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CNN Live Saturday
Explosion in Baghdad Rocks U.S.-Iraqi Relations
Aired April 26, 2003 - 18:02 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: A massive blast rips through Baghdad and also rocks U.S.-Iraqi relations. U.S. Central Command says that unidentified assailants opened fire on U.S. troops today, but instead hit an ammo dump and triggered a fiery explosion.
The blast killed at least seven Iraqis. Hurt at least four others. And there are a lot of angry people in Baghdad tonight. Hundreds of angry Iraqis flooded the streets. They say they warned the U.S. about the dangers of the ammo dump and they want answers.
CNN's Nic Robertson is monitoring developments and joins us now live from Baghdad with the latest. Nic?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INT'L CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, those blasts were so strong this morning, some of them at least, they were actually shaking this hotel here. It is a 17-story building and the lamps stand in my room, on the top, literally moving side to side.
When we went out there today we found angry crowds. We found U.S. troops patrolling the area, keeping civilians back. They said at this ammunition dump they had been rocket propelled grenades, missiles, they say the size of trucks, even four torpedoes.
But by the time engineers from 101st Airborne arrived to give their assistance, temperatures were already -- attitudes were already fraying.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Sign language to rescue a family trapped under rubble. Sergeant Major Coker (ph) of the 101st Airborne, desperate to help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back me up an ace right here so I can start hooking to some of this rebar and pull.
ROBERTSON: And for a while, the crowd clambering on the rubble of this house follows his orders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to try desperately to get this wall off of here.
ROBERTSON (on camera): What's under there, do we know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People. I can't make heads or tails. I know there's somebody alive under there.
ROBERTSON: Are you going to be able to get them out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to do my best.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Doing his best to undo the damage this crowd says he's responsible for. An errant missile from a burning U.S. controlled weapons dump nearby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Down America! Down America! Down Saddam, down America!
ROBERTSON: As they work, anger erupts as the missing family's breakfast is found. "We've warned the U.S. soldiers four days ago not to store the weapons close to these houses," he says. A body is pulled out, and reality and pressure crash in from Sergeant Major Coker (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were all dead. Do you hear a baby? Sir, I can't find anybody. I'm trying.
ROBERTSON: Frustrations rising on both sides. Thirteen people were killed and only one survivor. "This is illegal," he says. Efforts continue. A call for an English speaker to translate. Communications breaking down. Coker (ph) retreats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know they don't understand. Neither do I.
ROBERTSON (on camera): What's happening, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a little resentment. They don't wish us to help. We didn't do this. A civilian shot a flare into the ammunition dump and set it off. I have soldiers that are hurt too.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The shouting continues to anyone who will listen. "What do these people have to do with this falling here?" he says.
(on camera): An indication of pent-up frustrations built up through years of Saddam Hussein's regime, and now people are not seeing changes as quickly as they had hoped.
(voice-over): "Talk Arabic," he begs. Misunderstandings rule this day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have to work with me.
ROBERTSON: Sergeant Major Coker (ph) tries again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you will help me talk to them, I'll do everything I can.
ROBERTSON: This time, the armored bulldozer brought in. Progress looks possible. But the crowd turns on them again. Forcing another withdrawal. This time, Sergeant Major Coker's (ph) frustration obvious. Miscommunication possibly this soldier's greatest danger.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: According to members of the International Red Cross who went into the area late in the day, they say the discovered six dead people in the area and about 50 injured. Some of those being treated at a local hospital, Anderson.
COOPER: Well, for the microcosm it shows probably the larger situation that's going on in Iraq.
Let's talk big picture, though. Everyday, day after day, we see these images, people demonstrating, we hear people blaming the United States repeatedly for every ill that seems to face not only Baghdad but Iraq. How representative is that of the larger population in Baghdad?
ROBERTSON: I have to say it is fairly representative. You'll perhaps find about 10 percent of the community in Baghdad who live in up market, upscale neighborhoods. They are fairly relaxed about the U.S. presence. Perhaps a lot of them feel that their presence is more necessary. They can see the benefits, they intellectualize the situation more and are happier with it. Then 90 percent of the people in this city are still very angry about a lot of basic services.
What you don't have here is a good information structure. There aren't local television stations for people to watch. There aren't local radio stations. The newspapers aren't really up and running. There aren't local politicians to go and complaint to.
Rumors abound here. The most ridiculous rumors, often, that would say perhaps Saddam Hussein has made a deal with George Bush and that's why the United States hasn't found Saddam Hussein yet. Rumors like that still abound. And with those messages in people's minds, the effervescence you see in crowds when you go out. The anger they show to the United States still perhaps that's where that kind of anger breeds and grows.
The situation, though, is getting better. There aren't as many firefights around. There are politicians coming to the fore. So the situation is beginning to improve, but slowly -- Anderson.
COOPER: And just the language barrier, I mean, in your piece, just the difficulties not being able to speak the same language. At times it seems insurmountable. Nic, appreciate you joining us. Interesting report. Thank you very much.
