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Demonstration Turns Deadly as 15 Iraqi Die in Fire Fight with U.S. Troops
Aired April 29, 2003 - 14:02 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Red Cross says 15 Iraqi's have been killed, 53 wounded in a clash with U.S. soldiers. The gunfire erupted during a demonstration in the town of Fallujah that's west of Baghdad. CNN's Nic Robertson has a live report from the Iraqi capital -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Miles, earlier today -- or in fact, just a few hours ago in Fallujah, the U.S. troops of the 82nd Airborne, that had been in that school that was the center of the problems last night pulled out of school. No love lost apparently from the local population when they pulled out, no thank you's, no goodbyes, just insults. What had transpired 24 hours earlier overnight, there had been a shooting incident. The shooting happened over several hours. It appeared to have been triggered in part, at least, when a local cleric in a local mosque told people that it was time that they opened up a school again where the U.S. troops had based themselves following reports that the school had perhaps been a storage place for Saddam Hussein's weapons.
But the cleric told his congregation that it was time that they had the school back from the U.S. Troops. A crowd of some 200 or 250 gathered. What is not clear is who shot -- who fired the first shot. The crowds say that the U.S. soldiers fired first. The U.S. troops say that they were fired upon first by the crowds. Certainly one member of the crowd admitting that rocks were thrown from the crowd at the U.S. soldiers. Overnight, the fighting died down. According to the International Red Committee for the Red Cross, 15 people were killed, 53 injured. But according to sources inn talked to in a local hospital, only seven people were killed in that inches dealt.
But now the 82nd airborne pulled out of that particular school, relocated themselves elsewhere in Fallujah. That is, a town about 50 miles west of Baghdad. Also, the former governor of Basra, Tawfaq al- Tikriti, another of Saddam Hussein's clan, has turned himself into Iraq's National Congress and they are turning him over to U.S. forces. He did that in Baghdad with something that had been negotiated in the past few days. His father accompanied him, and he turned himself in a western suburb of Baghdad.
Now, al-Tikriti was the governor in Basra, however had only been governor there for a short time. So perhaps the information he can provide coalition forces may be somewhat limited. Perhaps the man who can provide more information, especially on weapons of mass destruction, who was arrested yesterday, General Amer Rashid, the former oil minister, but the man formerly in charge of the missile section dealing with the u.n. Weapons inspectors back in the 1990s. Maybe he will provide useful information on how it hid weapons of mass destruction from the U.N. back in the 1990s. May have some very useful information there.
Also we're hearing that U.S. Forces will put another 4, 000 soldiers on the ground in Baghdad. Many of these troops will be military police, we are told. Their role will be to improve the security of the city. And certainly the general in charge here, Business Blount, has said -- Major General Buford Blount said today that his main priority in Baghdad was to provide security for the people. He said they now -- the U.S. now provides security for over 150 different locations in the capital. That includes museums, schools, hospitals. And he at this time already has 20,000 troops at his disposal here -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Nic, lots on our plate with that report. Thank you. I want to go back to Fallujah for just a moment. I know that many Iraqis own weapons, and it is quite common there to fire weapons just in the air as part of celebrations. Obviously, that is very hazardous when you have the U.S. troops in close proximity in all this. Number one, are the rules of engagement real clear on this?
And second are the U.S. troops discouraging people from doing this for fear what happened in Fallujah might happen again?
ROBERTSON: There is always the risk that what happened in Fallujah might happen again. The rules of engagement for the soldiers here is that if they are fired upon, and that fire is threatening to kill, they believe it's threatening to kill them, then they call up the chain of command. But they'll very likely be given authority to fire back and suppress fire coming at them. We were traveling in the north of Iraq just yesterday and troops we were traveling with said they regularly come under fire, and they will return fire to discourage the fire coming at them. What has transpired in Fallujah is still not clear.
The crowds say they did not fire on the U.S. soldiers. It was a crowd that had gathered with a specific intent, apparently, to encourage the 82nd Airborne members to leave the school that they had set up as a base in that particular neighborhood of Fallujah. But we see weapons in many places here in Iraq now. We passed through a small town just yesterday where in the main market, in the town, you could buy eggs at one shop, guns at the next shop, meat at the next shop. Cross over the street and you can buy an AK-47 there as well. Guns are out in proliferation in Iraq and anyone, anyone can get their hands on them at this time -- Miles.
