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American Morning
Helicopter Goes Down in Iraq
Aired January 13, 2004 - 08:31 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: Let's get to Iraq right now, where there are reports that a U.S. chopper has been shot down.
Karl Penhaul now from the Iraqi capital with more on this. Karl, what are we learning right now?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill.
Coalition military authorities have told us that the helicopter that went down is an Apache attack helicopter. They do say, though, that the two crew members did survive and they were plucked to safety.
Now coalition military authorities are saying at this stage they do believe that the helicopter was shot down. It went down in the town of Habiniyah (ph), about 40 miles west of Baghdad, and that's deep within the so-called Sunni Triangle, the area where the anti- coalition resistance is most focused.
But as I say, two crew members plucked to safety. They did survive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BREMER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR IN IRAQ: The problem we have is time. It will take time to produce an electoral law to get a political party's law to draw constituent boundaries to take a census so we can have a voter's list. These things really cannot be done in an appropriate fashion between now and when the Iraqi people want their sovereignty back, which is the end of June. We have agreed to elections for a constituent assembly next year to write a new Iraqi constitution. So there will be elections. In fact, there will it would be elections next year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PENHAUL: Now ambassador Bremer there was speaking amid a growing controversy about what shape the handover to a transitioning Iraqi government should take. That's really been caused by new comments by the Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani. He's the spiritual leader of the Shia Muslim majority here, who represent about 60 percent of the 25 million population. Ayatollah Sistani wants general elections to decide the handover of power. The coalition has said that the new transitional government will be selected by regional committees, or caucuses.
So far, the coalition isn't meeting directly with him to discuss that. They're more channeling those concerns through the Iraqi Governing Council. But quite plainly, there is back channels at least going on here to see if the two sides can meet somewhat toward Sistani's views.
But again, he's not an elected representative, and the coalition are saying that he's not elected, so they are taking into account his worries, but it's not clear yet what kind of compromise could be found.
HEMMER: Karl, thanks. Karl Penhaul in Baghdad.
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 January 13, 2004 - 08:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to Iraq right now, where there are reports that a U.S. chopper has been shot down.
Karl Penhaul now from the Iraqi capital with more on this. Karl, what are we learning right now?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill.
Coalition military authorities have told us that the helicopter that went down is an Apache attack helicopter. They do say, though, that the two crew members did survive and they were plucked to safety.
Now coalition military authorities are saying at this stage they do believe that the helicopter was shot down. It went down in the town of Habiniyah (ph), about 40 miles west of Baghdad, and that's deep within the so-called Sunni Triangle, the area where the anti- coalition resistance is most focused.
But as I say, two crew members plucked to safety. They did survive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BREMER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR IN IRAQ: The problem we have is time. It will take time to produce an electoral law to get a political party's law to draw constituent boundaries to take a census so we can have a voter's list. These things really cannot be done in an appropriate fashion between now and when the Iraqi people want their sovereignty back, which is the end of June. We have agreed to elections for a constituent assembly next year to write a new Iraqi constitution. So there will be elections. In fact, there will it would be elections next year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PENHAUL: Now ambassador Bremer there was speaking amid a growing controversy about what shape the handover to a transitioning Iraqi government should take. That's really been caused by new comments by the Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani. He's the spiritual leader of the Shia Muslim majority here, who represent about 60 percent of the 25 million population. Ayatollah Sistani wants general elections to decide the handover of power. The coalition has said that the new transitional government will be selected by regional committees, or caucuses.
So far, the coalition isn't meeting directly with him to discuss that. They're more channeling those concerns through the Iraqi Governing Council. But quite plainly, there is back channels at least going on here to see if the two sides can meet somewhat toward Sistani's views.
But again, he's not an elected representative, and the coalition are saying that he's not elected, so they are taking into account his worries, but it's not clear yet what kind of compromise could be found.
HEMMER: Karl, thanks. Karl Penhaul in Baghdad.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
