Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Explosions Reported Over Iraq Capital

Aired March 20, 2003 - 13:15   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.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Nic Robertson, if you're still there, tell us what you're seeing now.
It looks like a very, very intense bombardment that's hitting Baghdad.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed, Wolf, the antiaircraft gunfire now does seem to have subsided, smoke rising from those three locations. One location perhaps about a mile away from me at this time. A large building, a building associated here generally with the ministry of planning, associated also with the offices of Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.

That building, from what I can see, engulfed in black smoke, the plumes of smoke now drifting down river, along the banks of the Tigris River, smoke now, the trail of smoke perhaps a mile or longer from that location.

Another location, directly across the river from where I'm standing, a location that many people in Baghdad would sector with a presidential compound, also smoke coming up from that area, and another location also in that same presidential area.

By far, the bigger impact appears to have been the ministerial building that now seems to be engulfed in black smoke. The detonations that I witnessed around it appeared to come from the base of the building, didn't appear to impact in the center of the building, didn't appear to tear the building apart, so to speak, but certainly erupted at the base of it, huge amber flashes, rolling up with black smoke, rolling on the outside of the building, that smoke now engulfing the building, the smoke drifting down the river. Anti- aircraft gunfire does seem to have subsided at this particular point -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Nic, standby for a second. I want you to further assess what's going on.

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 March 20, 2003 - 13:15   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Nic Robertson, if you're still there, tell us what you're seeing now.
It looks like a very, very intense bombardment that's hitting Baghdad.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed, Wolf, the antiaircraft gunfire now does seem to have subsided, smoke rising from those three locations. One location perhaps about a mile away from me at this time. A large building, a building associated here generally with the ministry of planning, associated also with the offices of Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.

That building, from what I can see, engulfed in black smoke, the plumes of smoke now drifting down river, along the banks of the Tigris River, smoke now, the trail of smoke perhaps a mile or longer from that location.

Another location, directly across the river from where I'm standing, a location that many people in Baghdad would sector with a presidential compound, also smoke coming up from that area, and another location also in that same presidential area.

By far, the bigger impact appears to have been the ministerial building that now seems to be engulfed in black smoke. The detonations that I witnessed around it appeared to come from the base of the building, didn't appear to impact in the center of the building, didn't appear to tear the building apart, so to speak, but certainly erupted at the base of it, huge amber flashes, rolling up with black smoke, rolling on the outside of the building, that smoke now engulfing the building, the smoke drifting down the river. Anti- aircraft gunfire does seem to have subsided at this particular point -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Nic, standby for a second. I want you to further assess what's going on.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com