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Deadly Tensions Simmer in Mosul

Aired April 17, 2003 - 10:02   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In the northern town of Mosul, a volatile mix still simmers after two days boiling over into violence. More U.S. troops are arriving as coalition forces struggle for control after deadly clashes with Iraqi civilians.
Our Ben Wedeman in Erbil with the latest.

Ben, hello.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hello, Daryn.

Well, as the rest of the Iraq seems to be calming down into some form of normality, Mosul does seem to be the exception. Now Mosul is a city of about a million people in northern Iraq, two-thirds of the population Arab Sunni. Now since the week began, at least 10 people, and possibly as many as 17 have been killed in clashes between local inhabitants and U.S. forces. In one incident, day before yesterday, a protest broke out, U.S. forces were fired upon, they returned fire. As many as somewhere between seven and 12 people killed there.

Yesterday, as you mentioned, there was an incident involving a potential back robbery. But there were shots fired around. According to hospital sources in Mosul, some civilians were injured. And most of these clashes are taking place around one specific building, and that is the governor's office in downtown Mosul. That building is occupied by U.S. Marines and special forces, and that is about the only part of the city that is controlled by American forces. The rest is a no man's land in which anyone who comes from the outside wants to go through, must tread very carefully, including Western journalists. There is a lot of anger following these clashes that have taken place over the last few days, these deaths.

Many people in that city still in to some extent still loyal to Saddam Hussein. This a predominantly Arab Sunni city, one in which many of the -- from which many senior officer in the Iraqi army came from.

Now, another source of resentment against the U.S. there is the fact that the Americans have as yet been unable to restore electricity and running water to the city. Now American officials in Mosul say they are doing the best they can to restore those essential services. They are doing whatever they can to restore, maintain law and order, but they admit, it is an uphill battle -- Daryn.

ZAHN: Ben, I remember during the intense battle for this city when warfare was going on, leaders from Mosul sat down with coalition forces and they actually drafted this letter that they signed. I would think that perhaps that would make it more hopeful for a more peaceful situation in this city. Is any more talk of having more talks like this?

WEDEMAN: Well, that was just the Army itself. The city, however, has many different faction and groups who have emerged, and basically, independent. You have the Fedayeen Saddam. There is never any agreement about their status. You have popping up almost on every street corner, new militias and political party whose basically have carved out little neighborhoods of their own that they guard, that they patrol, all of them armed.

So it's a very volatile situation in which there is no real authority. Yesterday, we spoke to one Marine official who said maybe two dozen, maybe more retired -- well, of Saddam's police officers have been drafted back into service, but in a city of almost a million people, two dozen police officers just aren't enough. So it's a very volatile, almost chaotic situation, and no order seems to be emerging as yet -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Ben Wedeman in Mosul, thank you very much for 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 April 17, 2003 - 10:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In the northern town of Mosul, a volatile mix still simmers after two days boiling over into violence. More U.S. troops are arriving as coalition forces struggle for control after deadly clashes with Iraqi civilians.
Our Ben Wedeman in Erbil with the latest.

Ben, hello.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hello, Daryn.

Well, as the rest of the Iraq seems to be calming down into some form of normality, Mosul does seem to be the exception. Now Mosul is a city of about a million people in northern Iraq, two-thirds of the population Arab Sunni. Now since the week began, at least 10 people, and possibly as many as 17 have been killed in clashes between local inhabitants and U.S. forces. In one incident, day before yesterday, a protest broke out, U.S. forces were fired upon, they returned fire. As many as somewhere between seven and 12 people killed there.

Yesterday, as you mentioned, there was an incident involving a potential back robbery. But there were shots fired around. According to hospital sources in Mosul, some civilians were injured. And most of these clashes are taking place around one specific building, and that is the governor's office in downtown Mosul. That building is occupied by U.S. Marines and special forces, and that is about the only part of the city that is controlled by American forces. The rest is a no man's land in which anyone who comes from the outside wants to go through, must tread very carefully, including Western journalists. There is a lot of anger following these clashes that have taken place over the last few days, these deaths.

Many people in that city still in to some extent still loyal to Saddam Hussein. This a predominantly Arab Sunni city, one in which many of the -- from which many senior officer in the Iraqi army came from.

Now, another source of resentment against the U.S. there is the fact that the Americans have as yet been unable to restore electricity and running water to the city. Now American officials in Mosul say they are doing the best they can to restore those essential services. They are doing whatever they can to restore, maintain law and order, but they admit, it is an uphill battle -- Daryn.

ZAHN: Ben, I remember during the intense battle for this city when warfare was going on, leaders from Mosul sat down with coalition forces and they actually drafted this letter that they signed. I would think that perhaps that would make it more hopeful for a more peaceful situation in this city. Is any more talk of having more talks like this?

WEDEMAN: Well, that was just the Army itself. The city, however, has many different faction and groups who have emerged, and basically, independent. You have the Fedayeen Saddam. There is never any agreement about their status. You have popping up almost on every street corner, new militias and political party whose basically have carved out little neighborhoods of their own that they guard, that they patrol, all of them armed.

So it's a very volatile situation in which there is no real authority. Yesterday, we spoke to one Marine official who said maybe two dozen, maybe more retired -- well, of Saddam's police officers have been drafted back into service, but in a city of almost a million people, two dozen police officers just aren't enough. So it's a very volatile, almost chaotic situation, and no order seems to be emerging as yet -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Ben Wedeman in Mosul, thank you very much for 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