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CNN Live At Daybreak

New Violence Against U.S. Forces in Iraq

Aired November 24, 2003 - 05:01   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: And we do have reports this morning of new violence against U.S. forces in Iraq.
For the latest developments, Jane Arraf joins us live by phone from Erbil -- good morning, Jane.

What's happening there?

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, new reports on the incident yesterday still under investigation on the two U.S. soldiers from the 101st Airborne who were shot and then eyewitness reports that they were dragged from the car, looted, with some witnesses saying they were then stabbed.

Now, the U.S. military, military sources confirm that, indeed, they were dragged from the car and their bodies looted. But a military official says that the bodies bore no stab wounds or slash marks. The public affairs spokesman for the 101st says that he believes that those eyewitness reports that they were slashed across the throat were untrue.

Separate eyewitnesses, though, have told us and others that after the two men were shot, they were taken from the car. The vehicle was actually disabled, they say, by some of the attackers, to allow it to be looted. Now, one of the witnesses described to us children looting the body and running away with things like a hand grenade, a watch, sunglasses.

That investigation into this is continuing -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, and, Jane, the end of Ramadan is approaching. Might this mean a lessening of the violence against coalition forces?

ARRAF: Carol, it's actually the first day of the Eid, the festival that marks the actual end of Ramadan. It's come a bit early to Iraq, earlier than many other countries. It all depends on the sighting of the moon. But today there's quite a festive atmosphere.

In Mosul itself, a lot of the shops are closed. This is like the first day of Christmas, in essence. It's a day where the people will go and visit their families. Children get gifts. There are a lot of children in the streets with new clothes, for instance, and new toys, some of them, unfortunately, toy pistols.

But it is quite a festive atmosphere, although, as often happens in Iraq, there's festivity and calm that's a lull before more violence. There's no indication that these attacks on soldiers or Iraqis will stop -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jane Arraf, reporting live from Erbil, Iraq 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 November 24, 2003 - 05:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And we do have reports this morning of new violence against U.S. forces in Iraq.
For the latest developments, Jane Arraf joins us live by phone from Erbil -- good morning, Jane.

What's happening there?

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, new reports on the incident yesterday still under investigation on the two U.S. soldiers from the 101st Airborne who were shot and then eyewitness reports that they were dragged from the car, looted, with some witnesses saying they were then stabbed.

Now, the U.S. military, military sources confirm that, indeed, they were dragged from the car and their bodies looted. But a military official says that the bodies bore no stab wounds or slash marks. The public affairs spokesman for the 101st says that he believes that those eyewitness reports that they were slashed across the throat were untrue.

Separate eyewitnesses, though, have told us and others that after the two men were shot, they were taken from the car. The vehicle was actually disabled, they say, by some of the attackers, to allow it to be looted. Now, one of the witnesses described to us children looting the body and running away with things like a hand grenade, a watch, sunglasses.

That investigation into this is continuing -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, and, Jane, the end of Ramadan is approaching. Might this mean a lessening of the violence against coalition forces?

ARRAF: Carol, it's actually the first day of the Eid, the festival that marks the actual end of Ramadan. It's come a bit early to Iraq, earlier than many other countries. It all depends on the sighting of the moon. But today there's quite a festive atmosphere.

In Mosul itself, a lot of the shops are closed. This is like the first day of Christmas, in essence. It's a day where the people will go and visit their families. Children get gifts. There are a lot of children in the streets with new clothes, for instance, and new toys, some of them, unfortunately, toy pistols.

But it is quite a festive atmosphere, although, as often happens in Iraq, there's festivity and calm that's a lull before more violence. There's no indication that these attacks on soldiers or Iraqis will stop -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jane Arraf, reporting live from Erbil, Iraq 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