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Arab Voices

Aired April 08, 2003 - 15:41   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.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The Arab news network Al-Jazeera is accusing the United States military of deliberately targeting its facilities in Baghdad after one of its reporters was killed today by American military fire. Two other journalists, a Reuters cameraman and a Spanish television cameraman, also were killed by American fire in a separate incident. Here's some of how Abu Dhabi Television's coverage of the story is unfolding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ABU DHABI TV (through translator): The journalists in Iraq are living in very difficult circumstances. Their state was not better than the citizens'. Shelling did not differentiate between journalists or a child or an old man. So the media, the voice of right, have been targets. The day (ph) of journalists and the notion (ph) of death and trouble, many expressions have been used for coverage of (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: In today's "Arab Voices" segment, CNN's Octavia Nasr is with us from the CNN newsroom in Atlanta to talk a little bit more about this story. How is it unfolding? How is it playing out on Arab television networks, Octavia?

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Wolf, I think it's extremely important to note that we are talking about three different incidents, three different bombings. The bombing of Al- Jazeera office, the bombing of Abu Dhabi TV office, and then the bombing of the Palestine Hotel.

It has been a very sad day on all Arab TV networks. The stories about the killed, about the injured, the families, the mourning, the messages. And of course Abu Dhabi TV sent out a plea this morning saying that their crew members, some 27 journalists, including five Al-Jazeera crew members, are surrounded, as they say, in the office of Abu Dhabi TV. They sent out a plea this morning asking for any kind of help.

The Red Cross, the Red Crescent, the U.S., the Iraqis, any kind of help to get them out of that building. They are saying they are in the middle of a battlefield, and they are afraid they are not going to see the morning of the next day -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Octavia, the Central Command says there was significant amounts of fire coming -- gunfire coming out of those buildings. That's why the tanks, the U.S. military responded, they've explained what happened. Is that explanation given any credence? Does anybody in the Arab world really believe that, or do they believe this was a deliberate desire on the part of the U.S. military to knock out these journalists?

NASR: Yes, the Arab networks are reporting what the CENTCOM position is on all of this. They are saying CENTCOM is saying they were returning fire. Whether they are believing it or not, I think this is where you have to draw the line. You have to describe all three different incidents.

And what they are saying is that the bombing of Al-Jazeera office and the bombing of the Abu Dhabi TV office, these are deliberate, whereas the Palestine Hotel bombing could have been an act that falls under the fog of war -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And the extent of injuries at the Abu Dhabi facility, the Abu Dhabi house, as it's called, in Baghdad, we know that the reporter from Al-Jazeera was killed in that incident. What were the extent of casualties at the Abu Dhabi television office?

NASR: The problem is Abu Dhabi TV lost contact with their crew in their office, in what they are calling the headquarters. They did send out one plea in the morning by phone. So we didn't see any images of the damages, and the plea was very quick and very direct, saying get us out of here.

In the afternoon, they did attempt one more time. They said as things quieted down outside, they did make one phone call to say that everybody is still fine. They still are requesting that everybody who can get involved to get them out of there, please do so. But no images and no direct contact with that crew yet -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. CNN's Octavia Nasr reporting for us on how this is playing on those Arab television networks. Octavia, thanks 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 8, 2003 - 15:41   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The Arab news network Al-Jazeera is accusing the United States military of deliberately targeting its facilities in Baghdad after one of its reporters was killed today by American military fire. Two other journalists, a Reuters cameraman and a Spanish television cameraman, also were killed by American fire in a separate incident. Here's some of how Abu Dhabi Television's coverage of the story is unfolding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ABU DHABI TV (through translator): The journalists in Iraq are living in very difficult circumstances. Their state was not better than the citizens'. Shelling did not differentiate between journalists or a child or an old man. So the media, the voice of right, have been targets. The day (ph) of journalists and the notion (ph) of death and trouble, many expressions have been used for coverage of (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: In today's "Arab Voices" segment, CNN's Octavia Nasr is with us from the CNN newsroom in Atlanta to talk a little bit more about this story. How is it unfolding? How is it playing out on Arab television networks, Octavia?

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Wolf, I think it's extremely important to note that we are talking about three different incidents, three different bombings. The bombing of Al- Jazeera office, the bombing of Abu Dhabi TV office, and then the bombing of the Palestine Hotel.

It has been a very sad day on all Arab TV networks. The stories about the killed, about the injured, the families, the mourning, the messages. And of course Abu Dhabi TV sent out a plea this morning saying that their crew members, some 27 journalists, including five Al-Jazeera crew members, are surrounded, as they say, in the office of Abu Dhabi TV. They sent out a plea this morning asking for any kind of help.

The Red Cross, the Red Crescent, the U.S., the Iraqis, any kind of help to get them out of that building. They are saying they are in the middle of a battlefield, and they are afraid they are not going to see the morning of the next day -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Octavia, the Central Command says there was significant amounts of fire coming -- gunfire coming out of those buildings. That's why the tanks, the U.S. military responded, they've explained what happened. Is that explanation given any credence? Does anybody in the Arab world really believe that, or do they believe this was a deliberate desire on the part of the U.S. military to knock out these journalists?

NASR: Yes, the Arab networks are reporting what the CENTCOM position is on all of this. They are saying CENTCOM is saying they were returning fire. Whether they are believing it or not, I think this is where you have to draw the line. You have to describe all three different incidents.

And what they are saying is that the bombing of Al-Jazeera office and the bombing of the Abu Dhabi TV office, these are deliberate, whereas the Palestine Hotel bombing could have been an act that falls under the fog of war -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And the extent of injuries at the Abu Dhabi facility, the Abu Dhabi house, as it's called, in Baghdad, we know that the reporter from Al-Jazeera was killed in that incident. What were the extent of casualties at the Abu Dhabi television office?

NASR: The problem is Abu Dhabi TV lost contact with their crew in their office, in what they are calling the headquarters. They did send out one plea in the morning by phone. So we didn't see any images of the damages, and the plea was very quick and very direct, saying get us out of here.

In the afternoon, they did attempt one more time. They said as things quieted down outside, they did make one phone call to say that everybody is still fine. They still are requesting that everybody who can get involved to get them out of there, please do so. But no images and no direct contact with that crew yet -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. CNN's Octavia Nasr reporting for us on how this is playing on those Arab television networks. Octavia, thanks 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