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CNN Live At Daybreak
Hotel Where NBC News Bureau Based in Baghdad Hit by Bomb
Aired September 25, 2003 - 05:02 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: A hotel where the NBC News bureau is based in Baghdad is hit by a bomb. One person is dead, an NBC soundman slightly injured.
Michael Holmes is in Baghdad and filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The blast happened at about 7:00 a.m. local time, while NBC staffers, about a dozen of them, were still in their beds. The explosion took out the windows on the first and second floor; as well, of course, on the ground floor. Broken glass showering over still sleeping NBC workers.
One of them, a sound engineer, he received a bad cut on his right forearm and some other minor cuts. However, the only death was that of a Somali who was working as a night porter cum manager here at the hotel.
NBC had leased the entire hotel. They had not advertised their presence here. However, a live shot location on the roof certainly made it clear that there was a television organization based here.
We are told by our sources that NBC had a security assessment done last week on this building and was told that they should move, that the building was not secure.
The blast left a crater about two feet wide, about three inches deep, blew out windows, as I said, and also did some structural damage inside. Nothing major, however. Iraqi police tell us that the bomb was not a large one, but that it was well designed to cause maximum damage given its size. It was placed between the wall and a large generator, which made the blast effect even more dramatic.
Now, this is the first time that a media organization, a Western media organization has been targeted here in Baghdad and many media organizations around the city are now reviewing their security arrangements.
Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 25, 2003 - 05:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A hotel where the NBC News bureau is based in Baghdad is hit by a bomb. One person is dead, an NBC soundman slightly injured.
Michael Holmes is in Baghdad and filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The blast happened at about 7:00 a.m. local time, while NBC staffers, about a dozen of them, were still in their beds. The explosion took out the windows on the first and second floor; as well, of course, on the ground floor. Broken glass showering over still sleeping NBC workers.
One of them, a sound engineer, he received a bad cut on his right forearm and some other minor cuts. However, the only death was that of a Somali who was working as a night porter cum manager here at the hotel.
NBC had leased the entire hotel. They had not advertised their presence here. However, a live shot location on the roof certainly made it clear that there was a television organization based here.
We are told by our sources that NBC had a security assessment done last week on this building and was told that they should move, that the building was not secure.
The blast left a crater about two feet wide, about three inches deep, blew out windows, as I said, and also did some structural damage inside. Nothing major, however. Iraqi police tell us that the bomb was not a large one, but that it was well designed to cause maximum damage given its size. It was placed between the wall and a large generator, which made the blast effect even more dramatic.
Now, this is the first time that a media organization, a Western media organization has been targeted here in Baghdad and many media organizations around the city are now reviewing their security arrangements.
Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
