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CNN Live At Daybreak
Overnight Raids at Mosque in Karbala
Aired October 21, 2003 - 06:30 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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Finally, justice? Twenty-one nabbed in Iraq in Karbala. The arrests come after a deadly firefight there, but coalition officials are not saying if those arrested are actually connected to the firefight.
To make sense of this, let's head live to Baghdad and Jane Arraf.
Good morning -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol.
Well, it is becoming clearer as the day goes on. Now, it's a complicated situation, a complicated struggle of the rivalry among Shia clerics in one of Iraq's holy cities.
But essentially what has happened is that in a predawn raid, U.S. forces, backed by Iraqi police, other Iraqi forces and Polish and Bulgarian soldiers, raided a mosque and an office belonging to a radical young Shia cleric, Muqtada al-Sudr. They took in custody at least 21 people, taking them out in handcuffs with helicopters circling overhead. No casualties.
U.S. officials tell us that they are not connected to the deadly firefight that killed the most senior U.S. officer killed in the war, 43-year-old Kim Orlando, who was the battalion commander for the military police -- killed along with two other MPs.
Now, although they are not connected, they say this will go quite a long way in trying to stabilize that turbulent city. These people have been accused of harassment, of assaults and various other crimes. They are now in custody -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad this morning.
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 October 21, 2003 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Finally, justice? Twenty-one nabbed in Iraq in Karbala. The arrests come after a deadly firefight there, but coalition officials are not saying if those arrested are actually connected to the firefight.
To make sense of this, let's head live to Baghdad and Jane Arraf.
Good morning -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol.
Well, it is becoming clearer as the day goes on. Now, it's a complicated situation, a complicated struggle of the rivalry among Shia clerics in one of Iraq's holy cities.
But essentially what has happened is that in a predawn raid, U.S. forces, backed by Iraqi police, other Iraqi forces and Polish and Bulgarian soldiers, raided a mosque and an office belonging to a radical young Shia cleric, Muqtada al-Sudr. They took in custody at least 21 people, taking them out in handcuffs with helicopters circling overhead. No casualties.
U.S. officials tell us that they are not connected to the deadly firefight that killed the most senior U.S. officer killed in the war, 43-year-old Kim Orlando, who was the battalion commander for the military police -- killed along with two other MPs.
Now, although they are not connected, they say this will go quite a long way in trying to stabilize that turbulent city. These people have been accused of harassment, of assaults and various other crimes. They are now in custody -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