Nic Robertson, live in Baghdad.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
with U.S. Troops>
Aired April 29, 2003 - 14:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Red Cross says 15 Iraqi's have been killed, 53 wounded in a clash with U.S. soldiers. The gunfire erupted during a demonstration in the town of Fallujah that's west of Baghdad. CNN's Nic Robertson has a live report from the Iraqi capital -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Miles, earlier today -- or in fact, just a few hours ago in Fallujah, the U.S. troops of the 82nd Airborne, that had been in that school that was the center of the problems last night pulled out of school. No love lost apparently from the local population when they pulled out, no thank you's, no goodbyes, just insults. What had transpired 24 hours earlier overnight, there had been a shooting incident. The shooting happened over several hours. It appeared to have been triggered in part, at least, when a local cleric in a local mosque told people that it was time that they opened up a school again where the U.S. troops had based themselves following reports that the school had perhaps been a storage place for Saddam Hussein's weapons.
But the cleric told his congregation that it was time that they had the school back from the U.S. Troops. A crowd of some 200 or 250 gathered. What is not clear is who shot -- who fired the first shot. The crowds say that the U.S. soldiers fired first. The U.S. troops say that they were fired upon first by the crowds. Certainly one member of the crowd admitting that rocks were thrown from the crowd at the U.S. soldiers. Overnight, the fighting died down. According to the International Red Committee for the Red Cross, 15 people were killed, 53 injured. But according to sources inn talked to in a local hospital, only seven people were killed in that inches dealt.
But now the 82nd airborne pulled out of that particular school, relocated themselves elsewhere in Fallujah. That is, a town about 50 miles west of Baghdad. Also, the former governor of Basra, Tawfaq al- Tikriti, another of Saddam Hussein's clan, has turned himself into Iraq's National Congress and they are turning him over to U.S. forces. He did that in Baghdad with something that had been negotiated in the past few days. His father accompanied him, and he turned himself in a western suburb of Baghdad.
Now, al-Tikriti was the governor in Basra, however had only been governor there for a short time. So perhaps the information he can provide coalition forces may be somewhat limited. Perhaps the man who can provide more information, especially on weapons of mass destruction, who was arrested yesterday, General Amer Rashid, the former oil minister, but the man formerly in charge of the missile section dealing with the u.n. Weapons inspectors back in the 1990s. Maybe he will provide useful information on how it hid weapons of mass destruction from the U.N. back in the 1990s. May have some very useful information there.
Also we're hearing that U.S. Forces will put another 4, 000 soldiers on the ground in Baghdad. Many of these troops will be military police, we are told. Their role will be to improve the security of the city. And certainly the general in charge here, Business Blount, has said -- Major General Buford Blount said today that his main priority in Baghdad was to provide security for the people. He said they now -- the U.S. now provides security for over 150 different locations in the capital. That includes museums, schools, hospitals. And he at this time already has 20,000 troops at his disposal here -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Nic, lots on our plate with that report. Thank you. I want to go back to Fallujah for just a moment. I know that many Iraqis own weapons, and it is quite common there to fire weapons just in the air as part of celebrations. Obviously, that is very hazardous when you have the U.S. troops in close proximity in all this. Number one, are the rules of engagement real clear on this?
And second are the U.S. troops discouraging people from doing this for fear what happened in Fallujah might happen again?
ROBERTSON: There is always the risk that what happened in Fallujah might happen again. The rules of engagement for the soldiers here is that if they are fired upon, and that fire is threatening to kill, they believe it's threatening to kill them, then they call up the chain of command. But they'll very likely be given authority to fire back and suppress fire coming at them. We were traveling in the north of Iraq just yesterday and troops we were traveling with said they regularly come under fire, and they will return fire to discourage the fire coming at them. What has transpired in Fallujah is still not clear.
The crowds say they did not fire on the U.S. soldiers. It was a crowd that had gathered with a specific intent, apparently, to encourage the 82nd Airborne members to leave the school that they had set up as a base in that particular neighborhood of Fallujah. But we see weapons in many places here in Iraq now. We passed through a small town just yesterday where in the main market, in the town, you could buy eggs at one shop, guns at the next shop, meat at the next shop. Cross over the street and you can buy an AK-47 there as well. Guns are out in proliferation in Iraq and anyone, anyone can get their hands on them at this time -- Miles.
Nic Robertson, live in Baghdad.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
with U.S. Troops>
