Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Another U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq
Aired June 22, 2003 - 11:00 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Efforts are hampered by more deadly attacks on U.S. forces, and disaster strikes a fuel pipeline, as Iraq restarts oil exports. CNN's Jane Arraf joins us now from Baghdad with the very latest. Hello, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Fredricka. Well, the latest is U.S. soldier killed. Something happening behind us, an ambulance, it sounds like. Fairly regular occurrence here.
But a U.S. soldier killed when a grenade was launched in a community just south of Baghdad. The community appears to be called Khan Azad. And another instance of what appears to be a rocket- propelled grenade launched at a passing American convoy. Now, one U.S. soldier killed, he seemed to have died as he was being taken to a hospital, or after he arrived at the military hospital. That's the latest in a series of similar attacks of grenades being thrown at convoys, and marks the ninth U.S. serviceman killed in attacks this month alone.
Now also, what could be violence, or it could be faulty lines on a gas pipeline from the main oil field in Kirkuk in the north, to some of the main power plants. Now, that fire has apparently been burning since Saturday. Some officials are saying it could have been sabotage, explosions set on that gas pipeline. Others are saying they're not sure yet. That it's very hard to tell the difference between sabotage, between natural explosions occurring on these pipelines that are in a very bad state of repair after 12 years of sanctions, or whatever other cause it might be. But it could very well affect an already worsening situation with electricity going to Baghdad and to other cities.
On the good news front, though, oil has started flowing again. Oil from -- to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. Iraqi oil officials and the U.S. oil adviser showed up at a ceremony at that port for the loading of the first oil since before the war. Now, this oil was stored in storage tanks. It's going out through Turkey and going out through the port in the south in Basra. And soon, in a week or two, they hope to start new exports to return to world markets again. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Well, Jane, since there are conflicting explanations on that fire at the pipeline, who would actually be in charge of trying to protect, or now lead, an investigation into any kind of pipeline destructions?
ARRAF: The really big thing is actually protecting the pipeline so that if it is sabotaged, it just doesn't occur. Now, it's a huge problem because these are huge oil fields, as you know, the whole industry, this is the second biggest oil reserves in the world.
Before the war they had 18,000 people patrolling those pipelines and patrolling the oil industry armed. They don't have anywhere near that number now. So the main thing they're concentrating on is getting security up and running for those oil fields and the pipelines, and after that, investigating.
News travels very slowly these days in Iraq. Communications are still quite bad, particularly within the ministries, and it could take a while to find out what exactly the cause was and whether that fire is actually out. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right, very good. Thanks very much, Jane Arraf, from 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 June 22, 2003 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Efforts are hampered by more deadly attacks on U.S. forces, and disaster strikes a fuel pipeline, as Iraq restarts oil exports. CNN's Jane Arraf joins us now from Baghdad with the very latest. Hello, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Fredricka. Well, the latest is U.S. soldier killed. Something happening behind us, an ambulance, it sounds like. Fairly regular occurrence here.
But a U.S. soldier killed when a grenade was launched in a community just south of Baghdad. The community appears to be called Khan Azad. And another instance of what appears to be a rocket- propelled grenade launched at a passing American convoy. Now, one U.S. soldier killed, he seemed to have died as he was being taken to a hospital, or after he arrived at the military hospital. That's the latest in a series of similar attacks of grenades being thrown at convoys, and marks the ninth U.S. serviceman killed in attacks this month alone.
Now also, what could be violence, or it could be faulty lines on a gas pipeline from the main oil field in Kirkuk in the north, to some of the main power plants. Now, that fire has apparently been burning since Saturday. Some officials are saying it could have been sabotage, explosions set on that gas pipeline. Others are saying they're not sure yet. That it's very hard to tell the difference between sabotage, between natural explosions occurring on these pipelines that are in a very bad state of repair after 12 years of sanctions, or whatever other cause it might be. But it could very well affect an already worsening situation with electricity going to Baghdad and to other cities.
On the good news front, though, oil has started flowing again. Oil from -- to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. Iraqi oil officials and the U.S. oil adviser showed up at a ceremony at that port for the loading of the first oil since before the war. Now, this oil was stored in storage tanks. It's going out through Turkey and going out through the port in the south in Basra. And soon, in a week or two, they hope to start new exports to return to world markets again. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Well, Jane, since there are conflicting explanations on that fire at the pipeline, who would actually be in charge of trying to protect, or now lead, an investigation into any kind of pipeline destructions?
ARRAF: The really big thing is actually protecting the pipeline so that if it is sabotaged, it just doesn't occur. Now, it's a huge problem because these are huge oil fields, as you know, the whole industry, this is the second biggest oil reserves in the world.
Before the war they had 18,000 people patrolling those pipelines and patrolling the oil industry armed. They don't have anywhere near that number now. So the main thing they're concentrating on is getting security up and running for those oil fields and the pipelines, and after that, investigating.
News travels very slowly these days in Iraq. Communications are still quite bad, particularly within the ministries, and it could take a while to find out what exactly the cause was and whether that fire is actually out. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right, very good. Thanks very much, Jane Arraf, from 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
