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American Morning
Iraqi Violence
Aired September 25, 2003 - 08:32 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: To Iraq right now. A lot of news out of that country today, watching several stories, including a bomb that ripped through a hotel lobby where NBC's news bureau was located in that city.
Michael Holmes, back with us live in Baghdad today, also news that broke here about an hour ago about this friendly fire investigation.
Let's start with that, Michael, what do we know about the incident in Fallujah?
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bill, that incident happened earlier in the month, September 12, actually. Stories differ between U.S. soldiers who were involved and Iraqi security officers who were involved. But what has happened today is that an investigation, the U.S. commander here in Iraq, Ricardo Sanchez, has come out and said that all the U.S. soldiers involved in that shooting incident, which left eight, sorry, Bill, eight policemen or security officers, Iraqis, dead, and one Jordanian soldier dead, they've been cleared of wrongdoing and the matter is now closed, according to the U.S. military -- Bill.
HEMMER: Michael, also on this issue with NBC, what are the facts right now as we know them? Seven o'clock in the morning local time in Baghdad, what happened?
HOLMES: Yes, we just got back from there, Bill, spending all day down there, a fairly dramatic scene. At about 7:00 a.m., a bomb went off that had been placed against an outside wall of the hotel that NBC had leased out completely for its staff. They live there, they work there, and this bomb went off. It killed a Somali overnight porter, a night manager, if you like, who was on the ground floor.
Now the NBC staffers were on the first and second floor, all their windows were blown out. Some of them got some cuts. One, a soundman, got a fairly deep cut on his right forearm. Apart from that, everyone was pretty much OK. But certainly a worrying turn if indeed the media is now being targeted, as we've seen clerics and senior Iraqi officials being targeted, as well, up until now.
HEMMER: Michael, quickly, has it made you change your step today or your security measures in Baghdad as a result of that bombing at NBC?
HOLMES: Not really, Bill. I think everyone -- every media organization here has their own security arrangements, and we have ours. You're always very much aware of your surroundings in Baghdad and, indeed, elsewhere in Iraq, when these things happen. Of course it makes you that little bit more aware of your surroundings. But, you know, you know what it's like, Bill, you've been out to the region. It's a job you've got to do.
HEMMER: Stay safe. Michael Holmes in Baghdad, thanks.
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 - 08:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: To Iraq right now. A lot of news out of that country today, watching several stories, including a bomb that ripped through a hotel lobby where NBC's news bureau was located in that city.
Michael Holmes, back with us live in Baghdad today, also news that broke here about an hour ago about this friendly fire investigation.
Let's start with that, Michael, what do we know about the incident in Fallujah?
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bill, that incident happened earlier in the month, September 12, actually. Stories differ between U.S. soldiers who were involved and Iraqi security officers who were involved. But what has happened today is that an investigation, the U.S. commander here in Iraq, Ricardo Sanchez, has come out and said that all the U.S. soldiers involved in that shooting incident, which left eight, sorry, Bill, eight policemen or security officers, Iraqis, dead, and one Jordanian soldier dead, they've been cleared of wrongdoing and the matter is now closed, according to the U.S. military -- Bill.
HEMMER: Michael, also on this issue with NBC, what are the facts right now as we know them? Seven o'clock in the morning local time in Baghdad, what happened?
HOLMES: Yes, we just got back from there, Bill, spending all day down there, a fairly dramatic scene. At about 7:00 a.m., a bomb went off that had been placed against an outside wall of the hotel that NBC had leased out completely for its staff. They live there, they work there, and this bomb went off. It killed a Somali overnight porter, a night manager, if you like, who was on the ground floor.
Now the NBC staffers were on the first and second floor, all their windows were blown out. Some of them got some cuts. One, a soundman, got a fairly deep cut on his right forearm. Apart from that, everyone was pretty much OK. But certainly a worrying turn if indeed the media is now being targeted, as we've seen clerics and senior Iraqi officials being targeted, as well, up until now.
HEMMER: Michael, quickly, has it made you change your step today or your security measures in Baghdad as a result of that bombing at NBC?
HOLMES: Not really, Bill. I think everyone -- every media organization here has their own security arrangements, and we have ours. You're always very much aware of your surroundings in Baghdad and, indeed, elsewhere in Iraq, when these things happen. Of course it makes you that little bit more aware of your surroundings. But, you know, you know what it's like, Bill, you've been out to the region. It's a job you've got to do.
HEMMER: Stay safe. Michael Holmes in Baghdad, thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
