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Series of Attacks in Iraq

Aired December 01, 2003 - 13:00   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: We are a finding about a series of attacks one commander calls a coordinated effort to deal a blow to coordinated forces in Iraq. They were aimed at U.S. convoys delivering the new Iraqi currency to banks north of Baghdad. CENTCOM says as many as 54 Iraqis were killed, which would make this the bloodiest fighting since the fall of the old regime. Iraqis say there were far fewer deaths, and some of those killed were innocent.
CNN's Walter Rodgers has the latest from Baghdad -- Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.

This was indeed the most ferocious firefight, shootout of the war, at least since last May, when President Bush declared major combat operations effectively over. What happened was two separate convoys of U.S. 4th Infantry Division soldiers were traveling through the Iraqi town of Samarra, about 75 miles northwest of Baghdad. The soldiers were actually escorting delivery of two sets of bank notes to two separate banks in the town. They began to take small arms fire. There was a roadside bomb, and then there was a very clear ambush.

Some of the Iraqi insurgents came pouring out of a mosque where they had been hiding, they began pouring down rocket-propelled grenades, mortars on the U.S. troops in armored vehicles, as well as automatic weapons fire.

General Mark Kimmitt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. ANDY DEPONAI, U.S. ARMY: We believe it was, they split their force in half as well and had a well-planned attack against each bank site, and we think we were looking at anywhere from 30 to 40 individuals at each bank site, and they had broken themselves down into squad and team-sized elements so they could attack each bank from all sides.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RODGERS: The Iraqi guerrilla attacks were clearly coordinated to kill American soldiers, but they were strategically ill-conceived. You had groups of 30 to 40 Iraqi guerrillas descending on the two convoys. But what they were essentially doing is infantry attacking main battle tanks that the U.S. Army had with it. Those tanks built to withstand nuclear warfare in Europe.

Again, it was a route, at the end of the day, of course, there were Iraqi civilians caught in the ambush, and the Iraqis in Samarra generally tended to blame the Americans, rather than the guerrillas who launched the attacks, not a good foundation for building a democracy, and it doesn't say much about the U.S. effort to win the hearts, and minds and souls of Iraqi people -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Walt Rodgers, live from Baghdad. We'll condition to check in with you, Walt.

We knew at least a week ago that November would be the deadliest month of the U.S. invasion and occupation to date. Here's the final toll: 100 dead coalition solders, 81 of them American. The others were Italian, British and Polish. In April this month, Saddam's regime collapsed, 73 U.S. troops were killed, along with six Brits. Since the war began, 438 U.S. troops have now been killed.

Iraq is back on the U.N.'s radar screen today, and so we turn to CNN's senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth with more from there -- Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the secretary-general of the United Nations is convening this afternoon, the first session of a so-called advisory group, 17 nations that are going to go behind closed doors and try come up with common strategy to Iraq. Today, Secretary-General Annan avoided questions from CNN about the meeting. The spokesman for Annan saying there is know set agenda. The advisory group would be the five permanent members and some on the Security Council who have two-year terms, such as Spain.

There is Spain's foreign minister, Ana Palosio (ph), today with Secretary-General Annan. The foreign minister was here, of course, while the bodies of those killed from Spain and Iraq were returning home. She says Spain is going to continue its commitment to Iraq and not let people who she says are trying to force countries out of Iraq to prevail.

Also at this meeting later today will be the neighboring countries of Iraq, including Egypt. The idea is a sounding board for the secretary general who has a tough job ahead. The U.N. is going to be more involved, but Secretary-General Annan doesn't want to put his staff members and agencies in harm's way. He already lost his senior representative there on August 19th, along with 20 or so others in the bombing of U.N. headquarters -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Richard, with all the attacks that are taking place, and now on international allies, you mentioned Spain's foreign minister. She says she's going to stick by this mission in Iraq. Was she more in depth? Did she say anything more on that? And what about other countries? What are they saying at the U.N.?

ROTH: Well, the Spanish foreign minister is headed to Washington next where she'll meet with Condoleezza Rice. She was upset that Spain wasn't initially part of this so-called advisory group, that Germany was going to represent European countries. They don't have a permanent seat on the Security Council. Now Spain indeed has been added. Countries on the Security Council think that the U.N. in some ways is already on the board. They have a resolution, which says the U.N. is going to help. It's just working out these details. How do you help if there's such a dangerous security environment? That's what countries are still reluctant to commit for, they don't want their own troops shot at, and the U.N. is once again caught in the middle.

