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American Morning
Army Says It Didn't Fire on Russian Diplomats
Aired April 06, 2003 - 09:23 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.
BILL HEMMER: We are still trying to piece together what happened regarding this convoy of Russian diplomats heading out of Baghdad and toward the Syrian border. We've been talking with Jill Dougherty in Moscow. We heard what Centcom's position was earlier today.
Walt Rodgers back with us live near Baghdad. Walt, I know you have some information on this. What are you learning there?
RODGERS: Bill, I talked with the commanding officer of the 7th Cavalry just a few minutes ago. I specifically asked him about this incident in which a convoy of Russian diplomats were said to be trying to exit Baghdad from the western exit of the city, which is just -- well, less than a few kilometers from where I'm standing now.
What the Army says is the U.S. Army did not fire on those Iraqi diplomats -- or excuse me, on those Russian diplomats, but the Army says that they were fired upon, and the assumption is that it was the Iraqi irregulars, the Fedayeen, the militants of Saddam Hussein's Army and perhaps even some Republican Guard units that fired on that Russian diplomatic convoy.
Now we were told that it was assumed they were headed for Amman, Jordan. That is probably the closest safe place.
But, of course, when the Russian diplomats came under fire and, again, the Army is assuming because they say they did not shoot, they're assuming that the fire came from some Iraqi units still in the field, that the Russians turned around, went back into the city. Again, the U.S. Army has no knowledge of Russian casualties, although there may have been some.
I should say that the Russian diplomats traveling down that road took an extraordinary risk in doing so. If you leave the protection of the U.S. 7th Cavalry or any other Army unit, as in the area we're in, you're going to get fired upon by the Iraqis.
The Fedayeen are still out there. They take refuge in schools during the day and they come out and they shoot anything that moves at night, hopefully on their part they're trying to draw American blood. But if they saw a convoy of cars moving down the road, they might simply have tried to shoot it because it looked prosperous and may have had money.
It would be very unsafe for any Russian diplomatic convoy to risk the trip out of Baghdad to either Amman or Damascus under the existing conditions west of the airport. This is wild, wild west out here still. There's pretty regular firing, especially at night -- Bill. HEMMER: Walt, thanks. Walt Rodgers near Baghdad with the 7th Cav.
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Aired April 6, 2003 - 09:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER: We are still trying to piece together what happened regarding this convoy of Russian diplomats heading out of Baghdad and toward the Syrian border. We've been talking with Jill Dougherty in Moscow. We heard what Centcom's position was earlier today.
Walt Rodgers back with us live near Baghdad. Walt, I know you have some information on this. What are you learning there?
RODGERS: Bill, I talked with the commanding officer of the 7th Cavalry just a few minutes ago. I specifically asked him about this incident in which a convoy of Russian diplomats were said to be trying to exit Baghdad from the western exit of the city, which is just -- well, less than a few kilometers from where I'm standing now.
What the Army says is the U.S. Army did not fire on those Iraqi diplomats -- or excuse me, on those Russian diplomats, but the Army says that they were fired upon, and the assumption is that it was the Iraqi irregulars, the Fedayeen, the militants of Saddam Hussein's Army and perhaps even some Republican Guard units that fired on that Russian diplomatic convoy.
Now we were told that it was assumed they were headed for Amman, Jordan. That is probably the closest safe place.
But, of course, when the Russian diplomats came under fire and, again, the Army is assuming because they say they did not shoot, they're assuming that the fire came from some Iraqi units still in the field, that the Russians turned around, went back into the city. Again, the U.S. Army has no knowledge of Russian casualties, although there may have been some.
I should say that the Russian diplomats traveling down that road took an extraordinary risk in doing so. If you leave the protection of the U.S. 7th Cavalry or any other Army unit, as in the area we're in, you're going to get fired upon by the Iraqis.
The Fedayeen are still out there. They take refuge in schools during the day and they come out and they shoot anything that moves at night, hopefully on their part they're trying to draw American blood. But if they saw a convoy of cars moving down the road, they might simply have tried to shoot it because it looked prosperous and may have had money.
It would be very unsafe for any Russian diplomatic convoy to risk the trip out of Baghdad to either Amman or Damascus under the existing conditions west of the airport. This is wild, wild west out here still. There's pretty regular firing, especially at night -- Bill. HEMMER: Walt, thanks. Walt Rodgers near Baghdad with the 7th Cav.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
