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CNN Live At Daybreak

What Do Iraqis in Baghdad Think About War, U.S. Involvement?

Aired September 24, 2003 - 05:35   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: Just what do Iraqis in Baghdad think about the war and U.S. involvement there? The Gallup Polling Service asked 1,100 Baghdad residents, "Do you think ousting Saddam Hussein was worth it?" Sixty-two percent say yes, 30 percent respond no. But asked if Iraq is more dangerous or safer after the war, 94 percent say more dangerous. Gallup hired an Arabic polling firm to do the questioning. CNN did not take part.
And here is yet another example of just how dangerous Iraq is. A short time ago, two commuter buses carrying Iraqi civilians were hit by an explosive device in Baghdad.

Our Michael Holmes joins us live by video phone from the scene with more details -- Michael, what more have you learned?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, yes, I've just returned an hour or so ago from that scene. We're now joining you live from central Baghdad.

Those commuter buses were not the target of this attack, it is believed. The target was a U.S. military Humvee, an armored Humvee. It was driving along a street in the al-Amadia (ph) area of Baghdad and an explosive device in the center of the street, in a nature strip, if you like, of vegetation in the middle of the road, an explosive device went off.

The Humvee itself, being an armored vehicle, was only slightly damaged. No injuries to U.S. troops. But what occurred was what the U.S. military calls a daisy chain effect, where a line of several explosions are set off simultaneously and the two commuter buses who were nearby the Humvee were involved in the explosion.

Here's what one witness had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED AHMED, EYEWITNESS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We were sitting here and all of a sudden there was an explosion, dust and smoke. People fell and a girl had her arm chopped off and loose. And one man was killed in a minibus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, the man who was killed was, in fact, a 17-year-old boy. Among the injured are a 15-year-old. The oldest was a 50-year- old. Five people were admitted to hospital. In all, 12 people were injured. Most, seven of them, were allowed to go home after being treated. But yet another example, Carol, of the dangers not just around Iraq, but here in the capital, as well.

LIN: Michael, we were just talking about a Gallup poll here in the United States, polling Iraqi citizens who now believe that they feel that they're in more danger now after the war than when Saddam Hussein was in power. So, now that we've seen civilian casualties in an attack supposedly against U.S. troops, how is this likely to affect public opinion about the U.S. presence there?

HOLMES: Well, it's really, it's also not the first time we've seen Iraqi civilians caught up in such attacks or themselves being attacked in error by coalition forces. So Iraqis are actually used to being able -- well, not used to, but they're becoming -- it's becoming reasonably common to be caught up in what goes on here as daily life, not just here in Baghdad, but around Iraq.

Yes, I heard you talking about that Gallup poll. Certainly here the feeling is one of uncertainty in terms of these attacks. I was here the day after the statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down in Firdos Square right behind me and there was still a lot of military activity then.

Well, I can tell you that Baghdad now, several months on, actually feels a lot more dangerous and for Iraqis, more so. People here are caught up in events that are going on around them, with which they actually have nothing to do, such as those traveling in commuter buses who become the inadvertent targets of people who are trying to attack coalition forces.

So certainly, yes, there is a feeling here of danger and that things are less safe than they were before -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much.

Michael Holmes reporting live from central 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




Involvement?>


Aired September 24, 2003 - 05:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Just what do Iraqis in Baghdad think about the war and U.S. involvement there? The Gallup Polling Service asked 1,100 Baghdad residents, "Do you think ousting Saddam Hussein was worth it?" Sixty-two percent say yes, 30 percent respond no. But asked if Iraq is more dangerous or safer after the war, 94 percent say more dangerous. Gallup hired an Arabic polling firm to do the questioning. CNN did not take part.
And here is yet another example of just how dangerous Iraq is. A short time ago, two commuter buses carrying Iraqi civilians were hit by an explosive device in Baghdad.

Our Michael Holmes joins us live by video phone from the scene with more details -- Michael, what more have you learned?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, yes, I've just returned an hour or so ago from that scene. We're now joining you live from central Baghdad.

Those commuter buses were not the target of this attack, it is believed. The target was a U.S. military Humvee, an armored Humvee. It was driving along a street in the al-Amadia (ph) area of Baghdad and an explosive device in the center of the street, in a nature strip, if you like, of vegetation in the middle of the road, an explosive device went off.

The Humvee itself, being an armored vehicle, was only slightly damaged. No injuries to U.S. troops. But what occurred was what the U.S. military calls a daisy chain effect, where a line of several explosions are set off simultaneously and the two commuter buses who were nearby the Humvee were involved in the explosion.

Here's what one witness had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED AHMED, EYEWITNESS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We were sitting here and all of a sudden there was an explosion, dust and smoke. People fell and a girl had her arm chopped off and loose. And one man was killed in a minibus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, the man who was killed was, in fact, a 17-year-old boy. Among the injured are a 15-year-old. The oldest was a 50-year- old. Five people were admitted to hospital. In all, 12 people were injured. Most, seven of them, were allowed to go home after being treated. But yet another example, Carol, of the dangers not just around Iraq, but here in the capital, as well.

LIN: Michael, we were just talking about a Gallup poll here in the United States, polling Iraqi citizens who now believe that they feel that they're in more danger now after the war than when Saddam Hussein was in power. So, now that we've seen civilian casualties in an attack supposedly against U.S. troops, how is this likely to affect public opinion about the U.S. presence there?

HOLMES: Well, it's really, it's also not the first time we've seen Iraqi civilians caught up in such attacks or themselves being attacked in error by coalition forces. So Iraqis are actually used to being able -- well, not used to, but they're becoming -- it's becoming reasonably common to be caught up in what goes on here as daily life, not just here in Baghdad, but around Iraq.

Yes, I heard you talking about that Gallup poll. Certainly here the feeling is one of uncertainty in terms of these attacks. I was here the day after the statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down in Firdos Square right behind me and there was still a lot of military activity then.

Well, I can tell you that Baghdad now, several months on, actually feels a lot more dangerous and for Iraqis, more so. People here are caught up in events that are going on around them, with which they actually have nothing to do, such as those traveling in commuter buses who become the inadvertent targets of people who are trying to attack coalition forces.

So certainly, yes, there is a feeling here of danger and that things are less safe than they were before -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much.

Michael Holmes reporting live from central 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




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