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CNN Live Today
Basra Bombing
Aired November 11, 2003 - 10:05 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: Let's get the latest now on the Basra explosion, the military's tribute to Veteran's Day inside Iraq.
Our Matthew Chance is in Baghdad with more from the capital city.
Matthew, hello.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, thank you.
That situation in Basra still pretty much unclear here. But I can tell you that, according to the British military officials that we have spoken to, at least one person has been confirmed dead, a number of others injured. You mentioned the theory they are working with at the moment that these were the actual people planting the explosive device, and quite dramatic images, a car burning, one injured person or -- being taken away from the scene.
Also, in Baghdad, just a bit later on, there was an explosion outside of a courthouse, we understand that two -- rather four Iraqis were injured as a result of that. Both of those incidents underlining just what are the dangers, not just for Iraqis, but for coalition officials as well.
Now, who is behind these attacks? That's a big question that's vexing the senior most commanders of the U.S.-led coalition. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez is the commander of coalition ground forces. Let's see what he had to say to reporters earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ, COALITION FORCES COMMANDER: The total number of detainees that we have in our detention facilities is over 5,000. In terms of identifying specifically the links solidly to al Qaeda, we continue to work that. At one point, we had up to about 20 suspected al Qaeda members. But as we have continued to refine and interrogate, we have not been able to establish definitively that they were al Qaeda members.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: Or whether they are behind it. Certainly this is having an effect on the soldiers here, the many tens of thousands of U.S. and coalition forces that are here, deployed in Iraq on Veteran's Day. It's a special day for them here. They've become veterans themselves, of course. And as they remember, the comrades who have fallen in the line of duty here in Iraq, they also understand that there's some pretty hard difficulties facing them up ahead, as well -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Matthew, thank you 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 November 11, 2003 - 10:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get the latest now on the Basra explosion, the military's tribute to Veteran's Day inside Iraq.
Our Matthew Chance is in Baghdad with more from the capital city.
Matthew, hello.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, thank you.
That situation in Basra still pretty much unclear here. But I can tell you that, according to the British military officials that we have spoken to, at least one person has been confirmed dead, a number of others injured. You mentioned the theory they are working with at the moment that these were the actual people planting the explosive device, and quite dramatic images, a car burning, one injured person or -- being taken away from the scene.
Also, in Baghdad, just a bit later on, there was an explosion outside of a courthouse, we understand that two -- rather four Iraqis were injured as a result of that. Both of those incidents underlining just what are the dangers, not just for Iraqis, but for coalition officials as well.
Now, who is behind these attacks? That's a big question that's vexing the senior most commanders of the U.S.-led coalition. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez is the commander of coalition ground forces. Let's see what he had to say to reporters earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ, COALITION FORCES COMMANDER: The total number of detainees that we have in our detention facilities is over 5,000. In terms of identifying specifically the links solidly to al Qaeda, we continue to work that. At one point, we had up to about 20 suspected al Qaeda members. But as we have continued to refine and interrogate, we have not been able to establish definitively that they were al Qaeda members.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: Or whether they are behind it. Certainly this is having an effect on the soldiers here, the many tens of thousands of U.S. and coalition forces that are here, deployed in Iraq on Veteran's Day. It's a special day for them here. They've become veterans themselves, of course. And as they remember, the comrades who have fallen in the line of duty here in Iraq, they also understand that there's some pretty hard difficulties facing them up ahead, as well -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Matthew, thank you 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
