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Iraq Bombs Targeted Police, Red Cross
Aired October 27, 2003 - 13:10 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In Baghdad, it's a day of incredible violence. Thirty people, including two American soldiers, died in a wave of suicide bombings. Among the targets, Iraqi police stations and the Red Cross headquarters. CNN's Ben Wedeman is live in Baghdad -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra. The bomb that went off at 8:30 this morning shook this city not only physically but also emotionally.
The bomb went off outside the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross early this morning killing at least ten people and wounding probably more than two dozen.
Now, the Red Cross had declined to implement the kind of stringent security measures we've seen put out outside coalition buildings and diplomatic missions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PIERRE GASSMANN, RED CROSS: That's not an option, because if you do militarize the Red Cross and the access to the Red Cross, it will be extremely difficult for people that are seeking our help and the people that we're supposed to serve to get access to the Red Cross.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: Now, there is that bombing. And then shortly afterwards, we heard a series of other blasts. Those blasts were other car bombs outside three separate Iraqi police stations around the capital. Those resulting in the death of at least 20 people, including five Iraqi policemen and two American soldiers.
Now, a fourth car bombing outside a police station was only narrowly averted when Iraqi policemen opened fire on a white Toyota Land Cruiser rushing in their direction. They found inside that car, they said, five boxes of TNT. Now, the driver, who was wounded in the shoulder, they took for interrogation. Later, they said, he was a Syrian national.
So the death toll for today, at least 30 people dead, and more than 200 people wounded -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, Ben, in the middle of all of this violence, it's Ramadan. A very holy time. How is this affecting operation there? Specifically, U.S. troop movements and sensitivity to the culture? WEDEMAN: Well, U.S. troops had actually been instructed into the intricacies of Ramadan. This is a period during which Muslims are supposed to about stain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.
And we had also heard that there would be an increased possibility of threats of attacks against international and coalition targets. Security had been increased around the city. But obviously, there was no way to foresee the scale of the attack that took place today.
Significantly, the attack took place against, essentially, soft targets. Not coalition targets. The Red Cross, an organization prides itself on access Iraqis have to it. Police stations, which are essentially Iraqi institutions.
So, as I said, this city has really been emotionally shaken by these bombings -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Ben Wedeman, 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
Aired October 27, 2003 - 13:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In Baghdad, it's a day of incredible violence. Thirty people, including two American soldiers, died in a wave of suicide bombings. Among the targets, Iraqi police stations and the Red Cross headquarters. CNN's Ben Wedeman is live in Baghdad -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra. The bomb that went off at 8:30 this morning shook this city not only physically but also emotionally.
The bomb went off outside the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross early this morning killing at least ten people and wounding probably more than two dozen.
Now, the Red Cross had declined to implement the kind of stringent security measures we've seen put out outside coalition buildings and diplomatic missions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PIERRE GASSMANN, RED CROSS: That's not an option, because if you do militarize the Red Cross and the access to the Red Cross, it will be extremely difficult for people that are seeking our help and the people that we're supposed to serve to get access to the Red Cross.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: Now, there is that bombing. And then shortly afterwards, we heard a series of other blasts. Those blasts were other car bombs outside three separate Iraqi police stations around the capital. Those resulting in the death of at least 20 people, including five Iraqi policemen and two American soldiers.
Now, a fourth car bombing outside a police station was only narrowly averted when Iraqi policemen opened fire on a white Toyota Land Cruiser rushing in their direction. They found inside that car, they said, five boxes of TNT. Now, the driver, who was wounded in the shoulder, they took for interrogation. Later, they said, he was a Syrian national.
So the death toll for today, at least 30 people dead, and more than 200 people wounded -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, Ben, in the middle of all of this violence, it's Ramadan. A very holy time. How is this affecting operation there? Specifically, U.S. troop movements and sensitivity to the culture? WEDEMAN: Well, U.S. troops had actually been instructed into the intricacies of Ramadan. This is a period during which Muslims are supposed to about stain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.
And we had also heard that there would be an increased possibility of threats of attacks against international and coalition targets. Security had been increased around the city. But obviously, there was no way to foresee the scale of the attack that took place today.
Significantly, the attack took place against, essentially, soft targets. Not coalition targets. The Red Cross, an organization prides itself on access Iraqis have to it. Police stations, which are essentially Iraqi institutions.
So, as I said, this city has really been emotionally shaken by these bombings -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Ben Wedeman, 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
