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American Morning
FBI Joining Najaf Bombing Investigation
Aired September 01, 2003 - 08:05 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more now on this investigation into that bombing in Najaf that Rym reported on. Let's go now to the Pentagon. We have word now that the FBI is involved in the investigation.
Our Barbara Starr is standing by at her post at the Pentagon this morning.
Hello, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Leon.
But first a bit of a change in military tactics following the Najaf bombing. Central Command officials are now confirming that the U.S. 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, which had security responsibility for Najaf and the entire area around the city, will delay some of the transfer of those security arrangements.
Now what was scheduled to happen is the first MEF, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, was to turn over security responsibilities around Najaf and the entire area in the next few days to a multinational division led by Polish military units.
They will turn over security in the surrounding areas, but the Marines will now hold onto their security responsibilities in the city of Najaf until the situation there stabilizes. However, Central Command sources say the Marines still will maintain a relatively low security profile in the city, due to the emotions of the people there.
Now as you say, the FBI is going to take over, assist the Iraqi police, as it were, in investigating the bombing in Najaf, which killed more than 80 people. Sources in Iraq say they now believe there was more than one bomb. Thousands of pounds of explosives packed into it. And of course, the FBI already is on the scene in Iraq, investigating the bombings at the U.N. compound, and also the bombings several weeks ago at the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad -- Leon.
HARRIS: Thanks, Barbara. Barbara Starr reporting from the Pentagon.
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 September 1, 2003 - 08:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more now on this investigation into that bombing in Najaf that Rym reported on. Let's go now to the Pentagon. We have word now that the FBI is involved in the investigation.
Our Barbara Starr is standing by at her post at the Pentagon this morning.
Hello, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Leon.
But first a bit of a change in military tactics following the Najaf bombing. Central Command officials are now confirming that the U.S. 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, which had security responsibility for Najaf and the entire area around the city, will delay some of the transfer of those security arrangements.
Now what was scheduled to happen is the first MEF, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, was to turn over security responsibilities around Najaf and the entire area in the next few days to a multinational division led by Polish military units.
They will turn over security in the surrounding areas, but the Marines will now hold onto their security responsibilities in the city of Najaf until the situation there stabilizes. However, Central Command sources say the Marines still will maintain a relatively low security profile in the city, due to the emotions of the people there.
Now as you say, the FBI is going to take over, assist the Iraqi police, as it were, in investigating the bombing in Najaf, which killed more than 80 people. Sources in Iraq say they now believe there was more than one bomb. Thousands of pounds of explosives packed into it. And of course, the FBI already is on the scene in Iraq, investigating the bombings at the U.N. compound, and also the bombings several weeks ago at the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad -- Leon.
HARRIS: Thanks, Barbara. Barbara Starr reporting from the Pentagon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
