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Crackdown in Iraq: Iraqis Rounded Up
Aired June 12, 2003 - 14:07 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: Well, just today, U.S. forces wrapped up a massive sweep along the Tigris River, northeast of Baghdad, in a crackdown called "Operation Peninsula Strike."
CNN's Ben Wedeman went on one of those raids with the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In what appears to be an escalating Iraqi resistance campaign to the U.S. presence in this country, the first American aircraft -- an Apache helicopter -- was brought down by hostile fire about 90 miles to the west of Baghdad. This according to coalition sources.
This probably was in the area of Ramadi, an area that has become something of a hotbed of anti-American activity, and a place where there have been several attacks on U.S. forces.
Now, in addition to the downing of that American helicopter, an F-16 also crashed in that area during air strikes on what is being described as a terrorist training camp. Now, that F-16 was brought down, according to coalition sources, by mechanical failure.
Now, today also is winding down what was a massive campaign in an area about 45 miles to the north of Baghdad. This operation called "Peninsula Strike," in that it's an area, it's a peninsula that juts out into the Tigris River.
Coalition officials suspected that there was a large concentration of Fedayeen Saddam and other loyalists to the deposed regime of Saddam Hussein.
Now, during that raid, which began very early on Monday morning, hundreds of Iraqis were rounded up, including women and children. The women and children were later released.
But according to coalition sources, as many as 400 Iraqi men were questioned in detail about their possible links to the former president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein.
One of the reasons for this campaign was that coalition intelligence had believed that there was a possibility that Ali Hassan al Majeed, otherwise known as "Chemical Ali," could have been in that area. However, they came up empty on that score. I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 June 12, 2003 - 14:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, just today, U.S. forces wrapped up a massive sweep along the Tigris River, northeast of Baghdad, in a crackdown called "Operation Peninsula Strike."
CNN's Ben Wedeman went on one of those raids with the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In what appears to be an escalating Iraqi resistance campaign to the U.S. presence in this country, the first American aircraft -- an Apache helicopter -- was brought down by hostile fire about 90 miles to the west of Baghdad. This according to coalition sources.
This probably was in the area of Ramadi, an area that has become something of a hotbed of anti-American activity, and a place where there have been several attacks on U.S. forces.
Now, in addition to the downing of that American helicopter, an F-16 also crashed in that area during air strikes on what is being described as a terrorist training camp. Now, that F-16 was brought down, according to coalition sources, by mechanical failure.
Now, today also is winding down what was a massive campaign in an area about 45 miles to the north of Baghdad. This operation called "Peninsula Strike," in that it's an area, it's a peninsula that juts out into the Tigris River.
Coalition officials suspected that there was a large concentration of Fedayeen Saddam and other loyalists to the deposed regime of Saddam Hussein.
Now, during that raid, which began very early on Monday morning, hundreds of Iraqis were rounded up, including women and children. The women and children were later released.
But according to coalition sources, as many as 400 Iraqi men were questioned in detail about their possible links to the former president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein.
One of the reasons for this campaign was that coalition intelligence had believed that there was a possibility that Ali Hassan al Majeed, otherwise known as "Chemical Ali," could have been in that area. However, they came up empty on that score. I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
