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American Morning

American Forces Have Come Under Fire Twice Today in Baghdad

Aired July 01, 2003 - 08:01   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.


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, American forces have come under fire twice today in Baghdad. Grenades were launched at a Humvee in central Baghdad and another U.S. vehicle was fired on in the western part of the city. And there are conflicting reports after an explosion at a mosque in the city of Falluja.
And Jane Arraf is in Baghdad this morning.

She joins us now with the latest -- Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Renay, the only thing the U.S. military in Falluja will confirm is that there was, indeed, an explosion. They say it happened right next to that mosque, in the mosque compound, in a service building next to it. That happened late last night. They will not confirm casualties, how many there might have been or how that explosion might have been caused.

But people on the ground say they're pretty clear. They say that several Iraqis were killed. In fact, some of them are saying that six were dead and more wounded after the explosion and they're blaming it on the American soldiers and the American military. They say that it was hit by a military strike.

Now, the U.S. military has said there's absolutely no evidence of that, but it is investigating exactly what happened. People there are so convinced it was an American strike that there was a subsequent attack, according to reports, on an American patrol base. Still waiting for word on that one.

But meanwhile in central Baghdad this morning, on what should have been a normal morning next to a university, there was a rocket propelled grenade fired at two passing armored vehicles, two Humvees. Now, three U.S. soldiers were wounded in that, two of them critically, according to witnesses, and an Iraqi interpreter with them was killed.

Those are only two of the several incidents that have happened, several attacks that have happened in and around Baghdad, and it's an indication that these attacks are going on despite the U.S. attempts to crack down on loyalists to Saddam Hussein -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Jane, and concerning the investigation into the mosque incident in Falluja, is the U.S. military looking into the possibility that explosives may have been stored near or in the mosque?

ARRAF: That is definitely one possibility, and that's been the cause of several explosions. It is still a very heavily armed country. There are large parts of the country where tribes, for instance, have been responsible for their own security and they have a lot of weapons stockpiled. It's not unusual that there would even be explosives stockpiled. It's something that the U.S. military has been trying to combat. But with the situation the way it is, people are not ready to give up their arms and they're clearly not ready, it seems, to give up their explosives, either -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Indeed, Jane Arraf in Baghdad, thanks so much.

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




Baghdad>


Aired July 1, 2003 - 08:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, American forces have come under fire twice today in Baghdad. Grenades were launched at a Humvee in central Baghdad and another U.S. vehicle was fired on in the western part of the city. And there are conflicting reports after an explosion at a mosque in the city of Falluja.
And Jane Arraf is in Baghdad this morning.

She joins us now with the latest -- Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Renay, the only thing the U.S. military in Falluja will confirm is that there was, indeed, an explosion. They say it happened right next to that mosque, in the mosque compound, in a service building next to it. That happened late last night. They will not confirm casualties, how many there might have been or how that explosion might have been caused.

But people on the ground say they're pretty clear. They say that several Iraqis were killed. In fact, some of them are saying that six were dead and more wounded after the explosion and they're blaming it on the American soldiers and the American military. They say that it was hit by a military strike.

Now, the U.S. military has said there's absolutely no evidence of that, but it is investigating exactly what happened. People there are so convinced it was an American strike that there was a subsequent attack, according to reports, on an American patrol base. Still waiting for word on that one.

But meanwhile in central Baghdad this morning, on what should have been a normal morning next to a university, there was a rocket propelled grenade fired at two passing armored vehicles, two Humvees. Now, three U.S. soldiers were wounded in that, two of them critically, according to witnesses, and an Iraqi interpreter with them was killed.

Those are only two of the several incidents that have happened, several attacks that have happened in and around Baghdad, and it's an indication that these attacks are going on despite the U.S. attempts to crack down on loyalists to Saddam Hussein -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Jane, and concerning the investigation into the mosque incident in Falluja, is the U.S. military looking into the possibility that explosives may have been stored near or in the mosque?

ARRAF: That is definitely one possibility, and that's been the cause of several explosions. It is still a very heavily armed country. There are large parts of the country where tribes, for instance, have been responsible for their own security and they have a lot of weapons stockpiled. It's not unusual that there would even be explosives stockpiled. It's something that the U.S. military has been trying to combat. But with the situation the way it is, people are not ready to give up their arms and they're clearly not ready, it seems, to give up their explosives, either -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Indeed, Jane Arraf in Baghdad, thanks so much.

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




Baghdad>