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CNN Live Today
Two Soldiers, Two Children Killed in Separate Explosions in Baghdad
Aired February 16, 2004 - 11:15 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: To Iraq now where two soldiers and two children were killed in separate explosions today. In Baghdad, our Jane Arraf. Jane, hello.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Daryn.
Well, we're now hearing from coalition officials that what had been originally feared might be an attack on a school indeed appears to have had been an accident, but a terrible accident. As you mentioned, two children killed and a third critically injured after a grenade exploded in a garbage can near their school.
Now, other fatalities as well. Two American soldiers killed, one a military policeman in Baghdad, the other an American soldier killed when his convoy was hit by a homemade bomb in Ba'Qubah, north of Baghdad.
And in the wake of a dramatic attack on a police station in Fallujah to the west over the weekend. That attack killing 25 people, most of them police officers.
Increasing questions are being raised about why U.S. troops weren't there. At least one Governing Council member, member of the Iraqi Governing Council, tells us he believes the U.S. should have taken more of a role in helping out the Iraqi security forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMED AL-BARRAK, COUNCIL MEMBER: I mean the last attack on Fallujah, they played a very bad role for that because they were very close for the place of the attack. And they didn't interfere even when they saw a huge number of attackers shooting the Iraqi police office. And that's what made the disaster happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: A U.S. military spokesman says the initial word is that no assistance was requested from Iraqi civil defense forces. So no assistance was rendered -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Meanwhile, Jane, are any groups coming forward claiming credit for any of these attacks?
ARRAF: You know, that's the really interesting thing. In all of these attacks, and they happen almost daily, there is very little credit claimed. Unless we take into account that letter that was intercepted that's believed to have penned by a fugitive, al-Zarqawi, who has claimed responsibility for 25 suicide attacks.
Now this is a man who has trained in al Qaeda training camps, but isn't necessarily al Qaeda.
As for the rest, the attack in Fallujah, for instance, which was huge over the weekend, officials saying that that appears to have been Iraqi. Main distinctions seeming to be that the suicide attacks taking place, foreign fighters, some of the other ones including the homemade bombs appear to be still homegrown -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Jane Arraf bringing us the latest from Baghdad. Jane, 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
in Baghdad>
Aired February 16, 2004 - 11:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: To Iraq now where two soldiers and two children were killed in separate explosions today. In Baghdad, our Jane Arraf. Jane, hello.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Daryn.
Well, we're now hearing from coalition officials that what had been originally feared might be an attack on a school indeed appears to have had been an accident, but a terrible accident. As you mentioned, two children killed and a third critically injured after a grenade exploded in a garbage can near their school.
Now, other fatalities as well. Two American soldiers killed, one a military policeman in Baghdad, the other an American soldier killed when his convoy was hit by a homemade bomb in Ba'Qubah, north of Baghdad.
And in the wake of a dramatic attack on a police station in Fallujah to the west over the weekend. That attack killing 25 people, most of them police officers.
Increasing questions are being raised about why U.S. troops weren't there. At least one Governing Council member, member of the Iraqi Governing Council, tells us he believes the U.S. should have taken more of a role in helping out the Iraqi security forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMED AL-BARRAK, COUNCIL MEMBER: I mean the last attack on Fallujah, they played a very bad role for that because they were very close for the place of the attack. And they didn't interfere even when they saw a huge number of attackers shooting the Iraqi police office. And that's what made the disaster happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: A U.S. military spokesman says the initial word is that no assistance was requested from Iraqi civil defense forces. So no assistance was rendered -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Meanwhile, Jane, are any groups coming forward claiming credit for any of these attacks?
ARRAF: You know, that's the really interesting thing. In all of these attacks, and they happen almost daily, there is very little credit claimed. Unless we take into account that letter that was intercepted that's believed to have penned by a fugitive, al-Zarqawi, who has claimed responsibility for 25 suicide attacks.
Now this is a man who has trained in al Qaeda training camps, but isn't necessarily al Qaeda.
As for the rest, the attack in Fallujah, for instance, which was huge over the weekend, officials saying that that appears to have been Iraqi. Main distinctions seeming to be that the suicide attacks taking place, foreign fighters, some of the other ones including the homemade bombs appear to be still homegrown -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Jane Arraf bringing us the latest from Baghdad. Jane, 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
in Baghdad>
