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American Morning

U.S. Soldier Killed Near Tikrit

Aired October 13, 2003 - 08:30   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: But now more on the latest violence in Iraq. A U.S. soldier was killed early this morning. Five more were injured in a series of incidents near Tikrit. Those incidents followed a suicide bombing yesterday at a hotel in Baghdad. Six Iraqis were killed. More than 30 others injured in that blast, including three U.S. soldiers.
CNN's Harris Whitbeck is live for us in Baghdad with more this morning.

Harris, good morning.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

All those soldiers who were hurt up at Tikrit belong to the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division. One of them was in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, on a routine patrol when that vehicle apparently hit a land mine. One soldier was killed, another one was wounded. The other soldiers wounded in two separate incidents, involving improvised explosive devices. In both instances military convoys were hit by these devices. Again, four soldiers wounded in those two separate incidents -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: In one of those incidents, I know, Harris, it's really early in the investigation, but there were some questions about whether it was one car bomb, two car bombs. Do they know yet the answer to that?

WHITBECK: It's still unclear. The military spokesman yesterday was saying that it was, in fact, two car bombs. But eyewitnesses only saw one white sedan-type vehicle, and there are also questions as to how many explosives were heard. We were only about four blocks from that location. And some of us here in the bureau only heard very loud explosion. But again, others say there were actually two, but we have only seen the wreckage of one vehicle that seems to have exploded.

O'BRIEN: Harris Whitbeck, thanks for that update for us. Harris reporting from Baghdad, as he has been doing for a long while now. Appreciate it.

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 October 13, 2003 - 08:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: But now more on the latest violence in Iraq. A U.S. soldier was killed early this morning. Five more were injured in a series of incidents near Tikrit. Those incidents followed a suicide bombing yesterday at a hotel in Baghdad. Six Iraqis were killed. More than 30 others injured in that blast, including three U.S. soldiers.
CNN's Harris Whitbeck is live for us in Baghdad with more this morning.

Harris, good morning.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

All those soldiers who were hurt up at Tikrit belong to the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division. One of them was in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, on a routine patrol when that vehicle apparently hit a land mine. One soldier was killed, another one was wounded. The other soldiers wounded in two separate incidents, involving improvised explosive devices. In both instances military convoys were hit by these devices. Again, four soldiers wounded in those two separate incidents -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: In one of those incidents, I know, Harris, it's really early in the investigation, but there were some questions about whether it was one car bomb, two car bombs. Do they know yet the answer to that?

WHITBECK: It's still unclear. The military spokesman yesterday was saying that it was, in fact, two car bombs. But eyewitnesses only saw one white sedan-type vehicle, and there are also questions as to how many explosives were heard. We were only about four blocks from that location. And some of us here in the bureau only heard very loud explosion. But again, others say there were actually two, but we have only seen the wreckage of one vehicle that seems to have exploded.

O'BRIEN: Harris Whitbeck, thanks for that update for us. Harris reporting from Baghdad, as he has been doing for a long while now. Appreciate it.

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