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Mosul Attack
Aired November 24, 2003 - 13:09 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: Let's shift gears and talk about Iraq, where there are fears the insurgency is spreading north after the chilling deaths of two U.S. soldiers yesterday in Mosul.
CNN's senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers joins us now live from Baghdad with the latest and what appears to be a broadening guerrilla front -- Walt.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
Well, indeed another U.S. soldier was injured today in one of those remotely detonated roadside bomb attacks again in the Iraqi city, the northern city of Mosul, but it was nothing like the murderous offensive Sunday in Mosul, when two U.S. soldiers were brutally killed by a mob. The Army now says the soldiers were both killed by gunshot wounds to the head and then eyewitnesses report the soldiers' bodies dragged from the automobile mutilated, abused in the streets, dragged through the streets, and the soldiers' bodies, the soldier's personal belongings were looted by that Iraqi mob in Mosul.
In another development here in Baghdad, the American-appointed Iraqi Governing Council has given a rather slap in the face to the concept of embryonic democracy here in Iraq. The Iraqi Governing Council has now shutdown the Al Arabiya television network, and additionally, that same American-appointed governing council has threatened punitive action against CNN and against the BBC. Al Arabiya's transgression is that in fact they played in full an audiotape from Saddam Hussein last week, which called for resistance to the American occupation here, not an auspicious sign if you're thinking of freedom of press in the new Democratic Iraq.
Having said that, additionally, the Islamic month of Ramadan, the holy month of Ramadan, a time of self-purification for Muslims around the world is coming to a close. This has been one of the -- many of the attacks have been blamed on Ramadan and the behavior which is perhaps typical with that time of the year, violence, but when this month comes to a close -- and what's happening now, of course, is that Muslims here in Iraq begin their feast, the Eve of Atta (ph). That marks the end of Ramadan -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Walt, that said s there much optimism there right now that all of the violence will abate somewhat now that Ramadan is over?
RODGERS: I think the hope is there, but the intelligence sources and the military figures here with whom we've been speaking and to whom we've been listening say that with the end of Ramadan there could continue to be this upsurge in violence for a while yet. You see in Ramadan, Muslims tend to feel their identity, their Muslim identity, more keenly than in other times of the year, and that sense of Muslim identity, the sense of self-purification and righteousness associated with the month of fasting has in turn made them very much separate and almost hostile to the American forces here which are occupying their country. The gap becomes broader as Ramadan comes to a close -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: In Baghdad, thank you very much, Walt. Appreciate that.
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 24, 2003 - 13:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's shift gears and talk about Iraq, where there are fears the insurgency is spreading north after the chilling deaths of two U.S. soldiers yesterday in Mosul.
CNN's senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers joins us now live from Baghdad with the latest and what appears to be a broadening guerrilla front -- Walt.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
Well, indeed another U.S. soldier was injured today in one of those remotely detonated roadside bomb attacks again in the Iraqi city, the northern city of Mosul, but it was nothing like the murderous offensive Sunday in Mosul, when two U.S. soldiers were brutally killed by a mob. The Army now says the soldiers were both killed by gunshot wounds to the head and then eyewitnesses report the soldiers' bodies dragged from the automobile mutilated, abused in the streets, dragged through the streets, and the soldiers' bodies, the soldier's personal belongings were looted by that Iraqi mob in Mosul.
In another development here in Baghdad, the American-appointed Iraqi Governing Council has given a rather slap in the face to the concept of embryonic democracy here in Iraq. The Iraqi Governing Council has now shutdown the Al Arabiya television network, and additionally, that same American-appointed governing council has threatened punitive action against CNN and against the BBC. Al Arabiya's transgression is that in fact they played in full an audiotape from Saddam Hussein last week, which called for resistance to the American occupation here, not an auspicious sign if you're thinking of freedom of press in the new Democratic Iraq.
Having said that, additionally, the Islamic month of Ramadan, the holy month of Ramadan, a time of self-purification for Muslims around the world is coming to a close. This has been one of the -- many of the attacks have been blamed on Ramadan and the behavior which is perhaps typical with that time of the year, violence, but when this month comes to a close -- and what's happening now, of course, is that Muslims here in Iraq begin their feast, the Eve of Atta (ph). That marks the end of Ramadan -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Walt, that said s there much optimism there right now that all of the violence will abate somewhat now that Ramadan is over?
RODGERS: I think the hope is there, but the intelligence sources and the military figures here with whom we've been speaking and to whom we've been listening say that with the end of Ramadan there could continue to be this upsurge in violence for a while yet. You see in Ramadan, Muslims tend to feel their identity, their Muslim identity, more keenly than in other times of the year, and that sense of Muslim identity, the sense of self-purification and righteousness associated with the month of fasting has in turn made them very much separate and almost hostile to the American forces here which are occupying their country. The gap becomes broader as Ramadan comes to a close -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: In Baghdad, thank you very much, Walt. Appreciate that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
