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CNN Live At Daybreak

Roundup in Tikrit, Baghdad Hotel Attacked

Aired January 09, 2004 - 06:03   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: In Iraq, soldiers go house to house for a round of dozens of suspected insurgents taken into custody this morning. It comes after a Black Hawk crashes, killing nine soldiers. There is more, too.
We take you live to Baghdad and Karl Penhaul.

Hello -- Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Military authorities are telling us that 300 soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division took part in this raid. They swept through the city of Tikrit. That's the hometown of Saddam Hussein. They were backed by Bradley Fighting Vehicles, by tanks, by aircraft support overhead, as they raided more than 20 houses and a number of shops in the hunt for suspects suspected of leading anti-coalition insurgent activities.

Now, the coalition authorities are telling us that they detained a total of 30 people in these raids, but they're saying that 12 of them are really the people they're looking for. They describe these 12 as former members of Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen. That was the paramilitary militia, and these are people who are now suspected of playing a key role in the anti-coalition guerrilla war.

At the same time, or should I say a few hours later, in the early hours of this morning, since that raid was overnight, the 101st Airborne Division in the northern town of Ashura (ph) staged another raid there, again in search of insurgent suspects. They netted six people that they say have participated in anti-coalition activities.

Closer to home here in Baghdad, just after dawn, around 6:00, 6:30 in the morning, there was quite a dramatic attack on one of Baghdad's main hotels not far from where we're staying. The attack was at the Borj el-Hyatt (ph) hotel.

We've been talking to guards there this morning, and they say that four men stepped out of two vehicles and opened fire at the hotel with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles. Two of those RPGs hit the hotel, causing damage, but no casualties, and the attackers then took their vehicles and fled off.

COSTELLO: Karl Penhaul reporting live from Baghdad 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 9, 2004 - 06:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq, soldiers go house to house for a round of dozens of suspected insurgents taken into custody this morning. It comes after a Black Hawk crashes, killing nine soldiers. There is more, too.
We take you live to Baghdad and Karl Penhaul.

Hello -- Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Military authorities are telling us that 300 soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division took part in this raid. They swept through the city of Tikrit. That's the hometown of Saddam Hussein. They were backed by Bradley Fighting Vehicles, by tanks, by aircraft support overhead, as they raided more than 20 houses and a number of shops in the hunt for suspects suspected of leading anti-coalition insurgent activities.

Now, the coalition authorities are telling us that they detained a total of 30 people in these raids, but they're saying that 12 of them are really the people they're looking for. They describe these 12 as former members of Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen. That was the paramilitary militia, and these are people who are now suspected of playing a key role in the anti-coalition guerrilla war.

At the same time, or should I say a few hours later, in the early hours of this morning, since that raid was overnight, the 101st Airborne Division in the northern town of Ashura (ph) staged another raid there, again in search of insurgent suspects. They netted six people that they say have participated in anti-coalition activities.

Closer to home here in Baghdad, just after dawn, around 6:00, 6:30 in the morning, there was quite a dramatic attack on one of Baghdad's main hotels not far from where we're staying. The attack was at the Borj el-Hyatt (ph) hotel.

We've been talking to guards there this morning, and they say that four men stepped out of two vehicles and opened fire at the hotel with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles. Two of those RPGs hit the hotel, causing damage, but no casualties, and the attackers then took their vehicles and fled off.

COSTELLO: Karl Penhaul reporting live from Baghdad 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.