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CNN Sunday Morning
More Violence in Iraq
Aired July 20, 2003 - 08:59 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.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: The death toll mounts in Iraq. Three more American soldiers were killed today, two in an attack and a third in a vehicle accident. Also today, a convoy of international aid workers was attacked south of Baghdad, and the driver of that vehicle was killed. A report on all this now from our Harris Whitbeck joins us live in Baghdad with the latest -- Harris.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Thomas.
The driver that was killed during the attack on the international humanitarian group died when the vehicle that he was driving actually crashed after it was attacked. Apparently the bullets that were fired there, did not actually cause his death, but it did cause this very, very tragic traffic accident.
Again, the convoy belonged to the International Organization for Migration, and those vehicles were clearly marked as U.N. vehicles. So, that of course, perturbs U.N. and international humanitarian officials in Baghdad because this is really the first time in several weeks that somebody has actually died from an attack from an international humanitarian convoy.
Meanwhile, as you said, two U.S. soldiers died during an attack on a convoy they were traveling in, this happened near the northern city of Mosul. The convoy belonged to the 101st Airborne Division and was hit with small-arms fire and rocket propelled grenades. There were three soldiers injured in that attack, and two of those soldiers later died at a military combat hospital.
Meanwhile, the city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, has become the scene of very, very passionate demonstrations against the U.S. presence in Iraq. Tens of thousands of followers of a Shiite cleric in that town have turned out to protest what hey call harassment by the American military.
The cleric, Motada Al Sadar (ph) had delivered a speech on Friday in which he called for volunteers to form a new army. He also denounced the U.S.-backed governing council, and called for Iraq's majority to Shiites to play a larger role in the country's political leadership -- Thomas.
ROBERTS: Harris, you mentioned before about this convoy being clearly on the vehicles that they were U.N. vehicles. Do these convoys ever travel with security? If not, are they going to change that now?
WHITBECK: Well that really hasn't been said. At this time, the U.N. spokesmen here in Baghdad are saying they're clearly shocked at what has happened. But some of the U.N. people, or people from the International Organization for Migration, rather, who were actually traveling in that convey, said when they took the assignment in Iraq, they knew it would entail certain risks and that they're willing to face those risks as they work toward bettering the conditions of many, many people in this country.
ROBERTS: Harris, thank you. Harris Whitbeck, live for us in Baghdad.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The attacks and protests in Iraq, along with troubling news of North Korea, it's all being monitored at the White House, of course. CNN's Chris Burns joining us now, live, from Crawford, Texas, where Bush is meeting with the prime minister of Italy.
Hello, to you, Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
President Bush has no trouble raising money. Last night he was at a fund-raiser raising $3 million, putting him over $41 million for his re-election campaign, but can he raise international troops, is the big question right now.
The president will meet with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. His country has provided police, Carabinieri, who are national police. But perhaps he might be sounding him out.
Thanking him for being a member of the coalition of the willing, of course. This is a rare visit for a leader to come to Crawford. But at the same time the president is sounding out leaders on -- and the Bush administration is sounding out leaders -- on getting troops, more international troops into Iraq to help to offset the incredible U.S. burden and dangers that the U.S. troops are facing in Iraq right now.
Now there are indications that there are talks between the U.S. and the U.N., and other countries on trying to get a U.N. mandate. Because up to now, there are some countries, like India which could provide some 17,000 troops, Turkey and France, Germany, other countries that could provide troops, but they're waiting for a U.N. mandate to do so.
So that is what's being talked about right now, nothing on paper yet.
The other issue that seems to be troubling the Bush administration today, there is a "New York Times" report, that they are neither confirming nor denying, that says that there are indications of a second nuclear processing, reprocessing facility that exists in North Korea.
Now, you know the North Korea has already admitted to reprocessing plutonium into weapons-grade plutonium, possibly being able to build more nuclear weapons, that is troubling the Bush administration. The reaction from Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman here last night, saying that, "Reprocessing to recover plutonium is a clear indication that North Korea is seeking to enlarge its nuclear arsenal despite repeated calls from the international community to reverse the provocative steps it's taken in its nuclear weapons program.
"We will be working closely with our friends and allies towards a shared objective of a complete verifiable and irreversible end of North Korea's nuclear weapons program."
But keep in mind that the U.S. is insisting on multilateral talks as indicated in that statement. North Korea wants bilateral talks, to talk straight with the United States. That is the complication right now. No talks yet planned. But China is working closely with the United States on that, and China is the closest ally to North Korea, and is pressing North Korea to go back to the table.
Heidi?
COLLINS: And Chris, in looking at that new statement, at least last night from Scott McClellan, wondering, with that wording, "provocative", what does that say to you about this possible second secret site?
BURNS: Well, that is a very interesting word, "provocative". In fact, even Bush has already said he will not tolerate a nuclear tipped North Korea, that he will do everything he can to stop that. Now, we do know in the past that even President Clinton had considered air strikes against North Korea. Most people in the region there believe that could be catastrophic, because North Korea could retaliate against Seoul, South Korean capital just over the border, possibly putting millions of lives at risk.
So it is a very, very dicey, touchy situation that the Bush administration would very much prefer -- and people in the region prefer to end with talks. But also the Bush administration is reluctant to provide a sort of payoff to the North Koreans. The North Koreans are demanding that they get more aid for their starving country. It is a Stalinist regime where its people are starving. They need more help. So it is a very, very difficult situation. How to resolve that, everybody's hoping for talks right now -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Chris Burns, thanks so much, live from Crawford, Texas, this morning.
