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CNN Live At Daybreak
International News Desk
Aired November 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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to talk more about this attack in Mosul on coalition forces on these two soldiers.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is with us now to tell us what happened, because there have been conflicting stories coming out about exactly what went down in Mosul.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: That's right, Carol.
Excuse me. I'm losing my voice a little bit.
An attack in Mosul yesterday where two U.S. soldiers were killed and dragged from their car and their bodies looted, their personal effects taken. Initially, we had reports that their throats had been slit and that they were attacked by the crowd. We're now being told that the U.S. investigation says that there is no sign that they were, that throats were slit. Now, we're still checking on that, but, of course, it brings up the image of Somalia and U.S. soldiers being dragged through the streets.
It's very important that we get our facts right and know exactly what happened. The U.S. military confirming that those two U.S. soldiers were killed in an attack. Their bodies were taken out of the car, dragged from the car and their bodies were looted. Nothing else has been confirmed at this point.
COSTELLO: We had reports that not only adults looted the bodies, but children, as well.
CLINCH: Yes, we are told by the U.S. and by witnesses that children were amongst the crowd. We're not -- it's not clear whether children took part in the looting or the attacks on the U.S. soldiers.
For sure, again, what we know, they were killed in an attack, a shooting attack on the car. They were then dragged from the car and their bodies were looted. Again, important that we don't go beyond that because we're still checking our facts. But right now the U.S. military is saying there's no indication that their throats were slit or that they were dragged through the streets. So we're keeping checking on that.
COSTELLO: I'm not sure that makes things much better, but it is important to get the story straight.
CLINCH: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: Do you need to... CLINCH: Well, one other thing we're keeping an eye on, we've got some live pictures up here. I don't know if we can go to them. We're keeping an eye on, Prime Minister Blair is in London today meeting with his friend/not quite friend Jacques Chirac. The British and French have been diametrically opposed over the war in Iraq. Blair and Chirac have a lot to talk about. You see a live picture of them there being cordial and friendly, as they always are in public. But they definitely have a lot to talk about in private, about the war in Iraq and trying to reunite Europe in the aftermath of the opposition between at least Britain and France, Germany, as well, opposed very much to Britain's role in the war in Iraq.
So it'll be interesting to see what they have to talk about today.
Now, I'll come back at six if my voice holds up and talk about something we're also seeing in London today, which is a massive increase in security in the streets there, ostensibly related to Chirac's visit today. The Spanish prime minister will also be there today. But we're seeing government a lot of media reports that MI5, British intelligence, believes that al Qaeda is in Britain and planning for attacks there.
Now, we haven't been able to confirm that, but it's certainly raising the pressure on Prime Minister Blair to up security and perhaps put a specific cabinet member in charge of homeland security.
COSTELLO: Got you.
Tea with honey.
CLINCH: I will.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, David.
CLINCH: 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 November 24, 2003 - 05:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to talk more about this attack in Mosul on coalition forces on these two soldiers.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is with us now to tell us what happened, because there have been conflicting stories coming out about exactly what went down in Mosul.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: That's right, Carol.
Excuse me. I'm losing my voice a little bit.
An attack in Mosul yesterday where two U.S. soldiers were killed and dragged from their car and their bodies looted, their personal effects taken. Initially, we had reports that their throats had been slit and that they were attacked by the crowd. We're now being told that the U.S. investigation says that there is no sign that they were, that throats were slit. Now, we're still checking on that, but, of course, it brings up the image of Somalia and U.S. soldiers being dragged through the streets.
It's very important that we get our facts right and know exactly what happened. The U.S. military confirming that those two U.S. soldiers were killed in an attack. Their bodies were taken out of the car, dragged from the car and their bodies were looted. Nothing else has been confirmed at this point.
COSTELLO: We had reports that not only adults looted the bodies, but children, as well.
CLINCH: Yes, we are told by the U.S. and by witnesses that children were amongst the crowd. We're not -- it's not clear whether children took part in the looting or the attacks on the U.S. soldiers.
For sure, again, what we know, they were killed in an attack, a shooting attack on the car. They were then dragged from the car and their bodies were looted. Again, important that we don't go beyond that because we're still checking our facts. But right now the U.S. military is saying there's no indication that their throats were slit or that they were dragged through the streets. So we're keeping checking on that.
COSTELLO: I'm not sure that makes things much better, but it is important to get the story straight.
CLINCH: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: Do you need to... CLINCH: Well, one other thing we're keeping an eye on, we've got some live pictures up here. I don't know if we can go to them. We're keeping an eye on, Prime Minister Blair is in London today meeting with his friend/not quite friend Jacques Chirac. The British and French have been diametrically opposed over the war in Iraq. Blair and Chirac have a lot to talk about. You see a live picture of them there being cordial and friendly, as they always are in public. But they definitely have a lot to talk about in private, about the war in Iraq and trying to reunite Europe in the aftermath of the opposition between at least Britain and France, Germany, as well, opposed very much to Britain's role in the war in Iraq.
So it'll be interesting to see what they have to talk about today.
Now, I'll come back at six if my voice holds up and talk about something we're also seeing in London today, which is a massive increase in security in the streets there, ostensibly related to Chirac's visit today. The Spanish prime minister will also be there today. But we're seeing government a lot of media reports that MI5, British intelligence, believes that al Qaeda is in Britain and planning for attacks there.
Now, we haven't been able to confirm that, but it's certainly raising the pressure on Prime Minister Blair to up security and perhaps put a specific cabinet member in charge of homeland security.
COSTELLO: Got you.
Tea with honey.
CLINCH: I will.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, David.
CLINCH: 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
