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Iraqi Mosque Bombed
Aired August 29, 2003 - 15:00 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with awful new terror in Iraq, the carnage, the condemnation, and the finger-pointing.
A massive car bomb exploded today at a mosque in Najaf, striking worshipers at the close of Friday prayers. At least 75 are dead, including one of the country's leading clerics. Iraqi political figure Ahmad Chalabi tells CNN he believes Saddam Hussein loyalists are to blame.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMAD CHALABI, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: There are no other possible suspects, no one. No Muslim would attack the mosque of Najaf on a Friday, killing hundreds of worshipers. It is only Saddam and his people who can do that, no one else. All other theories are speculation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: We'll hear what President Bush has to say about the attack in just a moment.
But first, we go to Najaf and to CNN's Ben Wedeman.
Ben, this has to be the worst incident of terror since the war ended.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it certainly is.
And it happened at the most horrific time. Hundreds of people were streaming out of the Imam Ali mosque after Friday prayers, the main prayers of the week, when this bomb went off, apparently a car bomb. Now, this was -- this moment was captured on an amateur video, somebody who was there just shooting the scene. And it is a scene of incredible horror.
And it created a scene of utter destruction. We were not -- we could not get to the scene, because tempers are so high, people are so angry, that we were basically chased out of the area. But one of our Iraqi cameramen went in there without a camera. And what he described was a scene where there were body parts all over the place, cars blown to pieces, facades of buildings completely destroyed, puddles of blood everywhere.
According to hospital officials, the death toll at this point is 75, but it is certainly going to rise, because people are still digging through the rubble at the scene of the blast, looking for more survivors. And they're still finding many dead as well, many indications that that death toll is going to climb much higher.
And among the dead, of course, was Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al- Hakim. He is the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, one of the leading Shiite groups here, originally based in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. He came back to Iraq in April to take a leadership role. His death is going -- has already sent shockwaves among the Shiites of Iraq, who make up about 60 percent of the population.
But to get back to the scene here, we went to the Najaf teaching hospital, Judy. That's the main hospital here in Najaf. And it was a horrific scene there as well, all the wards full of wounded. There's blood on the floor, rags of clothing full of blood everywhere. The morgues are full and overflowing, the doctors completely overwhelmed. And we saw, for instance, that, outside the local blood bank, there are dozens of people lining up to contribute blood, because this explosion, this blast, has just completely pressed the medical services to the most -- the best of their abilities -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Ben, it is just -- it's truly horrific looking at these pictures.
What is the thinking right now about who or what might have been behind this? We heard what Ahmad Chalabi is saying, said that it must have been a Saddam loyalist. But what are you hearing?
WEDEMAN: Well, we have heard from one police source that they have arrested several men they described as Wahabis. Those, of course, are Sunni fundamentalists, who many people here believe are trying to cause trouble, stir up trouble among the Shiites, because, of course, the Sunnis feel that the Shiites, who now are calling for their rightful share of power, are going to take power at the expense of the Sunnis.
But, really, at this point, it is so early in the game. When we were down near the mosque, people were accusing the Americans, the Israelis, all sorts of different countries and individuals, for this. But at this point, it really is way too early to tell.
Now, there has been a lot of friction and competition and power struggles between a variety of clerical factions here in Najaf. But most people discount the possibility that any one of those factions would be willing to be behind this kind of bomb that killed so indiscriminately, so many ordinary people, just in order to kill one man. And that's, of course, Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Ben Wedeman with the very latest on what is certainly looking like an unimaginable scene of carnage there in Najaf -- thank you, Ben.
Well, the Bush administration is addressing this terrible setback to its efforts to bring security to Iraq, efforts already under fire after weeks of mounting U.S. casualties.
Our senior White House correspondent, John King, is with the president in Crawford, Texas.
John, this is not just a setback. This is truly bad news, not only the tragedy of the people who died, but what it means for the U.S. occupation.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No question about that, Judy.
