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CNN Live Saturday
2 More Americans Killed In Attack Near Fallujah
Aired November 08, 2003 - 12:01 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.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: We begin in Iraq, where this morning, two American soldiers were killed and one injured. Today's attack on a U.S. military vehicle took place in the volatile region around Fallujah, west of Baghdad. Meantime, the U.S. military is still investigating yesterday's Blackhawk helicopter crash near Saddam Hussein's hometown, killing six U.S. soldiers. The latest now, from CNN's Ben Wedeman, in Baghdad -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, well the coalition death toll continues to climb. The latest attack, as you mentioned, occurring just west of Fallujah on the main highway between Baghdad and Jordanian border. Those were two soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division. They were killed when their Bradley fighting vehicle drove by a roadside bomb. Now, that bomb was clearly very big. Big enough to cause serious damage to that vehicle and also to cause the ammunition inside of it to explode making it more difficult, of course, for anyone to rescue those who were inside. One of those -- one soldier in that vehicle was wounded. Now, this attack brings to at least 35, the number of coalition troops killed within the last seven days, alone.
Now, here in Baghdad last night, we were told by coalition sources, a very large raid took place in that raid. They arrested 12 people they believe were involved in the 26th of October rocket attack on the Rashid Hotel. Until that attack, that had been one of the main residences for both military and civilian personnel, with the coalition. Now, these same senior coalition commanders told us that they believe at this point, that there are about 500 to 1,000 former regime powerbrokers, as they describe them, operating in the Iraqi capital, in addition to around 50 so-called foreign fighters, also in Baghdad.
Now, describing the situation here, as extremely dangerous and volatile, a spokesman for the international committee of the Red Cross, in Geneva, announced today they would be closing their offices in Baghdad and Basra, that is the main Southern Iraqi city. This has happened in the aftermath, of course, of a security evaluation that they undertook, that followed the 27th of October bombing -- car bombing of their headquarters in Baghdad, that bombing leaving 12 people dead, among them, two Iraqi Red Cross staff members. That spokesman did say, however, they would be maintaining their operations in the northern part of the country, which is relatively peaceful -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Ben, let me ask you a follow up on this international Red Cross. Many of the workers at the Red Cross offices in Baghdad and Basra were Iraqis. Is there an urging that many of them who are working for the Red Cross will actually try to leave the region while those offices are temporarily closed?
WEDEMAN: No, well there were about 600 Iraqi employees of the Red Cross. They will not be leaving the country. In fact, the Red Cross is hoping to somehow maintain some of its operations despite the closure of those offices. And of course, the Red Cross does a variety of things in Iraq. One of the things it does is monitor the conditions of Iraqi prisoners held by the coalition forces and those visits apparently will continue. Those visits are undertaken by non- Iraqi staff and they will be aided by Iraqi staff on the ground. This doesn't mean the Red Cross is completely shutting down its operations in Baghdad and Basra, but it's going be working out of some sort of other facilities, but those operations will, in some form or another, continue
WHITFIELD: And Ben, not long after the explosion -- that deadly explosion at the Red Cross offices, there was a very deadly explosion taking place at the al Rashid Hotel in Baghdad. I understand there have been some arrests or at least have been some rounding up of some suspects in that investigation. Where does it stand?
WEDEMAN: Well actually, that explosion took place the day before the Red Cross bombing and according to coalition commanders, there was a raid in Baghdad last night. They rounded up 12 people they believe were involved in the planning, the financing, the coordination of that attack. They still apparently have a few other suspects they haven't rounded up, but that's basically where that stands. We heard these coalition commanders saying they do believe that they are achieving progress in trying to, sort of, tie down the security situation. Those words belied by the mere fact that there are these daily attacks, but they are trying, they say they have a plan to crack down on the insurgency or the resistance, but clearly, that plan is in its initial stages -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ben Wedeman, thanks very much for that update.
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 November 8, 2003 - 12:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: We begin in Iraq, where this morning, two American soldiers were killed and one injured. Today's attack on a U.S. military vehicle took place in the volatile region around Fallujah, west of Baghdad. Meantime, the U.S. military is still investigating yesterday's Blackhawk helicopter crash near Saddam Hussein's hometown, killing six U.S. soldiers. The latest now, from CNN's Ben Wedeman, in Baghdad -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, well the coalition death toll continues to climb. The latest attack, as you mentioned, occurring just west of Fallujah on the main highway between Baghdad and Jordanian border. Those were two soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division. They were killed when their Bradley fighting vehicle drove by a roadside bomb. Now, that bomb was clearly very big. Big enough to cause serious damage to that vehicle and also to cause the ammunition inside of it to explode making it more difficult, of course, for anyone to rescue those who were inside. One of those -- one soldier in that vehicle was wounded. Now, this attack brings to at least 35, the number of coalition troops killed within the last seven days, alone.
Now, here in Baghdad last night, we were told by coalition sources, a very large raid took place in that raid. They arrested 12 people they believe were involved in the 26th of October rocket attack on the Rashid Hotel. Until that attack, that had been one of the main residences for both military and civilian personnel, with the coalition. Now, these same senior coalition commanders told us that they believe at this point, that there are about 500 to 1,000 former regime powerbrokers, as they describe them, operating in the Iraqi capital, in addition to around 50 so-called foreign fighters, also in Baghdad.
Now, describing the situation here, as extremely dangerous and volatile, a spokesman for the international committee of the Red Cross, in Geneva, announced today they would be closing their offices in Baghdad and Basra, that is the main Southern Iraqi city. This has happened in the aftermath, of course, of a security evaluation that they undertook, that followed the 27th of October bombing -- car bombing of their headquarters in Baghdad, that bombing leaving 12 people dead, among them, two Iraqi Red Cross staff members. That spokesman did say, however, they would be maintaining their operations in the northern part of the country, which is relatively peaceful -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Ben, let me ask you a follow up on this international Red Cross. Many of the workers at the Red Cross offices in Baghdad and Basra were Iraqis. Is there an urging that many of them who are working for the Red Cross will actually try to leave the region while those offices are temporarily closed?
WEDEMAN: No, well there were about 600 Iraqi employees of the Red Cross. They will not be leaving the country. In fact, the Red Cross is hoping to somehow maintain some of its operations despite the closure of those offices. And of course, the Red Cross does a variety of things in Iraq. One of the things it does is monitor the conditions of Iraqi prisoners held by the coalition forces and those visits apparently will continue. Those visits are undertaken by non- Iraqi staff and they will be aided by Iraqi staff on the ground. This doesn't mean the Red Cross is completely shutting down its operations in Baghdad and Basra, but it's going be working out of some sort of other facilities, but those operations will, in some form or another, continue
WHITFIELD: And Ben, not long after the explosion -- that deadly explosion at the Red Cross offices, there was a very deadly explosion taking place at the al Rashid Hotel in Baghdad. I understand there have been some arrests or at least have been some rounding up of some suspects in that investigation. Where does it stand?
WEDEMAN: Well actually, that explosion took place the day before the Red Cross bombing and according to coalition commanders, there was a raid in Baghdad last night. They rounded up 12 people they believe were involved in the planning, the financing, the coordination of that attack. They still apparently have a few other suspects they haven't rounded up, but that's basically where that stands. We heard these coalition commanders saying they do believe that they are achieving progress in trying to, sort of, tie down the security situation. Those words belied by the mere fact that there are these daily attacks, but they are trying, they say they have a plan to crack down on the insurgency or the resistance, but clearly, that plan is in its initial stages -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ben Wedeman, thanks very much for that update.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