PHILLIPS: Richard Roth, 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 December 1, 2003 - 13:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We are a finding about a series of attacks one commander calls a coordinated effort to deal a blow to coordinated forces in Iraq. They were aimed at U.S. convoys delivering the new Iraqi currency to banks north of Baghdad. CENTCOM says as many as 54 Iraqis were killed, which would make this the bloodiest fighting since the fall of the old regime. Iraqis say there were far fewer deaths, and some of those killed were innocent.
CNN's Walter Rodgers has the latest from Baghdad -- Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.

This was indeed the most ferocious firefight, shootout of the war, at least since last May, when President Bush declared major combat operations effectively over. What happened was two separate convoys of U.S. 4th Infantry Division soldiers were traveling through the Iraqi town of Samarra, about 75 miles northwest of Baghdad. The soldiers were actually escorting delivery of two sets of bank notes to two separate banks in the town. They began to take small arms fire. There was a roadside bomb, and then there was a very clear ambush.

Some of the Iraqi insurgents came pouring out of a mosque where they had been hiding, they began pouring down rocket-propelled grenades, mortars on the U.S. troops in armored vehicles, as well as automatic weapons fire.

General Mark Kimmitt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. ANDY DEPONAI, U.S. ARMY: We believe it was, they split their force in half as well and had a well-planned attack against each bank site, and we think we were looking at anywhere from 30 to 40 individuals at each bank site, and they had broken themselves down into squad and team-sized elements so they could attack each bank from all sides.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RODGERS: The Iraqi guerrilla attacks were clearly coordinated to kill American soldiers, but they were strategically ill-conceived. You had groups of 30 to 40 Iraqi guerrillas descending on the two convoys. But what they were essentially doing is infantry attacking main battle tanks that the U.S. Army had with it. Those tanks built to withstand nuclear warfare in Europe.

Again, it was a route, at the end of the day, of course, there were Iraqi civilians caught in the ambush, and the Iraqis in Samarra generally tended to blame the Americans, rather than the guerrillas who launched the attacks, not a good foundation for building a democracy, and it doesn't say much about the U.S. effort to win the hearts, and minds and souls of Iraqi people -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Walt Rodgers, live from Baghdad. We'll condition to check in with you, Walt.

We knew at least a week ago that November would be the deadliest month of the U.S. invasion and occupation to date. Here's the final toll: 100 dead coalition solders, 81 of them American. The others were Italian, British and Polish. In April this month, Saddam's regime collapsed, 73 U.S. troops were killed, along with six Brits. Since the war began, 438 U.S. troops have now been killed.

Iraq is back on the U.N.'s radar screen today, and so we turn to CNN's senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth with more from there -- Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the secretary-general of the United Nations is convening this afternoon, the first session of a so-called advisory group, 17 nations that are going to go behind closed doors and try come up with common strategy to Iraq. Today, Secretary-General Annan avoided questions from CNN about the meeting. The spokesman for Annan saying there is know set agenda. The advisory group would be the five permanent members and some on the Security Council who have two-year terms, such as Spain.

There is Spain's foreign minister, Ana Palosio (ph), today with Secretary-General Annan. The foreign minister was here, of course, while the bodies of those killed from Spain and Iraq were returning home. She says Spain is going to continue its commitment to Iraq and not let people who she says are trying to force countries out of Iraq to prevail.

Also at this meeting later today will be the neighboring countries of Iraq, including Egypt. The idea is a sounding board for the secretary general who has a tough job ahead. The U.N. is going to be more involved, but Secretary-General Annan doesn't want to put his staff members and agencies in harm's way. He already lost his senior representative there on August 19th, along with 20 or so others in the bombing of U.N. headquarters -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Richard, with all the attacks that are taking place, and now on international allies, you mentioned Spain's foreign minister. She says she's going to stick by this mission in Iraq. Was she more in depth? Did she say anything more on that? And what about other countries? What are they saying at the U.N.?

ROTH: Well, the Spanish foreign minister is headed to Washington next where she'll meet with Condoleezza Rice. She was upset that Spain wasn't initially part of this so-called advisory group, that Germany was going to represent European countries. They don't have a permanent seat on the Security Council. Now Spain indeed has been added. Countries on the Security Council think that the U.N. in some ways is already on the board. They have a resolution, which says the U.N. is going to help. It's just working out these details. How do you help if there's such a dangerous security environment? That's what countries are still reluctant to commit for, they don't want their own troops shot at, and the U.N. is once again caught in the middle.

PHILLIPS: Richard Roth, 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