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U.S. Marines Patrolling streets Together With Iraqi Police Officers
Aired April 15, 2003 - 15:09 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: In Baghdad, meanwhile, here's an unusual site seen for the first time today. U.S. Marines patrolling the streets together with Iraqis -- Iraqi police officers, that is.
Let's go to CNN's Rula Amin. She's in the Iraqi capital to tell us all about it -- Rula.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, first let me tell you, we're hitting some sniper fire. It's sporadic but we can hear it for the first time since the evening started.
Again now, back to the Marines. Today, they went on joint patrols -- Marines and Iraqi police officers who used to work for the former government. It was a joint effort by the Marines and the local policemen to try to bring law and order back to Iraq -- trying to stop the looters from going ahead and spreading fear and panic among the residents in the capital.
We also do know that the Marines today took even a more active role. At one neighborhood, some men tried to rob a bank. They used rocket-propelled grenades to force their way in, but the Marines got to the fight very quickly. They overcame the resistance from the men, arrested them, and made sure that the crowd that was watching the scene understood the message. Looting is not tolerated and will not be tolerated anymore. That was the message from the Marines, and they wanted to make sure that the people in Baghdad understand it.
That kind of effort actually got a huge welcome from the residents here. They've been calling on the Marines to do so for awhile now.
Life on the streets of Baghdad is just slowly starting to go back to normal. We've seen more people now going on the street, especially during the day, trying to fulfill their basic needs -- going to the vegetables market, to the meat market, mostly at the vegetable market -- trying to buy whatever is there. Not much is there because many people are still afraid to go out to do any buying or selling.
Most of the commercial streets -- most of the shops -- are still closed and the streets are empty. However, more and more people are going on the streets now -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Rula Amin in Baghdad with the latest. Continue to watch that sniper, and let us know if anything serious develops near where you are -- Rula Amin in the Iraqi capital.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Officers>
Aired April 15, 2003 - 15:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: In Baghdad, meanwhile, here's an unusual site seen for the first time today. U.S. Marines patrolling the streets together with Iraqis -- Iraqi police officers, that is.
Let's go to CNN's Rula Amin. She's in the Iraqi capital to tell us all about it -- Rula.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, first let me tell you, we're hitting some sniper fire. It's sporadic but we can hear it for the first time since the evening started.
Again now, back to the Marines. Today, they went on joint patrols -- Marines and Iraqi police officers who used to work for the former government. It was a joint effort by the Marines and the local policemen to try to bring law and order back to Iraq -- trying to stop the looters from going ahead and spreading fear and panic among the residents in the capital.
We also do know that the Marines today took even a more active role. At one neighborhood, some men tried to rob a bank. They used rocket-propelled grenades to force their way in, but the Marines got to the fight very quickly. They overcame the resistance from the men, arrested them, and made sure that the crowd that was watching the scene understood the message. Looting is not tolerated and will not be tolerated anymore. That was the message from the Marines, and they wanted to make sure that the people in Baghdad understand it.
That kind of effort actually got a huge welcome from the residents here. They've been calling on the Marines to do so for awhile now.
Life on the streets of Baghdad is just slowly starting to go back to normal. We've seen more people now going on the street, especially during the day, trying to fulfill their basic needs -- going to the vegetables market, to the meat market, mostly at the vegetable market -- trying to buy whatever is there. Not much is there because many people are still afraid to go out to do any buying or selling.
Most of the commercial streets -- most of the shops -- are still closed and the streets are empty. However, more and more people are going on the streets now -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Rula Amin in Baghdad with the latest. Continue to watch that sniper, and let us know if anything serious develops near where you are -- Rula Amin in the Iraqi capital.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Officers>