The president, we're told, was told this tragic bombing on his ranch in Crawford here during his morning intelligence briefing. We are also told very shortly to expect a statement from the president himself addressing this bombing. The deputy White House press secretary, Claire Buchan, telling reporters that the White House condemns this attack and voices its condolences for the loved ones of those killed.
And she also said, though, that the White House is resolved to continue its efforts to fight terror and to help improve the lives of the Iraqi people. Now, the White House is telling us, and other officials in Washington telling us, they have very sketchy information as to how this happened, so they cannot say as yet who might be responsible. They have many of the same suspicions you heard Mr. Chalabi raise at the top of the show, that perhaps Saddam Hussein loyalists, although they also say perhaps the interfighting among the Shia could be responsible.
But right they say right now they simply do not have the answers. And, Judy, they also know, as they try to find out exactly what happened here, that some are pointing fingers at the United States for not having a secure environment. Others are fomenting anti-American sentiment. So they understand that this will only add to the daunting challenge, No. 1, of proving to the Iraqi people that you can improve the security climate.
And, No. 2, the White House says the most important thing overall is to give the Iraqi people a psychological boost that their lives are getting better. The pictures you are seeing today clearly make evident to us all the daunting challenge still facing the White House -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: And, John, what about the growing chorus that was already out there, people saying the administration has got to step up its presence in Iraq?
KING: Well, the administration says more troops does guarantee less terrorism and, in fact, might only increase the targets for terrorism.
The administration says it would like to rotate more international troops in to give the peacekeeping force, the postwar security force, more of an international flavor, so there are fewer Americans, because they think seeing all those American troops foments the anti-American sentiment in Iraq. But the White House says the best answer would be for the Iraqis to step forward, that, if you had Iraqis providing security, that Iraqi citizens would be much less likely to launch attacks on them. But everyone says that a high-profile, high-number presence of Iraqis, whether it be police or a new Iraqi army, still months away.
WOODRUFF: All right, John King, watching it all from the Bush White House in Crawford -- thank you, John.
KING: Thank you.
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 August 29, 2003 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with awful new terror in Iraq, the carnage, the condemnation, and the finger-pointing.
A massive car bomb exploded today at a mosque in Najaf, striking worshipers at the close of Friday prayers. At least 75 are dead, including one of the country's leading clerics. Iraqi political figure Ahmad Chalabi tells CNN he believes Saddam Hussein loyalists are to blame.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMAD CHALABI, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: There are no other possible suspects, no one. No Muslim would attack the mosque of Najaf on a Friday, killing hundreds of worshipers. It is only Saddam and his people who can do that, no one else. All other theories are speculation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: We'll hear what President Bush has to say about the attack in just a moment.
But first, we go to Najaf and to CNN's Ben Wedeman.
Ben, this has to be the worst incident of terror since the war ended.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it certainly is.
And it happened at the most horrific time. Hundreds of people were streaming out of the Imam Ali mosque after Friday prayers, the main prayers of the week, when this bomb went off, apparently a car bomb. Now, this was -- this moment was captured on an amateur video, somebody who was there just shooting the scene. And it is a scene of incredible horror.
And it created a scene of utter destruction. We were not -- we could not get to the scene, because tempers are so high, people are so angry, that we were basically chased out of the area. But one of our Iraqi cameramen went in there without a camera. And what he described was a scene where there were body parts all over the place, cars blown to pieces, facades of buildings completely destroyed, puddles of blood everywhere.
According to hospital officials, the death toll at this point is 75, but it is certainly going to rise, because people are still digging through the rubble at the scene of the blast, looking for more survivors. And they're still finding many dead as well, many indications that that death toll is going to climb much higher.
And among the dead, of course, was Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al- Hakim. He is the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, one of the leading Shiite groups here, originally based in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. He came back to Iraq in April to take a leadership role. His death is going -- has already sent shockwaves among the Shiites of Iraq, who make up about 60 percent of the population.
