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American Morning
Rumsfeld Arrives in Iraq Hours After Deadly Bombing
Aired February 23, 2004 - 08:04 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: U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq today just hours after a deadly bombing there. A car bomb exploded this morning outside a police station in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.
Brent Sadler is live for us in Baghdad this morning -- Brent, good morning.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
This was another suicide bombing, as you say, in the northern city of Kirkuk. This time the suicide bomber, as we've seen here in recent weeks, was able to penetrate one of the entrances leading to the police station.
The bomber apparently came under light arms fire from Iraqi police inside the station, but nevertheless he was still able to get inside the compound at a shift change, when there were a lot of police officers in that courtyard area. At least eight policemen, we understand at this stage, have been killed and dozens of other injured, including Iraqis passing by at that time of the morning, local time here in Kirkuk.
Now, this is one of an upsurge in suicide bombings that we've seen in recent weeks, half a dozen or so since the beginning of February. This month being one of the deadliest months in terms of bombings and attacks, assassinations and so forth, against Iraqis and coalition forces since the end of the war.
Now, as you say, Soledad, this attack took place shortly before Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld paid a visit to the headquarters just east of the Iraqi capital of the 10th Armored Calvary Division. And there he was able to praise a handful of Iraqi police for what he said they were doing a very good job under difficult circumstances.
Rumsfeld was also briefed by top commanders, who have been telling him the evidence on the ground not only from this bomb attack, but other suicide bombings, point more and more to an even greater involvement of outside, international terror groups like al Qaeda -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Brent Sadler is live for us in Baghdad this morning.
Brent, thank you.
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 February 23, 2004 - 08:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq today just hours after a deadly bombing there. A car bomb exploded this morning outside a police station in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.
Brent Sadler is live for us in Baghdad this morning -- Brent, good morning.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
This was another suicide bombing, as you say, in the northern city of Kirkuk. This time the suicide bomber, as we've seen here in recent weeks, was able to penetrate one of the entrances leading to the police station.
The bomber apparently came under light arms fire from Iraqi police inside the station, but nevertheless he was still able to get inside the compound at a shift change, when there were a lot of police officers in that courtyard area. At least eight policemen, we understand at this stage, have been killed and dozens of other injured, including Iraqis passing by at that time of the morning, local time here in Kirkuk.
Now, this is one of an upsurge in suicide bombings that we've seen in recent weeks, half a dozen or so since the beginning of February. This month being one of the deadliest months in terms of bombings and attacks, assassinations and so forth, against Iraqis and coalition forces since the end of the war.
Now, as you say, Soledad, this attack took place shortly before Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld paid a visit to the headquarters just east of the Iraqi capital of the 10th Armored Calvary Division. And there he was able to praise a handful of Iraqi police for what he said they were doing a very good job under difficult circumstances.
Rumsfeld was also briefed by top commanders, who have been telling him the evidence on the ground not only from this bomb attack, but other suicide bombings, point more and more to an even greater involvement of outside, international terror groups like al Qaeda -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Brent Sadler is live for us in Baghdad this morning.
Brent, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
