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CNN Live Saturday

Another U.S. Troop Killed In Ambush At Bank

Aired July 19, 2003 - 14:03   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.


SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Well now to Iraq where the story has become all to familiar. An American soldier guarding a bank was ambushed and killed in an attack in Baghdad earlier today. Four other American troops also coming under attack. Our Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson is in Baghdad, has been for some time, and joins us now with the very latest information. Nic good evening.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Sean, and this also a day where Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has toured the country going to the historic site of Babylon, just south of Baghdad, getting a history lesson there from the troops involved at that particular site. He also visited a mass grave where he heard from some Iraqis who were expressing concern because they said one of the people who they believe was responsible for all of the deaths of the Iraqis buried at that mass grave had in fact been arrested by U.S. troops and then released.

And that's something Mr. Wolfowitz has heard from other people he's met in Iraq. Other Iraqis that they're concerned about the way the U.S. troops are handling the security situation in Iraq. He met with the governor of Basra yesterday. The governor there telling him a number of electricity power pylons had been cut down by sabateurs recently.

But of course the attack in the early hours of Baghdad, killing the soldier here in Baghdad while he was on guard duty outside a bank. A blow again for the U.S. troops. According to local residents they said that they heard a bang when the rocket propelled grenades were fired at this particular guard position. They came out to see what was going on. They saw the area in flames. They also said not only was one U.S. soldier killed there, but they say some Iraqi civilians in the area, including a child were hurt at the same time.

Four more soldiers injured later in the day when their vehicle passed over what was essentially a homemade bomb. The coalition forces describe these devices as improvised explosive devices. We see them used time and again recently against U.S. troops, placed at the road side where troops are passing alone and then remotely detonated. And that appears to be what happened on this occasion.

The coalition also beginning to try to get more Iraqis involved in the security situation in Iraq, developing a defense core in Iraq. And today also opening the doors of the recruitment centers for the first time for the new Iraqi army. This army is supposed to be about 30 battalions in size. The coalition army looking to recruit over the next few days about 800 Iraqis to form the first battalion and they will begin training at the beet beginning of August -- Sean.

CALLEBS: Well Nic as I also understand it, legions of former police officers in Iraq are also slowly being brought back into the ranks to provide security and hopefully some more stabilization for that country?

ROBERTS: Absolutely. And we are beginning to see towns like Fallujah, that have been problem areas for troops, tension are developed for varies reasons, the U.S. troops pulling out and leaving it to the Iraqi police. And what both the U.S. lead administration here under Paul Bremer and the governing council have both said that they want to increase the Iraqi police force from 30,000 up to 60,000, or 70,000. And that will involve training be given by international police, and by U.S. -- very possibly U.S. police as well. But it's not just the police force that has been put into place here, there's a facilities protection service and an understructure of police force as well. Sean.

CALLEBS: OK, Nic Roberts, as always on post in Baghdad thank you very much, Nic, another busy day there.

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 July 19, 2003 - 14:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Well now to Iraq where the story has become all to familiar. An American soldier guarding a bank was ambushed and killed in an attack in Baghdad earlier today. Four other American troops also coming under attack. Our Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson is in Baghdad, has been for some time, and joins us now with the very latest information. Nic good evening.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Sean, and this also a day where Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has toured the country going to the historic site of Babylon, just south of Baghdad, getting a history lesson there from the troops involved at that particular site. He also visited a mass grave where he heard from some Iraqis who were expressing concern because they said one of the people who they believe was responsible for all of the deaths of the Iraqis buried at that mass grave had in fact been arrested by U.S. troops and then released.

And that's something Mr. Wolfowitz has heard from other people he's met in Iraq. Other Iraqis that they're concerned about the way the U.S. troops are handling the security situation in Iraq. He met with the governor of Basra yesterday. The governor there telling him a number of electricity power pylons had been cut down by sabateurs recently.

But of course the attack in the early hours of Baghdad, killing the soldier here in Baghdad while he was on guard duty outside a bank. A blow again for the U.S. troops. According to local residents they said that they heard a bang when the rocket propelled grenades were fired at this particular guard position. They came out to see what was going on. They saw the area in flames. They also said not only was one U.S. soldier killed there, but they say some Iraqi civilians in the area, including a child were hurt at the same time.

Four more soldiers injured later in the day when their vehicle passed over what was essentially a homemade bomb. The coalition forces describe these devices as improvised explosive devices. We see them used time and again recently against U.S. troops, placed at the road side where troops are passing alone and then remotely detonated. And that appears to be what happened on this occasion.

The coalition also beginning to try to get more Iraqis involved in the security situation in Iraq, developing a defense core in Iraq. And today also opening the doors of the recruitment centers for the first time for the new Iraqi army. This army is supposed to be about 30 battalions in size. The coalition army looking to recruit over the next few days about 800 Iraqis to form the first battalion and they will begin training at the beet beginning of August -- Sean.

CALLEBS: Well Nic as I also understand it, legions of former police officers in Iraq are also slowly being brought back into the ranks to provide security and hopefully some more stabilization for that country?

ROBERTS: Absolutely. And we are beginning to see towns like Fallujah, that have been problem areas for troops, tension are developed for varies reasons, the U.S. troops pulling out and leaving it to the Iraqi police. And what both the U.S. lead administration here under Paul Bremer and the governing council have both said that they want to increase the Iraqi police force from 30,000 up to 60,000, or 70,000. And that will involve training be given by international police, and by U.S. -- very possibly U.S. police as well. But it's not just the police force that has been put into place here, there's a facilities protection service and an understructure of police force as well. Sean.

CALLEBS: OK, Nic Roberts, as always on post in Baghdad thank you very much, Nic, another busy day there.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com