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CNN Live Saturday
Attempted Assassination Leaves Iraqi Politician In Critical Condition
Aired September 20, 2003 - 14:09 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: An attempted assassination in Baghdad today. Gunmen ambushed a prominent Iraqi politician, leaving her critical and further wounding U.S. hopes of stabilizing the country. Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is on the story in Baghdad, where it is early evening there.
Hello to you, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi. Well, what made Akila al-Hashimi particularly important in Iraq was that she was on Iraq's Governing Council, she was a member of a prominent Shia family. That made her very valuable political property, being a woman and representing the Shia community to the Coalition Provisional Authority here.
She was one of only three women on the governing council. She had also been in Saddam Hussein's government as well. Again, providing a very important link between the old government and the new government. So when she was attacked early in the morning, it came very much as a surprise to a lot people here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Close to Akila al-Hashimi's house, Iraqi police and coalition officials search for leads following the early morning assassination attempt. Dried blood and broken glass the only obvious clues in this, the first attack on a member of Iraq's new governing council.
According to one Iraqi policeman, gunmen sprayed al-Hashimi's car with bullets, injuring her in the stomach, critically wounding her driver, and injuring her guard and her brother. Neighbors say they heard the gunfire and came to see what was happening. "They were exchanging fire," says this eyewitness, "when the pickup fled the scene, and to stop people following, they threw a grenade."
Al-Hashimi is one of three women on Iraq's Governing Council, is also a member of a leading Shia family, and is the only person on the coalition-appointed body that held a senior position in Saddam Hussein's government, , making her a rare bridge between the old and the new. Seen here with coalition chief Paul Bremer, commenting on the attack on the U.N. a few weeks ago.
AKILA AL-HASHIMI, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: All Iraqis are targets of these attacks, but this will not refrain Iraqis from going forward. ROBERTSON: Several less prominent Iraqis have already been killed for cooperating with the coalition. The working assumption among politicians, that they are now on the target list.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Ba'athists (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and want killing for the members of the governing body, but they'll try to attack more and more.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: Well, the very latest we have from the coalition here is that Akila al-Hashimi is in stable condition but that has serious internal injuries. And she is expected to go through more surgery tonight -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Nic Robertson, live from Baghdad. Thanks, so much, Nic.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Critical Condition>
Aired September 20, 2003 - 14:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: An attempted assassination in Baghdad today. Gunmen ambushed a prominent Iraqi politician, leaving her critical and further wounding U.S. hopes of stabilizing the country. Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is on the story in Baghdad, where it is early evening there.
Hello to you, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi. Well, what made Akila al-Hashimi particularly important in Iraq was that she was on Iraq's Governing Council, she was a member of a prominent Shia family. That made her very valuable political property, being a woman and representing the Shia community to the Coalition Provisional Authority here.
She was one of only three women on the governing council. She had also been in Saddam Hussein's government as well. Again, providing a very important link between the old government and the new government. So when she was attacked early in the morning, it came very much as a surprise to a lot people here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Close to Akila al-Hashimi's house, Iraqi police and coalition officials search for leads following the early morning assassination attempt. Dried blood and broken glass the only obvious clues in this, the first attack on a member of Iraq's new governing council.
According to one Iraqi policeman, gunmen sprayed al-Hashimi's car with bullets, injuring her in the stomach, critically wounding her driver, and injuring her guard and her brother. Neighbors say they heard the gunfire and came to see what was happening. "They were exchanging fire," says this eyewitness, "when the pickup fled the scene, and to stop people following, they threw a grenade."
Al-Hashimi is one of three women on Iraq's Governing Council, is also a member of a leading Shia family, and is the only person on the coalition-appointed body that held a senior position in Saddam Hussein's government, , making her a rare bridge between the old and the new. Seen here with coalition chief Paul Bremer, commenting on the attack on the U.N. a few weeks ago.
AKILA AL-HASHIMI, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: All Iraqis are targets of these attacks, but this will not refrain Iraqis from going forward. ROBERTSON: Several less prominent Iraqis have already been killed for cooperating with the coalition. The working assumption among politicians, that they are now on the target list.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Ba'athists (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and want killing for the members of the governing body, but they'll try to attack more and more.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: Well, the very latest we have from the coalition here is that Akila al-Hashimi is in stable condition but that has serious internal injuries. And she is expected to go through more surgery tonight -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Nic Robertson, live from Baghdad. Thanks, so much, Nic.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Critical Condition>
