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Multiple Large Explosions Heard in Baghdad
Aired November 03, 2003 - 13:17 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: This information just coming to us from Baghdad. Five explosions shaking central Baghdad right now. We are told strong explosions were heard later in the day. It appeared that the blasts were coming from the western side of the Tigris River.
We are told Matthew Chance, we've got him up with us. What information do you have, Matthew?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, not very much at all, I'm afraid. We just heard these big explosions ring out into the night sky over the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. They literally shook the ground in which we were standing here, quite loud explosions, and it sounded a long way away from the information that slowly now is trickling to us. It seems that these explosions took place in the vicinity of the headquarters of the coalition provisional authority. That's not to say at this stage these were the buildings that were actually hit, but at this moment and these explosions have taken place literally over the course of the past few minutes.
We don't exactly know where they're coming from, but they seem to be in the northwestern part of the city, about five kilometers, two and a half, three miles or so away from this position where we're speaking to you right now.
Given that, the loudness of the explosions was quite intense. We can definitely tell these were extremely large explosions, unclear at this stage, what it was that may have caused them. This city is very much on edge. There have been a big security alert over the course of the past few days. The coalition authority saying that they're expecting some kind of upsurge in the attacks against them and their soldiers on the ground.
We've seen, of course, over the weekend, a very bloody weekend indeed, particularly for U.S. troops on the ground, their bloodiest since President Bush declared an end to the major combat operations in this country six months ago, but quite clearly from the events from the weekend, and we'll see what happens what these explosions turn out to be, but quite clearly, this insurgency that we're seeing here that the U.S. and coalition forces are confronting on a daily basis is intensifying really quite dramatically -- Kyra.
I am just curious, Matthew, in light of this and also the recent attacks on the U.N., the Red Cross, if indeed this is Paul Bremer's place of operation there, the coalition provisional authority. Are you going -- or is there, rather an increase in security around these main areas of operation, well known areas, as we say? PHILLIPS: Well, I'll tell you, over the course of the past few weeks, and indeed, the past few months, security has been tightened here, really quite significantly. I was last here in June, and it was quite possible to go in and out of the various hotels, and go right up to the gates of the CPA, the Coalition Provisional Authority buildings, the former presidential palaces of Saddam Hussein relatively freely without being challenged until you get right up there.
Since then, obviously, there has been this intensification of the violence coming from these unknown insurgents opposed to the U.S. presence here, and because of that, security has been tightened a great deal over the past few months. There are concrete barricades in the streets. Some of the streets where the coalition have their sort of bureaucrats have been entirely sealed off. It's very difficult for us to get there, but impossible for all -- as difficult as possible for ordinary Iraqis.
So, yes, there is a great sense of insecurity here, not just, of course, among the coalition authorities, but also among ordinary Iraqis. Remember, they too have been targeted by the bombing campaign of these unknown insurgents. They've seen a number of attacks against the Red Cross, against the United Nations, against other aid agencies that have targeted aid workers supposed to be here making life slightly better for the people of Iraq. The people working of Iraq, the police here, the people working hand in hand in hand with the coalition authorities have also been specifically targeted, and are targeted on a daily basis. So a great sense of unease, a great sense of insecurity here in the Iraqi capital and elsewhere in this country.
Matthew Chance, we'll continue to check with you. 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 November 3, 2003 - 13:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: This information just coming to us from Baghdad. Five explosions shaking central Baghdad right now. We are told strong explosions were heard later in the day. It appeared that the blasts were coming from the western side of the Tigris River.
We are told Matthew Chance, we've got him up with us. What information do you have, Matthew?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, not very much at all, I'm afraid. We just heard these big explosions ring out into the night sky over the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. They literally shook the ground in which we were standing here, quite loud explosions, and it sounded a long way away from the information that slowly now is trickling to us. It seems that these explosions took place in the vicinity of the headquarters of the coalition provisional authority. That's not to say at this stage these were the buildings that were actually hit, but at this moment and these explosions have taken place literally over the course of the past few minutes.
We don't exactly know where they're coming from, but they seem to be in the northwestern part of the city, about five kilometers, two and a half, three miles or so away from this position where we're speaking to you right now.
Given that, the loudness of the explosions was quite intense. We can definitely tell these were extremely large explosions, unclear at this stage, what it was that may have caused them. This city is very much on edge. There have been a big security alert over the course of the past few days. The coalition authority saying that they're expecting some kind of upsurge in the attacks against them and their soldiers on the ground.
We've seen, of course, over the weekend, a very bloody weekend indeed, particularly for U.S. troops on the ground, their bloodiest since President Bush declared an end to the major combat operations in this country six months ago, but quite clearly from the events from the weekend, and we'll see what happens what these explosions turn out to be, but quite clearly, this insurgency that we're seeing here that the U.S. and coalition forces are confronting on a daily basis is intensifying really quite dramatically -- Kyra.
I am just curious, Matthew, in light of this and also the recent attacks on the U.N., the Red Cross, if indeed this is Paul Bremer's place of operation there, the coalition provisional authority. Are you going -- or is there, rather an increase in security around these main areas of operation, well known areas, as we say? PHILLIPS: Well, I'll tell you, over the course of the past few weeks, and indeed, the past few months, security has been tightened here, really quite significantly. I was last here in June, and it was quite possible to go in and out of the various hotels, and go right up to the gates of the CPA, the Coalition Provisional Authority buildings, the former presidential palaces of Saddam Hussein relatively freely without being challenged until you get right up there.
Since then, obviously, there has been this intensification of the violence coming from these unknown insurgents opposed to the U.S. presence here, and because of that, security has been tightened a great deal over the past few months. There are concrete barricades in the streets. Some of the streets where the coalition have their sort of bureaucrats have been entirely sealed off. It's very difficult for us to get there, but impossible for all -- as difficult as possible for ordinary Iraqis.
So, yes, there is a great sense of insecurity here, not just, of course, among the coalition authorities, but also among ordinary Iraqis. Remember, they too have been targeted by the bombing campaign of these unknown insurgents. They've seen a number of attacks against the Red Cross, against the United Nations, against other aid agencies that have targeted aid workers supposed to be here making life slightly better for the people of Iraq. The people working of Iraq, the police here, the people working hand in hand in hand with the coalition authorities have also been specifically targeted, and are targeted on a daily basis. So a great sense of unease, a great sense of insecurity here in the Iraqi capital and elsewhere in this country.
Matthew Chance, we'll continue to check with you. 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
