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Explosions Reported in Baghdad
Aired November 03, 2003 - 14:00 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Missiles by day, mortars by night. Huge new explosions rocked central Baghdad a day and a half after well-armed resistance fighters brought down a U.S. helicopter loaded with troops. Tonight's mortars were said to land in the vicinity of coalition authority headquarters. We get the latest from CNN's Matthew Chance in the Iraqi capital -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, thank you. And Those explosions ringing out throughout the night sky here in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
We understand at this point from coalition officials that they also heard these explosions, describing them as three to four mortar impacts in the center of the Iraqi capital. It's not exactly clear where these mortars landed, if indeed they were mortars.
But certainly I can tell you they were extremely loud explosions that actually shook the ground that we were standing on here in the center of Baghdad.
Certainly the coalition authorities have warned over the past few days and weeks of an increase in the threat against their personnel. They've been taking appropriate security measure to see address that.
That prediction seeming to have some kind of validity because over the last weekend, of course, it has been the bloodiest time for U.S. forces on the ground since President Bush declared an end to combat operations here in Iraq six months ago, with the downing of a helicopter of the United States Army, a Chinook helicopter as it was ferrying U.S. soldiers on the way out of the country to take some R&R.
Sixteen soldiers killed as a result of that, another 20 injured. The most serious of those injured have already been evacuated to a U.S. Army medical facility at Landstuhl in Germany.
So coalition authorities continuing to say there is an increased level of threat. This insurgency that is faced on a daily basis by coalition forces on the ground does seem to be intensifying -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Matthew, what do you know about arrests? We're hearing about the deaths on a daily basis. The increase in American soldiers losing their lives. What about arrests made on those that are carrying out these various attacks?
CHANCE: Well, certainly, there are arrests made. People are lifted off the streets. They're interrogated and questioned to try and get information about exactly who it is that is behind these succession of intensive attacks.
But that remains one of the big mysteries of this ongoing conflict here in Iraq. Who is it? Who is behind this increasing insurgency? There are a number of theories.
Is it foreign fighters coming in? Jihadists, Islamists that are using this country as a platform to strike against U.S. forces? Is it the remnants of the regime of Saddam Hussein who perhaps want to strike at the U.S. in order to restore their former positions of power? Or simply disgruntled Iraqis unhappy by the fact that their country is being occupied by a U.S.-led coalition?
Perhaps it is a combination of all those things. The coalition admits it simply does not have the intelligence to give an accurate picture of who is responsible -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Matthew Chance, it's a lingering question. Live from Iraq, 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 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Missiles by day, mortars by night. Huge new explosions rocked central Baghdad a day and a half after well-armed resistance fighters brought down a U.S. helicopter loaded with troops. Tonight's mortars were said to land in the vicinity of coalition authority headquarters. We get the latest from CNN's Matthew Chance in the Iraqi capital -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, thank you. And Those explosions ringing out throughout the night sky here in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
We understand at this point from coalition officials that they also heard these explosions, describing them as three to four mortar impacts in the center of the Iraqi capital. It's not exactly clear where these mortars landed, if indeed they were mortars.
But certainly I can tell you they were extremely loud explosions that actually shook the ground that we were standing on here in the center of Baghdad.
Certainly the coalition authorities have warned over the past few days and weeks of an increase in the threat against their personnel. They've been taking appropriate security measure to see address that.
That prediction seeming to have some kind of validity because over the last weekend, of course, it has been the bloodiest time for U.S. forces on the ground since President Bush declared an end to combat operations here in Iraq six months ago, with the downing of a helicopter of the United States Army, a Chinook helicopter as it was ferrying U.S. soldiers on the way out of the country to take some R&R.
Sixteen soldiers killed as a result of that, another 20 injured. The most serious of those injured have already been evacuated to a U.S. Army medical facility at Landstuhl in Germany.
So coalition authorities continuing to say there is an increased level of threat. This insurgency that is faced on a daily basis by coalition forces on the ground does seem to be intensifying -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Matthew, what do you know about arrests? We're hearing about the deaths on a daily basis. The increase in American soldiers losing their lives. What about arrests made on those that are carrying out these various attacks?
CHANCE: Well, certainly, there are arrests made. People are lifted off the streets. They're interrogated and questioned to try and get information about exactly who it is that is behind these succession of intensive attacks.
But that remains one of the big mysteries of this ongoing conflict here in Iraq. Who is it? Who is behind this increasing insurgency? There are a number of theories.
Is it foreign fighters coming in? Jihadists, Islamists that are using this country as a platform to strike against U.S. forces? Is it the remnants of the regime of Saddam Hussein who perhaps want to strike at the U.S. in order to restore their former positions of power? Or simply disgruntled Iraqis unhappy by the fact that their country is being occupied by a U.S.-led coalition?
Perhaps it is a combination of all those things. The coalition admits it simply does not have the intelligence to give an accurate picture of who is responsible -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Matthew Chance, it's a lingering question. Live from Iraq, 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
