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CNN Live At Daybreak
4th Infantry Division Base Attacked Overnight in Iraq
Aired January 05, 2004 - 06:08 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: The Army's 4th Infantry Division comes under attack this morning. Somebody opened fire on the base in Tikrit.
Inside, our own Alphonso Van Marsh. He's live via videophone from Tikrit.
Alphonso -- what happened?
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, it's been a violent last 24 hours here in Saddam Hussein's hometown. Under the cover of heavy fog last night: gunfire. U.S. military officials say two small bursts of small-arms fire shot towards Forward Operating Base Raider.
Let's take a look at some video taken just a few hours ago at the Tigris River. Military officials say that the gunfire came from the east side of that river towards the west bank, where this (UNINTELLIGIBLE) turned into a U.S. military base is located. U.S. forces shot back.
I was here and counted no less than 30 rounds fired, but U.S. military officials say that U.S. troops could not get visual contact with their alleged attackers due to heavy fog here. No U.S. service members were injured in that attack.
In downtown Tikrit yesterday as well, a U.S. service member is recovering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. A military official says an unknown gunman fired on a U.S. service member in downtown Tikrit. That unknown gunman was not caught.
A little bit further down the street on Highway 1 an improvised explosive (AUDIO GAP). Now, military officials say that it did injure one language interpreter, but it may have been worse, because they saw a suspect leaving the area at the time. The military convoy traveling that Highway 1 went to the right side of the road, as the IED -- a roadside bomb -- went off on the left. Another nearby convoy, I should say, was able to catch that suspect. He is in U.S. custody.
And lastly for you, Carol, an update on three U.S. service members injured yesterday in Baiji, a little bit further north from here. We understand that one is now back on active duty after another improved explosive device went off. A second is in Germany receiving medical attention. And the third, after getting eye surgery here, is expected to go to Germany. He is in stable condition.
Back to you -- Carol. COSTELLO: Alphonso, you were inside that base when it came under attack. Tell us what that was like, and what happens when soldiers come under attack. What's the modus operandi?
VAN MARSH: Oh, well, sure. I'm actually at a guardhouse here by the front gate of Forward Operating Base Raider. And it's not uncommon for troops to be going in and out conducting raids, and it's also not uncommon for test fire. You hear different sorts of (AUDIO GAP) interdiction, and that's a series of mortar fire against U.S. troops -- excuse me -- against alleged insurgents and those that would support them.
But what is different this time is really for that gunfire that's going on for about five or seven minutes. U.S. service members near me just jumped into action, putting on their helmets, grabbing their weapons, wanting to know what was going on. It took awhile before some concrete information came out, but certainly when you see U.S. service members getting into action, you know something different is certainly happening -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Alphonso Van Marsh reporting live from Tikrit 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 January 5, 2004 - 06:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Army's 4th Infantry Division comes under attack this morning. Somebody opened fire on the base in Tikrit.
Inside, our own Alphonso Van Marsh. He's live via videophone from Tikrit.
Alphonso -- what happened?
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, it's been a violent last 24 hours here in Saddam Hussein's hometown. Under the cover of heavy fog last night: gunfire. U.S. military officials say two small bursts of small-arms fire shot towards Forward Operating Base Raider.
Let's take a look at some video taken just a few hours ago at the Tigris River. Military officials say that the gunfire came from the east side of that river towards the west bank, where this (UNINTELLIGIBLE) turned into a U.S. military base is located. U.S. forces shot back.
I was here and counted no less than 30 rounds fired, but U.S. military officials say that U.S. troops could not get visual contact with their alleged attackers due to heavy fog here. No U.S. service members were injured in that attack.
In downtown Tikrit yesterday as well, a U.S. service member is recovering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. A military official says an unknown gunman fired on a U.S. service member in downtown Tikrit. That unknown gunman was not caught.
A little bit further down the street on Highway 1 an improvised explosive (AUDIO GAP). Now, military officials say that it did injure one language interpreter, but it may have been worse, because they saw a suspect leaving the area at the time. The military convoy traveling that Highway 1 went to the right side of the road, as the IED -- a roadside bomb -- went off on the left. Another nearby convoy, I should say, was able to catch that suspect. He is in U.S. custody.
And lastly for you, Carol, an update on three U.S. service members injured yesterday in Baiji, a little bit further north from here. We understand that one is now back on active duty after another improved explosive device went off. A second is in Germany receiving medical attention. And the third, after getting eye surgery here, is expected to go to Germany. He is in stable condition.
Back to you -- Carol. COSTELLO: Alphonso, you were inside that base when it came under attack. Tell us what that was like, and what happens when soldiers come under attack. What's the modus operandi?
VAN MARSH: Oh, well, sure. I'm actually at a guardhouse here by the front gate of Forward Operating Base Raider. And it's not uncommon for troops to be going in and out conducting raids, and it's also not uncommon for test fire. You hear different sorts of (AUDIO GAP) interdiction, and that's a series of mortar fire against U.S. troops -- excuse me -- against alleged insurgents and those that would support them.
But what is different this time is really for that gunfire that's going on for about five or seven minutes. U.S. service members near me just jumped into action, putting on their helmets, grabbing their weapons, wanting to know what was going on. It took awhile before some concrete information came out, but certainly when you see U.S. service members getting into action, you know something different is certainly happening -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Alphonso Van Marsh reporting live from Tikrit 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.
