Rodgers, in Baghdad, thanks for your insight.
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 21, 2003 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get right to our top story today. Three more U.S. troops have paid the ultimate price in Iraq. They were killed in two separate attacks this weekend near Baghdad. For the very latest information, we now go to CNN's Walter Rodgers live in Baghdad.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Sean. Well, if you're counting, that brings to a total of 165 dead Americans in Iraq since President Bush declared this war over. Last night's fatalities involved two separate incidents, the techniques and tactics of the insurgents and Iraqi guerrillas seems to be to try to make the Americans bleed.
At about 9:30 last night, in Ramadi, outside Baghdad, an American military patrol, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, was traveling down a road. Suddenly, an explosive device, an improvised explosive device, a roadside bomb, ripped into the convoy. An American soldier was killed, mortally wounded, died before he could ever be taken to hospital.
Then, less than 30 minutes later, at the Abu Ghurayb Prison, a unit where Iraqi security detainees, as well as common criminals are held by U.S. forces, about, as I say, 20 minutes later, two mortar shells flew in over the walls of the prison. Two more American soldiers again killed here.
They were from the 205th Military Intelligence Unit here, 205th Military Intelligence Brigade. Thirteen other Americans wounded. And then it is not just the U.S. military and coalition forces which are bleeding here. There was a bloody assassination attempt on a member of the Iraqi ruling council.
Akila al-Hashimi, a woman who might have gone to the United Nations for Iraq sometime in the future, it was though what happened, she was on her way to work, when suddenly gunmen pulled up in a car, began shooting the car filled with automatic weapons fire. Mrs. al- Hashimi was wounded mortally in the abdomen, rushed to hospital. There has been, of course, very strong condemnation of that assassination attempt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUGLAS BRAND, ADVISER TO IRAQI POLICE: This was a cowardly attack on a member of the governing council. Mrs. Hashimi has undergone two operations. She remains in critical, but stable condition at the Abin Sanal (ph) Hospital under the care of top U.S. doctors. There's an intensive investigation being undertaken by the Iraqi police service.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: Police officials here are calling on anyone in the public with information about the assassination attempt to step forward. Of course, the problem is that, as Mrs. al-Hashimi was trying to collaborate, help the Americans here, she, too, became a victim of the anti-Americanism here. And anyone who becomes associated with the Americans is automatically targeted these days -- Sean.
CALLEBS: OK. Walter Rodgers, in Baghdad, thanks for your insight.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
