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CNN Live Today

Convoy Was Attacked on Way From Airport

Aired December 19, 2003 - 09:59   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to begin this hour in Baghdad with a reminder of the dangers faced by soldiers, civilians and even Washington's top man in Iraq. A deadly blast has destroyed a building that was housing Iraq's major Shiite party, and we have learned on a failed attack on a convoy carrying Paul Bremer, chief U.S. administrator in Iraq.
Our Satinder Bindra is in the Iraqi capital, and he joins us with the latest.

Satinder, hello.

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

Yes, indeed, we've been given further details about an attack on ambassador Bremer's convoy. We're told an attack took place on December 6th here in Baghdad. Ambassador Bremer had then decided to drive toward an unscheduled meeting. That's when his convoy took some small-arms fire. But today, a coalition spokesperson said this was not an assassination attempt. He described this as a, quote, random opportunistic attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN SENOR, ADVISER TO PAUL BREMER: He was -- his party was traveling, from an impromptu meeting. It was not scheduled. It did not appear on his schedule. Nobody knew about the meeting. We have reason to believe that it was just a random attack, not necessarily targeted at him. It is premature at this point to make that conclusion. It's a determination that's going to come out in the course of the investigation. We'd like to let that play out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BINDRA: Now, Daryn, ambassador Bremer was, of course, not hurt. No one in his convoy was hurt. And today a coalition spokesperson denied some suggestions that some pro-Saddam elements could have infiltrated within the Coalition Provisional Authority. He said that is simply not true, he said, quote, "the authority has a thorough vetting process."

Back to you, Daryn.

KAGAN: And, Satinder, can you tell us more about this blast of the building that was holding this major political party for the Shiites, and the significance of that, please? BINDRA: Daryn, the blast took place this morning at about 5:10 a.m. One woman was killed and eight people were injured. The significance of this is it comes just two days after another prominent Shiite leader was assassinated, so clearly there is an attempt -- there's a pattern of attacks against the Shiite community here in Iraq.

Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Satinder Bindra in Baghdad, thank you for that.

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 19, 2003 - 09:59   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to begin this hour in Baghdad with a reminder of the dangers faced by soldiers, civilians and even Washington's top man in Iraq. A deadly blast has destroyed a building that was housing Iraq's major Shiite party, and we have learned on a failed attack on a convoy carrying Paul Bremer, chief U.S. administrator in Iraq.
Our Satinder Bindra is in the Iraqi capital, and he joins us with the latest.

Satinder, hello.

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

Yes, indeed, we've been given further details about an attack on ambassador Bremer's convoy. We're told an attack took place on December 6th here in Baghdad. Ambassador Bremer had then decided to drive toward an unscheduled meeting. That's when his convoy took some small-arms fire. But today, a coalition spokesperson said this was not an assassination attempt. He described this as a, quote, random opportunistic attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN SENOR, ADVISER TO PAUL BREMER: He was -- his party was traveling, from an impromptu meeting. It was not scheduled. It did not appear on his schedule. Nobody knew about the meeting. We have reason to believe that it was just a random attack, not necessarily targeted at him. It is premature at this point to make that conclusion. It's a determination that's going to come out in the course of the investigation. We'd like to let that play out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BINDRA: Now, Daryn, ambassador Bremer was, of course, not hurt. No one in his convoy was hurt. And today a coalition spokesperson denied some suggestions that some pro-Saddam elements could have infiltrated within the Coalition Provisional Authority. He said that is simply not true, he said, quote, "the authority has a thorough vetting process."

Back to you, Daryn.

KAGAN: And, Satinder, can you tell us more about this blast of the building that was holding this major political party for the Shiites, and the significance of that, please? BINDRA: Daryn, the blast took place this morning at about 5:10 a.m. One woman was killed and eight people were injured. The significance of this is it comes just two days after another prominent Shiite leader was assassinated, so clearly there is an attempt -- there's a pattern of attacks against the Shiite community here in Iraq.

Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Satinder Bindra in Baghdad, thank you for that.

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