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 July 20, 2003 - 08:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: The death toll mounts in Iraq. Three more American soldiers were killed today, two in an attack and a third in a vehicle accident. Also today, a convoy of international aid workers was attacked south of Baghdad, and the driver of that vehicle was killed. A report on all this now from our Harris Whitbeck joins us live in Baghdad with the latest -- Harris.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Thomas.
The driver that was killed during the attack on the international humanitarian group died when the vehicle that he was driving actually crashed after it was attacked. Apparently the bullets that were fired there, did not actually cause his death, but it did cause this very, very tragic traffic accident.
Again, the convoy belonged to the International Organization for Migration, and those vehicles were clearly marked as U.N. vehicles. So, that of course, perturbs U.N. and international humanitarian officials in Baghdad because this is really the first time in several weeks that somebody has actually died from an attack from an international humanitarian convoy.
Meanwhile, as you said, two U.S. soldiers died during an attack on a convoy they were traveling in, this happened near the northern city of Mosul. The convoy belonged to the 101st Airborne Division and was hit with small-arms fire and rocket propelled grenades. There were three soldiers injured in that attack, and two of those soldiers later died at a military combat hospital.
Meanwhile, the city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, has become the scene of very, very passionate demonstrations against the U.S. presence in Iraq. Tens of thousands of followers of a Shiite cleric in that town have turned out to protest what hey call harassment by the American military.
The cleric, Motada Al Sadar (ph) had delivered a speech on Friday in which he called for volunteers to form a new army. He also denounced the U.S.-backed governing council, and called for Iraq's majority to Shiites to play a larger role in the country's political leadership -- Thomas.
ROBERTS: Harris, you mentioned before about this convoy being clearly on the vehicles that they were U.N. vehicles. Do these convoys ever travel with security? If not, are they going to change that now?
WHITBECK: Well that really hasn't been said. At this time, the U.N. spokesmen here in Baghdad are saying they're clearly shocked at what has happened. But some of the U.N. people, or people from the International Organization for Migration, rather, who were actually traveling in that convey, said when they took the assignment in Iraq, they knew it would entail certain risks and that they're willing to face those risks as they work toward bettering the conditions of many, many people in this country.
ROBERTS: Harris, thank you. Harris Whitbeck, live for us in Baghdad.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The attacks and protests in Iraq, along with troubling news of North Korea, it's all being monitored at the White House, of course. CNN's Chris Burns joining us now, live, from Crawford, Texas, where Bush is meeting with the prime minister of Italy.
Hello, to you, Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
President Bush has no trouble raising money. Last night he was at a fund-raiser raising $3 million, putting him over $41 million for his re-election campaign, but can he raise international troops, is the big question right now.
The president will meet with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. His country has provided police, Carabinieri, who are national police. But perhaps he might be sounding him out.
Thanking him for being a member of the coalition of the willing, of course. This is a rare visit for a leader to come to Crawford. But at the same time the president is sounding out leaders on -- and the Bush administration is sounding out leaders -- on getting troops, more international troops into Iraq to help to offset the incredible U.S. burden and dangers that the U.S. troops are facing in Iraq right now.
Now there are indications that there are talks between the U.S. and the U.N., and other countries on trying to get a U.N. mandate. Because up to now, there are some countries, like India which could provide some 17,000 troops, Turkey and France, Germany, other countries that could provide troops, but they're waiting for a U.N. mandate to do so.
So that is what's being talked about right now, nothing on paper yet.
The other issue that seems to be troubling the Bush administration today, there is a "New York Times" report, that they are neither confirming nor denying, that says that there are indications of a second nuclear processing, reprocessing facility that exists in North Korea.
Now, you know the North Korea has already admitted to reprocessing plutonium into weapons-grade plutonium, possibly being able to build more nuclear weapons, that is troubling the Bush administration. The reaction from Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman here last night, saying that, "Reprocessing to recover plutonium is a clear indication that North Korea is seeking to enlarge its nuclear arsenal despite repeated calls from the international community to reverse the provocative steps it's taken in its nuclear weapons program.
"We will be working closely with our friends and allies towards a shared objective of a complete verifiable and irreversible end of North Korea's nuclear weapons program."
But keep in mind that the U.S. is insisting on multilateral talks as indicated in that statement. North Korea wants bilateral talks, to talk straight with the United States. That is the complication right now. No talks yet planned. But China is working closely with the United States on that, and China is the closest ally to North Korea, and is pressing North Korea to go back to the table.
Heidi?
COLLINS: And Chris, in looking at that new statement, at least last night from Scott McClellan, wondering, with that wording, "provocative", what does that say to you about this possible second secret site?
BURNS: Well, that is a very interesting word, "provocative". In fact, even Bush has already said he will not tolerate a nuclear tipped North Korea, that he will do everything he can to stop that. Now, we do know in the past that even President Clinton had considered air strikes against North Korea. Most people in the region there believe that could be catastrophic, because North Korea could retaliate against Seoul, South Korean capital just over the border, possibly putting millions of lives at risk.
So it is a very, very dicey, touchy situation that the Bush administration would very much prefer -- and people in the region prefer to end with talks. But also the Bush administration is reluctant to provide a sort of payoff to the North Koreans. The North Koreans are demanding that they get more aid for their starving country. It is a Stalinist regime where its people are starving. They need more help. So it is a very, very difficult situation. How to resolve that, everybody's hoping for talks right now -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Chris Burns, thanks so much, live from Crawford, Texas, this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
