Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Blast at Mosque in Baghdad
Aired January 09, 2004 - 11:22 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: A blast at a mosque and raids against insurgents.
Let's get the latest from Iraq with CNN's Karl Penhaul.
Karl, hello.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.
Yes, as worshipers were leaving Friday prayers in the city of Barkuba (ph), an explosion. Military authorities from the coalition tell us four people have died, and at least 36 others have been wounded.
Now the explosion occurred outside a Shia Muslim mosque in Barkuba (ph). The town itself, though, is largely populated by Sunni Muslims. That's the other branch of Islam. And in the past, there have been some kind of tension between the two communities, not only there, but in other parts of the Iraq, not necessarily a trend, but it has happened in the past.
So far, however, though, coalition authorities haven't decided who may be behind these attacks, and certainly no group has claimed responsibility, Coalition authorities not been able to say so far exactly what type of device caused that explosion, but there are some wire agency reports suggesting the explosives were placed on a bicycle.
Now in another incident in Tikrit, the old hometown of Saddam Hussein, 300 soldiers from the Fourth Infantry Division, went on raids against about 20 homes and shops, and they detained 30 people. Now most interesting, about 12 people caught in that net, who they suspect of being former Fedayeen fighters, those the old paramilitary militia under Saddam Hussein. And the coalition suspect that these are the people of late that have been leading the anti-coalition insurgency in that region.
KAGAN: And what about the release of prisoners that was supposed to come, Karl?
PENHAUL: There's been little more movement on that, Daryn. Yesterday from Abu Grave (ph) Prison on the outskirts of Baghdad. About 60 prisoners did walk free from the jail, although coalition officials said that was nothing to do with the detainee release program that was announced by administrator Paul Bremer two days earlier. So a little bit of confusion over that, but coalition authorities have said in the course of the coming week around 500 detainees should be released. Those are all classified as low-level suspects who haven't taken any part in violent armed acts against the coalition, but are suspected of having taken some kind of ties to the insurgent groups.
KAGAN: Karl Penhaul in Baghdad, thank you for the latest from Iraq.
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 January 9, 2004 - 11:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A blast at a mosque and raids against insurgents.
Let's get the latest from Iraq with CNN's Karl Penhaul.
Karl, hello.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.
Yes, as worshipers were leaving Friday prayers in the city of Barkuba (ph), an explosion. Military authorities from the coalition tell us four people have died, and at least 36 others have been wounded.
Now the explosion occurred outside a Shia Muslim mosque in Barkuba (ph). The town itself, though, is largely populated by Sunni Muslims. That's the other branch of Islam. And in the past, there have been some kind of tension between the two communities, not only there, but in other parts of the Iraq, not necessarily a trend, but it has happened in the past.
So far, however, though, coalition authorities haven't decided who may be behind these attacks, and certainly no group has claimed responsibility, Coalition authorities not been able to say so far exactly what type of device caused that explosion, but there are some wire agency reports suggesting the explosives were placed on a bicycle.
Now in another incident in Tikrit, the old hometown of Saddam Hussein, 300 soldiers from the Fourth Infantry Division, went on raids against about 20 homes and shops, and they detained 30 people. Now most interesting, about 12 people caught in that net, who they suspect of being former Fedayeen fighters, those the old paramilitary militia under Saddam Hussein. And the coalition suspect that these are the people of late that have been leading the anti-coalition insurgency in that region.
KAGAN: And what about the release of prisoners that was supposed to come, Karl?
PENHAUL: There's been little more movement on that, Daryn. Yesterday from Abu Grave (ph) Prison on the outskirts of Baghdad. About 60 prisoners did walk free from the jail, although coalition officials said that was nothing to do with the detainee release program that was announced by administrator Paul Bremer two days earlier. So a little bit of confusion over that, but coalition authorities have said in the course of the coming week around 500 detainees should be released. Those are all classified as low-level suspects who haven't taken any part in violent armed acts against the coalition, but are suspected of having taken some kind of ties to the insurgent groups.
KAGAN: Karl Penhaul in Baghdad, thank you for the latest from Iraq.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
