Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

U.S. Forces Come Under Attack Near Baghdad

Aired May 27, 2003 - 08:07   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The major battles of the Iraq war may be over, but the fighting continues. U.S. forces came under attack near Baghdad today and now at least one American soldier is dead. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is expected to discuss the Iraqi policy today.
Here with a preview of that, our Kathleen Koch.

She is live at the Pentagon this morning -- good morning, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.

The Secretary this afternoon will be speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City. And he is expected to discuss U.S. policy in Iraq, according to a senior Pentagon official. That official saying that the Secretary will basically go over some of the principles that the Bush administration has already laid out.

Now, interestingly, the Secretary himself gave a sort of a preview of his remarks in an op-ed that appeared in this morning's "Wall Street Journal." In it, the Secretary lays out the U.S. accomplishments in Iraq, as well as guidelines that the coalition is following in its efforts to rebuild the country and restore order. The Secretary in the article emphasizes the need to assert authority, to reestablish law and order, and also the desire to foster democracy while not, at the same time, imposing a sort of an American template on whatever form of democratic government does emerge in Iraq.

The Secretary also states the dual commitments of the currently 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq to stay there as long as necessary to bring order to the country to help it rebuild, but also the commitment to leave when that job is done. The only way that the Secretary mentions Iran is rather obliquely, saying that while the U.S. would welcome the assistance from neighbors of Iraq, it also would not appreciate any undue interface -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, an awful lot of work to be done there still in Iraq.

Kathleen Koch, thanks so much, live from the Pentagon this morning.

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 May 27, 2003 - 08:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The major battles of the Iraq war may be over, but the fighting continues. U.S. forces came under attack near Baghdad today and now at least one American soldier is dead. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is expected to discuss the Iraqi policy today.
Here with a preview of that, our Kathleen Koch.

She is live at the Pentagon this morning -- good morning, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.

The Secretary this afternoon will be speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City. And he is expected to discuss U.S. policy in Iraq, according to a senior Pentagon official. That official saying that the Secretary will basically go over some of the principles that the Bush administration has already laid out.

Now, interestingly, the Secretary himself gave a sort of a preview of his remarks in an op-ed that appeared in this morning's "Wall Street Journal." In it, the Secretary lays out the U.S. accomplishments in Iraq, as well as guidelines that the coalition is following in its efforts to rebuild the country and restore order. The Secretary in the article emphasizes the need to assert authority, to reestablish law and order, and also the desire to foster democracy while not, at the same time, imposing a sort of an American template on whatever form of democratic government does emerge in Iraq.

The Secretary also states the dual commitments of the currently 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq to stay there as long as necessary to bring order to the country to help it rebuild, but also the commitment to leave when that job is done. The only way that the Secretary mentions Iran is rather obliquely, saying that while the U.S. would welcome the assistance from neighbors of Iraq, it also would not appreciate any undue interface -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, an awful lot of work to be done there still in Iraq.

Kathleen Koch, thanks so much, live from the Pentagon this morning.

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