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CNN Live Today
Abizaid Escapes Injury in Attack
Aired February 12, 2004 - 11:00 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, ANCHOR: The attack on General Abizaid's convoy is up first on CNN this hour. Some pretty incredible pictures of the assault are just coming into CNN.
Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is at her post this morning to give us a look -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Daryn.
General John Abizaid has now left the Fallujah area where his convoy came under attack earlier today. As you say, no one on the U.S. side injured. But apparently small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades fired at his convoy in Fallujah where he was visiting some Iraqi forces.
Let's watch and listen to this tape for a minute.
Now this, of course, U.S. forces returning fire in a gun battle that broke out. We are told that General Abizaid's own personal security forces were involved in this.
When gunfire broke out, they immediately returned fire and then U.S. soldiers moved through the area, trying to locate the gunmen that launched this attack.
Major General Charles Shawanek (ph), head of the 82nd Airborne Division, also with General Abizaid at the time.
U.S. forces went but they didn't find anybody, we are told, that they believe was directly responsible for this.
Certainly, Daryn this now raises a very interesting question. What the U.S. military wants to know, of course, is whether these assailants knew who they were firing at.
Did they know that General Abizaid was in this convoy that had moved into the Fallujah area, or had they simply attacked the convoy, not knowing who was inside? Still to be determined -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And just to repeat, just as you said, even though those are pretty intense pictures, General Abizaid is fine? Nobody was hurt in the attack?
STARR: Absolutely. We are assured by multiple military sources General Abizaid is just fine. All of his people are fine, all of his security forces involved in this and that they are moving ahead with their schedule in the region.
KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you for the latest on 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 February 12, 2004 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, ANCHOR: The attack on General Abizaid's convoy is up first on CNN this hour. Some pretty incredible pictures of the assault are just coming into CNN.
Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is at her post this morning to give us a look -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Daryn.
General John Abizaid has now left the Fallujah area where his convoy came under attack earlier today. As you say, no one on the U.S. side injured. But apparently small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades fired at his convoy in Fallujah where he was visiting some Iraqi forces.
Let's watch and listen to this tape for a minute.
Now this, of course, U.S. forces returning fire in a gun battle that broke out. We are told that General Abizaid's own personal security forces were involved in this.
When gunfire broke out, they immediately returned fire and then U.S. soldiers moved through the area, trying to locate the gunmen that launched this attack.
Major General Charles Shawanek (ph), head of the 82nd Airborne Division, also with General Abizaid at the time.
U.S. forces went but they didn't find anybody, we are told, that they believe was directly responsible for this.
Certainly, Daryn this now raises a very interesting question. What the U.S. military wants to know, of course, is whether these assailants knew who they were firing at.
Did they know that General Abizaid was in this convoy that had moved into the Fallujah area, or had they simply attacked the convoy, not knowing who was inside? Still to be determined -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And just to repeat, just as you said, even though those are pretty intense pictures, General Abizaid is fine? Nobody was hurt in the attack?
STARR: Absolutely. We are assured by multiple military sources General Abizaid is just fine. All of his people are fine, all of his security forces involved in this and that they are moving ahead with their schedule in the region.
KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you for the latest on 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
