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Coalition Security Not Requested by U.N. Baghdad Headquarters
Aired August 19, 2003 - 14:39 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: Sadly familiar and tragic scene unfolding in Jerusalem. Let's turn our gaze back to Baghdad for just a moment.
At the Pentagon CNN's Barbara Starr has been investigating some of the security arrangements in and around the compound in the northeast portion of Baghdad where the U.N. had its headquarters. She has some details for us now -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, this had been a question emerging all day. What were the security arrangements around this U.N. headquarters facility?
Now, officials have told us here that the United Nations had not requested -- not requested -- security from coalition or U.S. military authorities. They didn't want this facility to appear to be overmilitarized. So they had pretty much looked after security themselves through their own personnel and through contractor personnel.
Now, the coalition, U.S. Forces, had general security in the area. There were constant patrols, that sort of thing. And there were military troops, a small number, on the other side of the building from where this occurred. We can now better explain what that was all about.
We are told there was a civil military affairs office located nearby and there were some small number of troops providing security for that. But that was on the other side of the building from where all of this was located. And as far as we've been able to determine from military officials here today, there was no request, there was no requirement for the coalition to provide direct security to this U.N. facility.
And just bringing you up-to-date on a few other details, we can tell you now that some of the wounded and the survivors -- there were about 300 people in the building -- have been evacuated to the coalition provisional authority headquarter in Baghdad, some of them now receiving medical treatment, of course.
And sources also saying that they are able to confirm that due to this massive blast, the first and second floor of the building on the side where all of this occurred has now been completely destroyed.
Now officials, of course, say they have absolutely no confirmation of who is responsible for this blast in Baghdad. But they do note, unrelated they say, that they have had more indications in recent weeks of activities by a number of groups, including Anwar al Islam, a radical group in Iraq that is believed tied to the al Qaeda.
However, they emphasize very strongly they have no evidence of who is responsible for this blast -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Barbara, I am a little bit confused. Because earlier today we saw Fred Eckhard live here on CNN, the U.N. spokesman, saying very, very specifically and very clearly that security around that compound was the responsibility of the coalition.
STARR: Well, actually, Miles, when you look at Mr. Eckhard's words, what he talks about is security in the country is the responsibility of the coalition.
He does not directly address, as far as we can determine at this point, the very specific internal security to this compound. In other words, the fences, the perimeter security, gates, the checking of security passes of people who came and went from the building.
What we are told is that U.S. military officials at this point say to us that they have nothing that tells them there was a requirement or a request that the U.S. military provide that type of security for the building, the perimeter and internal security of the building.
But there were security patrols. The coalition, of course, regularly patrols throughout Baghdad. Still an open question, however. This blast apparently occurring along a fence line area. Just simply not clear at this point whether the perpetrators essentially found a vulnerability.
Officials also able to confirm to us here that it was, indeed, well known which window was Mr. de Mello's office. No indication that anybody knew he was in his office at the time this occurred. But also, it was known that there was a press conference going on at the time of the blast, and of course, we have seen the video of that. And that press conference also occurring on that side of the building that was attacked. And that press conference ongoing during the attack.
So two very high-profile situations on that side of the building -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you very much. Please stay in close contact.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Headquarters>
Aired August 19, 2003 - 14:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Sadly familiar and tragic scene unfolding in Jerusalem. Let's turn our gaze back to Baghdad for just a moment.
At the Pentagon CNN's Barbara Starr has been investigating some of the security arrangements in and around the compound in the northeast portion of Baghdad where the U.N. had its headquarters. She has some details for us now -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, this had been a question emerging all day. What were the security arrangements around this U.N. headquarters facility?
Now, officials have told us here that the United Nations had not requested -- not requested -- security from coalition or U.S. military authorities. They didn't want this facility to appear to be overmilitarized. So they had pretty much looked after security themselves through their own personnel and through contractor personnel.
Now, the coalition, U.S. Forces, had general security in the area. There were constant patrols, that sort of thing. And there were military troops, a small number, on the other side of the building from where this occurred. We can now better explain what that was all about.
We are told there was a civil military affairs office located nearby and there were some small number of troops providing security for that. But that was on the other side of the building from where all of this was located. And as far as we've been able to determine from military officials here today, there was no request, there was no requirement for the coalition to provide direct security to this U.N. facility.
And just bringing you up-to-date on a few other details, we can tell you now that some of the wounded and the survivors -- there were about 300 people in the building -- have been evacuated to the coalition provisional authority headquarter in Baghdad, some of them now receiving medical treatment, of course.
And sources also saying that they are able to confirm that due to this massive blast, the first and second floor of the building on the side where all of this occurred has now been completely destroyed.
Now officials, of course, say they have absolutely no confirmation of who is responsible for this blast in Baghdad. But they do note, unrelated they say, that they have had more indications in recent weeks of activities by a number of groups, including Anwar al Islam, a radical group in Iraq that is believed tied to the al Qaeda.
However, they emphasize very strongly they have no evidence of who is responsible for this blast -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Barbara, I am a little bit confused. Because earlier today we saw Fred Eckhard live here on CNN, the U.N. spokesman, saying very, very specifically and very clearly that security around that compound was the responsibility of the coalition.
STARR: Well, actually, Miles, when you look at Mr. Eckhard's words, what he talks about is security in the country is the responsibility of the coalition.
He does not directly address, as far as we can determine at this point, the very specific internal security to this compound. In other words, the fences, the perimeter security, gates, the checking of security passes of people who came and went from the building.
What we are told is that U.S. military officials at this point say to us that they have nothing that tells them there was a requirement or a request that the U.S. military provide that type of security for the building, the perimeter and internal security of the building.
But there were security patrols. The coalition, of course, regularly patrols throughout Baghdad. Still an open question, however. This blast apparently occurring along a fence line area. Just simply not clear at this point whether the perpetrators essentially found a vulnerability.
Officials also able to confirm to us here that it was, indeed, well known which window was Mr. de Mello's office. No indication that anybody knew he was in his office at the time this occurred. But also, it was known that there was a press conference going on at the time of the blast, and of course, we have seen the video of that. And that press conference also occurring on that side of the building that was attacked. And that press conference ongoing during the attack.
So two very high-profile situations on that side of the building -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you very much. Please stay in close contact.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Headquarters>