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 April 26, 2003 - 18:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: A massive blast rips through Baghdad and also rocks U.S.-Iraqi relations. U.S. Central Command says that unidentified assailants opened fire on U.S. troops today, but instead hit an ammo dump and triggered a fiery explosion.
The blast killed at least seven Iraqis. Hurt at least four others. And there are a lot of angry people in Baghdad tonight. Hundreds of angry Iraqis flooded the streets. They say they warned the U.S. about the dangers of the ammo dump and they want answers.
CNN's Nic Robertson is monitoring developments and joins us now live from Baghdad with the latest. Nic?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INT'L CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, those blasts were so strong this morning, some of them at least, they were actually shaking this hotel here. It is a 17-story building and the lamps stand in my room, on the top, literally moving side to side.
When we went out there today we found angry crowds. We found U.S. troops patrolling the area, keeping civilians back. They said at this ammunition dump they had been rocket propelled grenades, missiles, they say the size of trucks, even four torpedoes.
But by the time engineers from 101st Airborne arrived to give their assistance, temperatures were already -- attitudes were already fraying.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Sign language to rescue a family trapped under rubble. Sergeant Major Coker (ph) of the 101st Airborne, desperate to help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back me up an ace right here so I can start hooking to some of this rebar and pull.
ROBERTSON: And for a while, the crowd clambering on the rubble of this house follows his orders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to try desperately to get this wall off of here.
ROBERTSON (on camera): What's under there, do we know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People. I can't make heads or tails. I know there's somebody alive under there.
ROBERTSON: Are you going to be able to get them out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to do my best.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Doing his best to undo the damage this crowd says he's responsible for. An errant missile from a burning U.S. controlled weapons dump nearby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Down America! Down America! Down Saddam, down America!
ROBERTSON: As they work, anger erupts as the missing family's breakfast is found. "We've warned the U.S. soldiers four days ago not to store the weapons close to these houses," he says. A body is pulled out, and reality and pressure crash in from Sergeant Major Coker (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were all dead. Do you hear a baby? Sir, I can't find anybody. I'm trying.
ROBERTSON: Frustrations rising on both sides. Thirteen people were killed and only one survivor. "This is illegal," he says. Efforts continue. A call for an English speaker to translate. Communications breaking down. Coker (ph) retreats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know they don't understand. Neither do I.
ROBERTSON (on camera): What's happening, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a little resentment. They don't wish us to help. We didn't do this. A civilian shot a flare into the ammunition dump and set it off. I have soldiers that are hurt too.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The shouting continues to anyone who will listen. "What do these people have to do with this falling here?" he says.
(on camera): An indication of pent-up frustrations built up through years of Saddam Hussein's regime, and now people are not seeing changes as quickly as they had hoped.
(voice-over): "Talk Arabic," he begs. Misunderstandings rule this day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have to work with me.
ROBERTSON: Sergeant Major Coker (ph) tries again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you will help me talk to them, I'll do everything I can.
ROBERTSON: This time, the armored bulldozer brought in. Progress looks possible. But the crowd turns on them again. Forcing another withdrawal. This time, Sergeant Major Coker's (ph) frustration obvious. Miscommunication possibly this soldier's greatest danger.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: According to members of the International Red Cross who went into the area late in the day, they say the discovered six dead people in the area and about 50 injured. Some of those being treated at a local hospital, Anderson.
COOPER: Well, for the microcosm it shows probably the larger situation that's going on in Iraq.
Let's talk big picture, though. Everyday, day after day, we see these images, people demonstrating, we hear people blaming the United States repeatedly for every ill that seems to face not only Baghdad but Iraq. How representative is that of the larger population in Baghdad?
ROBERTSON: I have to say it is fairly representative. You'll perhaps find about 10 percent of the community in Baghdad who live in up market, upscale neighborhoods. They are fairly relaxed about the U.S. presence. Perhaps a lot of them feel that their presence is more necessary. They can see the benefits, they intellectualize the situation more and are happier with it. Then 90 percent of the people in this city are still very angry about a lot of basic services.
What you don't have here is a good information structure. There aren't local television stations for people to watch. There aren't local radio stations. The newspapers aren't really up and running. There aren't local politicians to go and complaint to.
Rumors abound here. The most ridiculous rumors, often, that would say perhaps Saddam Hussein has made a deal with George Bush and that's why the United States hasn't found Saddam Hussein yet. Rumors like that still abound. And with those messages in people's minds, the effervescence you see in crowds when you go out. The anger they show to the United States still perhaps that's where that kind of anger breeds and grows.
The situation, though, is getting better. There aren't as many firefights around. There are politicians coming to the fore. So the situation is beginning to improve, but slowly -- Anderson.
COOPER: And just the language barrier, I mean, in your piece, just the difficulties not being able to speak the same language. At times it seems insurmountable. Nic, appreciate you joining us. Interesting report. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
