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Bad directions May Have Contributed to Latest Death of U.S. Soldier in Iraq
Aired December 02, 2003 - 13:06 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Bad directions may have contributed to the latest death of a U.S. soldier in Iraq. CNN's Walter Rodgers is live from Baghdad now with that and with another symbolic blow to Saddam Hussein. Walter, what can you tell us?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi. It seems almost callus to stand here and recite the death of another American soldier here in Iraq as if someone's son or brother was, but another statistic.
Still the victim this time was a 4th Infantry Division soldier traveling north of Baghdad. A remotely detonated roadside bomb went off. He was mortally wounded. And as you mentioned, the soldier was not able to be evacuated in time because of misdirections on his location.
In Baghdad, however, was there something of a symbolic victory for the U.S.-led coalition. This as ambassador Paul Bremer presided over a ceremony in which some very large 7-ton metal heads of Saddam Hussein were being removed from one of the palaces here in Baghdad. Now these heads are -- any display of Saddam material these days illegal and Ambassador Bremer took great pleasure in their removal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
L. PAUL BREMER, U.S. ADMINISTRATOR: I've been looking at these heads for six months and I'm just delighted to see them coming down. It's a symbol of how the regime that they represent is gone. The odious regime.
Of course, Iraqis been dealing with that regime for 35 years, so they feel even better about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: The head gear on the soldier -- or on the head of Saddam Hussein is that of an Islamic warrior. He often fancied himself as the reincarnation of Salah Hadin (ph), the great Islamic warrior of the 12th century or the biblical Nebuchadnezzar.
Whatever, there's a $25 million price tag on the real Saddam's head. And as I say, the U.S. is still looking for him. The sad thing is that the Iraqi people realize he's not caught -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Walter Rodgers, live from Baghdad. Thanks, Walter. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
U.S. Soldier in Iraq>
Aired December 2, 2003 - 13:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Bad directions may have contributed to the latest death of a U.S. soldier in Iraq. CNN's Walter Rodgers is live from Baghdad now with that and with another symbolic blow to Saddam Hussein. Walter, what can you tell us?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi. It seems almost callus to stand here and recite the death of another American soldier here in Iraq as if someone's son or brother was, but another statistic.
Still the victim this time was a 4th Infantry Division soldier traveling north of Baghdad. A remotely detonated roadside bomb went off. He was mortally wounded. And as you mentioned, the soldier was not able to be evacuated in time because of misdirections on his location.
In Baghdad, however, was there something of a symbolic victory for the U.S.-led coalition. This as ambassador Paul Bremer presided over a ceremony in which some very large 7-ton metal heads of Saddam Hussein were being removed from one of the palaces here in Baghdad. Now these heads are -- any display of Saddam material these days illegal and Ambassador Bremer took great pleasure in their removal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
L. PAUL BREMER, U.S. ADMINISTRATOR: I've been looking at these heads for six months and I'm just delighted to see them coming down. It's a symbol of how the regime that they represent is gone. The odious regime.
Of course, Iraqis been dealing with that regime for 35 years, so they feel even better about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: The head gear on the soldier -- or on the head of Saddam Hussein is that of an Islamic warrior. He often fancied himself as the reincarnation of Salah Hadin (ph), the great Islamic warrior of the 12th century or the biblical Nebuchadnezzar.
Whatever, there's a $25 million price tag on the real Saddam's head. And as I say, the U.S. is still looking for him. The sad thing is that the Iraqi people realize he's not caught -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Walter Rodgers, live from Baghdad. Thanks, Walter. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
U.S. Soldier in Iraq>