But to get back to the scene here, we went to the Najaf teaching hospital, Judy. That's the main hospital here in Najaf. And it was a horrific scene there as well, all the wards full of wounded. There's blood on the floor, rags of clothing full of blood everywhere. The morgues are full and overflowing, the doctors completely overwhelmed. And we saw, for instance, that, outside the local blood bank, there are dozens of people lining up to contribute blood, because this explosion, this blast, has just completely pressed the medical services to the most -- the best of their abilities -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Ben, it is just -- it's truly horrific looking at these pictures.
What is the thinking right now about who or what might have been behind this? We heard what Ahmad Chalabi is saying, said that it must have been a Saddam loyalist. But what are you hearing?
WEDEMAN: Well, we have heard from one police source that they have arrested several men they described as Wahabis. Those, of course, are Sunni fundamentalists, who many people here believe are trying to cause trouble, stir up trouble among the Shiites, because, of course, the Sunnis feel that the Shiites, who now are calling for their rightful share of power, are going to take power at the expense of the Sunnis.
But, really, at this point, it is so early in the game. When we were down near the mosque, people were accusing the Americans, the Israelis, all sorts of different countries and individuals, for this. But at this point, it really is way too early to tell.
Now, there has been a lot of friction and competition and power struggles between a variety of clerical factions here in Najaf. But most people discount the possibility that any one of those factions would be willing to be behind this kind of bomb that killed so indiscriminately, so many ordinary people, just in order to kill one man. And that's, of course, Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Ben Wedeman with the very latest on what is certainly looking like an unimaginable scene of carnage there in Najaf -- thank you, Ben.
Well, the Bush administration is addressing this terrible setback to its efforts to bring security to Iraq, efforts already under fire after weeks of mounting U.S. casualties.
Our senior White House correspondent, John King, is with the president in Crawford, Texas.
John, this is not just a setback. This is truly bad news, not only the tragedy of the people who died, but what it means for the U.S. occupation.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No question about that, Judy.
The president, we're told, was told this tragic bombing on his ranch in Crawford here during his morning intelligence briefing. We are also told very shortly to expect a statement from the president himself addressing this bombing. The deputy White House press secretary, Claire Buchan, telling reporters that the White House condemns this attack and voices its condolences for the loved ones of those killed.
And she also said, though, that the White House is resolved to continue its efforts to fight terror and to help improve the lives of the Iraqi people. Now, the White House is telling us, and other officials in Washington telling us, they have very sketchy information as to how this happened, so they cannot say as yet who might be responsible. They have many of the same suspicions you heard Mr. Chalabi raise at the top of the show, that perhaps Saddam Hussein loyalists, although they also say perhaps the interfighting among the Shia could be responsible.
But right they say right now they simply do not have the answers. And, Judy, they also know, as they try to find out exactly what happened here, that some are pointing fingers at the United States for not having a secure environment. Others are fomenting anti-American sentiment. So they understand that this will only add to the daunting challenge, No. 1, of proving to the Iraqi people that you can improve the security climate.
And, No. 2, the White House says the most important thing overall is to give the Iraqi people a psychological boost that their lives are getting better. The pictures you are seeing today clearly make evident to us all the daunting challenge still facing the White House -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: And, John, what about the growing chorus that was already out there, people saying the administration has got to step up its presence in Iraq?
KING: Well, the administration says more troops does guarantee less terrorism and, in fact, might only increase the targets for terrorism.
The administration says it would like to rotate more international troops in to give the peacekeeping force, the postwar security force, more of an international flavor, so there are fewer Americans, because they think seeing all those American troops foments the anti-American sentiment in Iraq. But the White House says the best answer would be for the Iraqis to step forward, that, if you had Iraqis providing security, that Iraqi citizens would be much less likely to launch attacks on them. But everyone says that a high-profile, high-number presence of Iraqis, whether it be police or a new Iraqi army, still months away.
WOODRUFF: All right, John King, watching it all from the Bush White House in Crawford -- thank you, John.
KING: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
