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CNN Live Today

More Bloodshed in Iraq This Morning

Aired December 02, 2003 - 10:29   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 more bloodshed in Iraq this morning. Another U.S. soldier has died after an attack on a convoy. The incident happened near Samarra, which was the site after bloody battle between American troops and guerrilla forces on Sunday. CNN Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf joins us live from the Iraqi capital with the latest this morning.
Hello, Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

This latest casualty with the 4th Infantry Division after a convoy was hit by a homemade bomb in the road. Now according to military officials, the soldier, a combat engineer, died, declared dead on arrival after he was injured in that attack, and his unit called in an incorrect grid for a medevac unit to evacuate him out of there. He was, unfortunately declared dead on arrival in this latest casualty.

Samarra, of course, as you mentioned is the scene of a fierce firefight on Sunday in which the U.S. military said 46 Iraqis were killed. That was the ambush of currency trucks doing a currency exchange between banks.

Here in Baghdad, though, on a somewhat happier note, at least for the coalition, a prominent feature of one of the palaces has begun to be removed. Now these are four huge busts, heads rather, of Saddam. These are cast metal, three tons each, 13 feet high, it's taken weeks to decide how to remove them, and it will take weeks to get them all down, but today, at least, one of them was coming down.

Now, this is the head of Saddam Hussein, wearing a helmet worn by Salahadeen (ph), a heroic Islamic conqueror, as Saddam was, portrayed himself anyway, much larger than life. It was designed really to instill fear in people, seeing these four huge heads on a huge palace, although most Iraqis barred from the palace or any surrounding area would never have seen them.

COSTELLO: And of course they were at the palace where Paul Bremer had his offices, so I'm sure they're glad those big huge Saddam heads are coming down -- Jane.

ARRAF: Certainly a weight off of their roof, that's for sure.

COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad this morning. Thank you.

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 December 2, 2003 - 10:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And more bloodshed in Iraq this morning. Another U.S. soldier has died after an attack on a convoy. The incident happened near Samarra, which was the site after bloody battle between American troops and guerrilla forces on Sunday. CNN Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf joins us live from the Iraqi capital with the latest this morning.
Hello, Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

This latest casualty with the 4th Infantry Division after a convoy was hit by a homemade bomb in the road. Now according to military officials, the soldier, a combat engineer, died, declared dead on arrival after he was injured in that attack, and his unit called in an incorrect grid for a medevac unit to evacuate him out of there. He was, unfortunately declared dead on arrival in this latest casualty.

Samarra, of course, as you mentioned is the scene of a fierce firefight on Sunday in which the U.S. military said 46 Iraqis were killed. That was the ambush of currency trucks doing a currency exchange between banks.

Here in Baghdad, though, on a somewhat happier note, at least for the coalition, a prominent feature of one of the palaces has begun to be removed. Now these are four huge busts, heads rather, of Saddam. These are cast metal, three tons each, 13 feet high, it's taken weeks to decide how to remove them, and it will take weeks to get them all down, but today, at least, one of them was coming down.

Now, this is the head of Saddam Hussein, wearing a helmet worn by Salahadeen (ph), a heroic Islamic conqueror, as Saddam was, portrayed himself anyway, much larger than life. It was designed really to instill fear in people, seeing these four huge heads on a huge palace, although most Iraqis barred from the palace or any surrounding area would never have seen them.

COSTELLO: And of course they were at the palace where Paul Bremer had his offices, so I'm sure they're glad those big huge Saddam heads are coming down -- Jane.

ARRAF: Certainly a weight off of their roof, that's for sure.

COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad this morning. Thank you.

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