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American Morning

Karbala Battle

Aired October 17, 2003 - 07:17   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: Back to this story still developing in Iraq, a fierce gun battle raging today in Karbala. Three U.S. MPs -- three U.S. military police and two Iraqi police are dead. The violence in the Shiite holy city started late last night, when MPs tried to disarm an armed faction at a mosque there.
Harris Whitbeck is tracking that and joins us now from Baghdad.

Harris -- what do we know at this hour?

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, we know that the gun battle has ended, but that the situation is still very tense in Karbala, this holy Shiite city.

Apparently, the U.S. military has cordoned off access to the area, where this gun fight ensued, a very, very fierce battle, which started when U.S. military policemen and Iraqi police officers on a joint routine patrol encountered a group of between 20 and 30 armed men. Apparently, when they tried to disarm them, this gun battle ensued. The armed men used RPGs, rocket-propelled grenades, and AK- 47s to launch their attack.

Again, three U.S. military police dead and two Iraqi police officers also killed, seven wounded total -- Bill.

HEMMER: Harris Whitbeck, a developing story. Thanks. We'll check in a bit later today.

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 17, 2003 - 07:17   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to this story still developing in Iraq, a fierce gun battle raging today in Karbala. Three U.S. MPs -- three U.S. military police and two Iraqi police are dead. The violence in the Shiite holy city started late last night, when MPs tried to disarm an armed faction at a mosque there.
Harris Whitbeck is tracking that and joins us now from Baghdad.

Harris -- what do we know at this hour?

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, we know that the gun battle has ended, but that the situation is still very tense in Karbala, this holy Shiite city.

Apparently, the U.S. military has cordoned off access to the area, where this gun fight ensued, a very, very fierce battle, which started when U.S. military policemen and Iraqi police officers on a joint routine patrol encountered a group of between 20 and 30 armed men. Apparently, when they tried to disarm them, this gun battle ensued. The armed men used RPGs, rocket-propelled grenades, and AK- 47s to launch their attack.

Again, three U.S. military police dead and two Iraqi police officers also killed, seven wounded total -- Bill.

HEMMER: Harris Whitbeck, a developing story. Thanks. We'll check in a bit later today.

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