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Puppy Love in Baghdad

Aired November 28, 2003 - 11:39   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.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Meet a Marine named Dude.
It's a case of puppy love in Baghdad, as Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr tells us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the coalition headquarters in Baghdad, the big guy is a U.S. Marine anti- terrorism expert on guard 24/7, the little guy, the newest Marine in the platoon. Meet Dude, a 3-pound puppy the Marines rescued from abandonment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He protects this whole building.

STARR: At night, Dude goes on patrols with his buddies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He rides around on our ATVs with us and checks out the facility. And, basically, at nighttime, he sees things before I even see them. So he's a good boy to have around.

STARR: The Marines aren't joking. They insist, Dude barks at anybody not in a uniform. Dude is a diplomat, making friends with the Iraqis who work at coalition headquarters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They enjoy it, when they come to work, to go play with Dude a little bit, too.

STARR: And like most Marines, Dude responds to the ladies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody that comes down to see him kind of gives him a different name, especially the ladies. They come up with girly names for him.

STARR: And if you wonder if Dude is being looked after, well, no field rations for him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He eats better than I do most of the time.

STARR: The Marines hope to take Dude back home when their tour is up next year. But he may have to get adjusted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know if he is going to speak any English, though, because he is an Arabic dog.

STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, with Dude, on patrol in Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 28, 2003 - 11:39   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Meet a Marine named Dude.
It's a case of puppy love in Baghdad, as Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr tells us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the coalition headquarters in Baghdad, the big guy is a U.S. Marine anti- terrorism expert on guard 24/7, the little guy, the newest Marine in the platoon. Meet Dude, a 3-pound puppy the Marines rescued from abandonment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He protects this whole building.

STARR: At night, Dude goes on patrols with his buddies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He rides around on our ATVs with us and checks out the facility. And, basically, at nighttime, he sees things before I even see them. So he's a good boy to have around.

STARR: The Marines aren't joking. They insist, Dude barks at anybody not in a uniform. Dude is a diplomat, making friends with the Iraqis who work at coalition headquarters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They enjoy it, when they come to work, to go play with Dude a little bit, too.

STARR: And like most Marines, Dude responds to the ladies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody that comes down to see him kind of gives him a different name, especially the ladies. They come up with girly names for him.

STARR: And if you wonder if Dude is being looked after, well, no field rations for him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He eats better than I do most of the time.

STARR: The Marines hope to take Dude back home when their tour is up next year. But he may have to get adjusted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know if he is going to speak any English, though, because he is an Arabic dog.

STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, with Dude, on patrol in Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com