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CNN Live Today
Suicide Car Bomber Targets U.N. Headquarters in Baghdad
Aired September 22, 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A suicide car bomber targeted the United Nation's headquarters in Baghdad. This is the second such attack in many months. Now the U.N. says it will reconsider its role in the troubled country. Let's get the latest now from Baghdad where CNN's senior international Walter Rogers is standing by. Walter, hello.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. A U.N. official said Iraq remains a high-risk war zone. And this same official went on to say the United Nations is now reconsidering the level of its commitment here in Iraq after the second suicide bombing attack on its headquarters in Baghdad.
There are meetings which are going on at U.N. headquarters in New York to discuss this, also meetings among U.N. officials here. The issue is basically are United Nations humanitarian officials working in Iraq safe at this time? And the answer seems to be they don't think so. Particularly after this latest suicide bombing.
The U.N. spokeswoman here, Antonia Paradela, said this is a very difficult moment for the U.N.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONIA PARADELA, U.N. WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: How many more people need to die for the U.N. To operate here? I mean we need to operate in safe conditions, in conditions where we can work with Iraqis to improve the infrastructure, to give key humanitarian assistance in a very difficult time in Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: This attack on the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad today was not anywhere near as lethal as the August 19 attack when 23 people died. This time, only two people were killed, an Iraqi security officer and police officer and the suicide bomber. Eighteen or 19 others are in hospitals.
The reason the casualties are so low this time is because after the August 19 tragedy, the coalition forces pushed the perimeter of the building back two to three hundred yards. So in point of fact, the suicide bomber, while he did great damage to some of the security officials on the outer perimeter, really never got close to U.N. headquarters at this point -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Walter, thank you for the latest 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 22, 2003 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A suicide car bomber targeted the United Nation's headquarters in Baghdad. This is the second such attack in many months. Now the U.N. says it will reconsider its role in the troubled country. Let's get the latest now from Baghdad where CNN's senior international Walter Rogers is standing by. Walter, hello.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. A U.N. official said Iraq remains a high-risk war zone. And this same official went on to say the United Nations is now reconsidering the level of its commitment here in Iraq after the second suicide bombing attack on its headquarters in Baghdad.
There are meetings which are going on at U.N. headquarters in New York to discuss this, also meetings among U.N. officials here. The issue is basically are United Nations humanitarian officials working in Iraq safe at this time? And the answer seems to be they don't think so. Particularly after this latest suicide bombing.
The U.N. spokeswoman here, Antonia Paradela, said this is a very difficult moment for the U.N.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONIA PARADELA, U.N. WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: How many more people need to die for the U.N. To operate here? I mean we need to operate in safe conditions, in conditions where we can work with Iraqis to improve the infrastructure, to give key humanitarian assistance in a very difficult time in Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: This attack on the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad today was not anywhere near as lethal as the August 19 attack when 23 people died. This time, only two people were killed, an Iraqi security officer and police officer and the suicide bomber. Eighteen or 19 others are in hospitals.
The reason the casualties are so low this time is because after the August 19 tragedy, the coalition forces pushed the perimeter of the building back two to three hundred yards. So in point of fact, the suicide bomber, while he did great damage to some of the security officials on the outer perimeter, really never got close to U.N. headquarters at this point -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Walter, thank you for the latest 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
