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American Morning
Iraq Still Very Dangerous Place for U.S. Troops
Aired September 08, 2003 - 07:32 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, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get back right now to the president's address from last night. The push again for billions more for Iraq and Afghanistan, yet more signs this morning that Iraq is still a very dangerous place for U.S. troops. Another convoy under attack there earlier.
Nic Robertson live in Baghdad for more on this and the rest of the day's news in the Iraqi capital -- Nic, hello there.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, that attack took place about eight hours ago, 7:30 in the morning here in Baghdad in an underpass in the center of Baghdad. A convoy of Humvees passing right through the center of Baghdad. According to the military, an improvised explosive device went off as the Humvees went by. Two soldiers were injured. They were taken away for medical treatment.
According to eyewitnesses at the scene, they say the explosive device didn't go off by the vehicles but was dropped on them as the vehicles went underneath that bridge. Now, that is something that we have seen here happening over the last few months.
Now, this is a break, if you will, in two days when there have been no reported injuries of U.S. troops in attacks, but it doesn't mean that the attacks have let up in any way. Just west of Baghdad at one U.S. military base last night they had 14 mortar rounds rain in on that base. That's the first time that had happened. Troops from that base were engaged in rocket propelled grenade fire and small arms fire last night. So it doesn't mean, the fact that there have been no casualties over the last few days until today, it doesn't mean that the attacks are letting up -- Bill.
HEMMER: What about reaction from the speech last night here in the U.S.? Have you gathered much? The Iraqis know the president talked about their country in specific.
ROBERTSON: They do know and interestingly, a lot of people we talked to, the majority said that they hadn't bothered listening to it. Some people were saying that they just thought it was lies. One man even said that President Bush is lying just the way Saddam Hussein used to lie. And the reason he said that, he said, look, there is no progress in the country at the moment, there is no security, and that wasn't what President Bush was saying.
Another analyst here in Iraq who's watched the situation here for some time said that he was essentially upset by the fact that the war in Iraq should be cast now in the terms of war on terrorism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUDHY HADDAD, IRAQI ANALYST: I think it's fabricated. It's created. It's being shifted into a terrorist mecca. Why? The presence of the U.S. troops, the coalition forces in Iraq, is the magnet. It's not Iraq itself. You're talking about, OK, the terrorists are coming to Iraq so let's hunt them down here. Is this the idea? It seems to be too naive to me. This is not, I mean, a proper thinking at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: One man even said to us today these foreign fighters coming to Iraq, they're not terrorists, he said, because they're attacking the U.S. troops. They're not here to attack us -- Bill.
HEMMER: Nic Robertson in Baghdad.
Thanks.
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 8, 2003 - 07:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get back right now to the president's address from last night. The push again for billions more for Iraq and Afghanistan, yet more signs this morning that Iraq is still a very dangerous place for U.S. troops. Another convoy under attack there earlier.
Nic Robertson live in Baghdad for more on this and the rest of the day's news in the Iraqi capital -- Nic, hello there.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, that attack took place about eight hours ago, 7:30 in the morning here in Baghdad in an underpass in the center of Baghdad. A convoy of Humvees passing right through the center of Baghdad. According to the military, an improvised explosive device went off as the Humvees went by. Two soldiers were injured. They were taken away for medical treatment.
According to eyewitnesses at the scene, they say the explosive device didn't go off by the vehicles but was dropped on them as the vehicles went underneath that bridge. Now, that is something that we have seen here happening over the last few months.
Now, this is a break, if you will, in two days when there have been no reported injuries of U.S. troops in attacks, but it doesn't mean that the attacks have let up in any way. Just west of Baghdad at one U.S. military base last night they had 14 mortar rounds rain in on that base. That's the first time that had happened. Troops from that base were engaged in rocket propelled grenade fire and small arms fire last night. So it doesn't mean, the fact that there have been no casualties over the last few days until today, it doesn't mean that the attacks are letting up -- Bill.
HEMMER: What about reaction from the speech last night here in the U.S.? Have you gathered much? The Iraqis know the president talked about their country in specific.
ROBERTSON: They do know and interestingly, a lot of people we talked to, the majority said that they hadn't bothered listening to it. Some people were saying that they just thought it was lies. One man even said that President Bush is lying just the way Saddam Hussein used to lie. And the reason he said that, he said, look, there is no progress in the country at the moment, there is no security, and that wasn't what President Bush was saying.
Another analyst here in Iraq who's watched the situation here for some time said that he was essentially upset by the fact that the war in Iraq should be cast now in the terms of war on terrorism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUDHY HADDAD, IRAQI ANALYST: I think it's fabricated. It's created. It's being shifted into a terrorist mecca. Why? The presence of the U.S. troops, the coalition forces in Iraq, is the magnet. It's not Iraq itself. You're talking about, OK, the terrorists are coming to Iraq so let's hunt them down here. Is this the idea? It seems to be too naive to me. This is not, I mean, a proper thinking at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: One man even said to us today these foreign fighters coming to Iraq, they're not terrorists, he said, because they're attacking the U.S. troops. They're not here to attack us -- Bill.
HEMMER: Nic Robertson in Baghdad.
Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
