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Bremer: Iraq Will Get Worse With Attacks
Aired December 05, 2003 - 13:10 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: More violence in Iraq and more American casualties. A roadside bomb blasts a U.S. military convoy and an Iraqi civilian bus. CNN's Walt Rodgers is live in Baghdad with the details -- Walt.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra. It was a bad day in Baghdad today. And the forecast is for more and worst to come. That's from Paul Bremer, the chief U.S. administrator, the top U.S. civilian official here in Baghdad.
He says it's going to get worse. There will be more attacks on the U.S.-led coalition forces in the months ahead, as the United States tries to cede some of the power it now holds to a civilian government in Iraq. And this transfer power, again Ambassador Bremer said, will be bloody.
Now that ironically comes at a time when a leading general here seems to say today the U.S. has been somewhat successful in cracking down on attacks on forces. Here's General Mark Kimmitt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTH.: We certainly hope that the offense of operations that are being conducted against Baghdad have sent a clear message to the terrorists that we will come after you, we will kill you, or we will capture you. We're here to provide a safe and secure environment in Baghdad, for not only the coalition forces but for the people of Baghdad as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: There was a particularly savage attack on coalition forces here in Baghdad today. Three American Humvees, Army vehicles were traveling along. A remotely detonated roadside bomb struck the last vehicle. It killed the soldier who was driving the vehicle.
And coincidentally there was -- the same blast hit a civilian bus which just happened to be passing in the opposite direction on the other side of the road. One dead American soldier, three dead Iraqis, including the driver, whose body was seen lying in the road.
There was much carnage inside that bus because the roadside bomb just shattered the glass windows in there. There were 21 people on the bus. At least 11 of those people are in hospital. It shows, once again, that the Iraqi guerrillas are totally indiscriminate in their violence and killing. While targeting an American convoy here, they apparently had no compulsion about setting off their charges while a civilian bus was going by -- Kyra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Walter Rodgers, live from Baghdad, 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 5, 2003 - 13:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: More violence in Iraq and more American casualties. A roadside bomb blasts a U.S. military convoy and an Iraqi civilian bus. CNN's Walt Rodgers is live in Baghdad with the details -- Walt.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra. It was a bad day in Baghdad today. And the forecast is for more and worst to come. That's from Paul Bremer, the chief U.S. administrator, the top U.S. civilian official here in Baghdad.
He says it's going to get worse. There will be more attacks on the U.S.-led coalition forces in the months ahead, as the United States tries to cede some of the power it now holds to a civilian government in Iraq. And this transfer power, again Ambassador Bremer said, will be bloody.
Now that ironically comes at a time when a leading general here seems to say today the U.S. has been somewhat successful in cracking down on attacks on forces. Here's General Mark Kimmitt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTH.: We certainly hope that the offense of operations that are being conducted against Baghdad have sent a clear message to the terrorists that we will come after you, we will kill you, or we will capture you. We're here to provide a safe and secure environment in Baghdad, for not only the coalition forces but for the people of Baghdad as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: There was a particularly savage attack on coalition forces here in Baghdad today. Three American Humvees, Army vehicles were traveling along. A remotely detonated roadside bomb struck the last vehicle. It killed the soldier who was driving the vehicle.
And coincidentally there was -- the same blast hit a civilian bus which just happened to be passing in the opposite direction on the other side of the road. One dead American soldier, three dead Iraqis, including the driver, whose body was seen lying in the road.
There was much carnage inside that bus because the roadside bomb just shattered the glass windows in there. There were 21 people on the bus. At least 11 of those people are in hospital. It shows, once again, that the Iraqi guerrillas are totally indiscriminate in their violence and killing. While targeting an American convoy here, they apparently had no compulsion about setting off their charges while a civilian bus was going by -- Kyra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Walter Rodgers, live from Baghdad, 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
