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Car Bombings in Iraq Kill Seven in the Last 24 Hours as U.S. Steps Up Operation to Root Out Insurgents

Aired November 20, 2003 - 11:32   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.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The latest now from Iraq. Two car bombings killed seven people in the last 24 hours as the U.S. steps up its operation to root out insurgents. Let's bring in our Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf, with the latest from there -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, this just in. The U.S. military confirming that one U.S. soldier has died and two more have been wounded when their convoy hit an improvised explosive device, a roadside homemade bomb, in Ramadi. Now Ramadi is 60 miles west of Baghdad, a place where there was more violence yesterday.

But first I wanted to tell you about Kirkuk. North of Baghdad, about 60 miles north, another car bomb exploded outside the offices of a major Kurdish faction. The patriotic unit of Kurdistan. Five people were killed, according to Kurdish officials. And among them was a schoolteacher and two school children.

Now, this car bomb appear to have exploded prematurely, but the offices are very close to a school. The official tell us, the Kurdish official tells us that two people are in custody in connection with this. And he also tells us that they were -- that they confiscated video cameras with them, an indication that they may have been trying to film the attack to use for recruiting purposes, or just to sell it.

But getting back briefly to Ramadi west of Baghdad, an attack yesterday on the home of a tribal sheikh. Now this is one of the tribal leaders in Ramadi. It didn't kill him, but it did kill two other people. It was apparently aimed at one of the top tribal chiefs. Two people dead in that and several more injured.

Now, Ramadi is a place that the U.S. has said has been getting more secure. And it plans to hand over before the first of the year to Iraqi police -- Carol.

LIN: Jane, I'm wondering, these continuing attacks and the nature of these attacks, how are they having an impact on morale amongst Iraqis in general?

ARRAF: They're having a terrible impact. Not just on Iraqis, but on U.S. troops as well to some extent.

Now, even though these are not wall-to-wall attacks, and you can still walk around Baghdad, and in some places if you're an Iraqi, feel relatively safe, it's the unpredictability. In the last couple of months we have seen almost everything almost everywhere. Car bombs, suicide bombs, rocket attacks on buildings that no one ever thought would be attacked.

And really, what it is is that sense that whoever's behind this could attack anywhere at any time. And it really is making people feel very, very unsettled -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much. Jane Arraf live in 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




U.S. Steps Up Operation to Root Out Insurgents>


Aired November 20, 2003 - 11:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The latest now from Iraq. Two car bombings killed seven people in the last 24 hours as the U.S. steps up its operation to root out insurgents. Let's bring in our Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf, with the latest from there -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, this just in. The U.S. military confirming that one U.S. soldier has died and two more have been wounded when their convoy hit an improvised explosive device, a roadside homemade bomb, in Ramadi. Now Ramadi is 60 miles west of Baghdad, a place where there was more violence yesterday.

But first I wanted to tell you about Kirkuk. North of Baghdad, about 60 miles north, another car bomb exploded outside the offices of a major Kurdish faction. The patriotic unit of Kurdistan. Five people were killed, according to Kurdish officials. And among them was a schoolteacher and two school children.

Now, this car bomb appear to have exploded prematurely, but the offices are very close to a school. The official tell us, the Kurdish official tells us that two people are in custody in connection with this. And he also tells us that they were -- that they confiscated video cameras with them, an indication that they may have been trying to film the attack to use for recruiting purposes, or just to sell it.

But getting back briefly to Ramadi west of Baghdad, an attack yesterday on the home of a tribal sheikh. Now this is one of the tribal leaders in Ramadi. It didn't kill him, but it did kill two other people. It was apparently aimed at one of the top tribal chiefs. Two people dead in that and several more injured.

Now, Ramadi is a place that the U.S. has said has been getting more secure. And it plans to hand over before the first of the year to Iraqi police -- Carol.

LIN: Jane, I'm wondering, these continuing attacks and the nature of these attacks, how are they having an impact on morale amongst Iraqis in general?

ARRAF: They're having a terrible impact. Not just on Iraqis, but on U.S. troops as well to some extent.

Now, even though these are not wall-to-wall attacks, and you can still walk around Baghdad, and in some places if you're an Iraqi, feel relatively safe, it's the unpredictability. In the last couple of months we have seen almost everything almost everywhere. Car bombs, suicide bombs, rocket attacks on buildings that no one ever thought would be attacked.

And really, what it is is that sense that whoever's behind this could attack anywhere at any time. And it really is making people feel very, very unsettled -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much. Jane Arraf live in 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




U.S. Steps Up Operation to Root Out Insurgents>