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CNN Sunday Morning
Eight Rockets Hit Al Rasheed Hotel
Aired October 26, 2003 - 08:03 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: There is a firestorm of a different sort today in Iraq. As many as eight rockets hit the Al Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad causing extensive damage. One U.S. soldier died in that attack. And it was a close call for Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who was there as well. At least 15 others were wounded, including U.S. soldiers and American civilians.
Wolfowitz' visit to Iraq was meant to show how well the U.S. occupation is proceeding. Joining us live now from the White House is CNN's Kathleen Koch. Hi, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. Well, at this point, no reaction from the White House to this very disturbing attack, possibly targeting Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. Obviously a very high level U.S. official.
Now, it must be made clear that Wolfowitz was one of many Americans and internationals staying at Baghdad's Al Rasheed Hotel when apparently as many as eight small rockets slammed into the north side of the structure early Sunday morning. It must be pointed out, though, that Wolfowitz' room was on that very same side of the hotel, and he was in his room at the time of the attack.
As you pointed out, with only -- we've gotten one U.S. soldier killed, 15 people wounded, seven of them U.S. civilians. A very shaken Wolfowitz did come out immediately afterwards and speak with the media.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: This terrorist act will not deter us from completing our mission, which is to help the Iraqi people free themselves from the type of criminals who did this and to protect the American people from this kind of terrorism. The Americans who are here doing this job, civilians as well as military, are heroes, and I want to express our profound sympathy for the victims of this attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Wolfowitz had another close call on Saturday, when a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter was attacked near Tikrit just hours after he left that very same city by helicopter. We don't know if there's a connection between the two, but obviously very frightening.
The Bush administration this month has been pressing quite hard the positive news from Iraq, trying to overcome poll numbers, a recent Gallup poll on Iraq finding that 58 percent of Americans believe that things are going badly there. And that is the highest number since the war began. But the president himself in his Saturday radio address yesterday said that "There is still difficult work ahead because freedom has enemies in Iraq." Clear proof of that today -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Kathleen Koch, thanks so much. We'll wait to get reaction from this latest incident later in the day. Thanks so much.
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 26, 2003 - 08:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: There is a firestorm of a different sort today in Iraq. As many as eight rockets hit the Al Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad causing extensive damage. One U.S. soldier died in that attack. And it was a close call for Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who was there as well. At least 15 others were wounded, including U.S. soldiers and American civilians.
Wolfowitz' visit to Iraq was meant to show how well the U.S. occupation is proceeding. Joining us live now from the White House is CNN's Kathleen Koch. Hi, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. Well, at this point, no reaction from the White House to this very disturbing attack, possibly targeting Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. Obviously a very high level U.S. official.
Now, it must be made clear that Wolfowitz was one of many Americans and internationals staying at Baghdad's Al Rasheed Hotel when apparently as many as eight small rockets slammed into the north side of the structure early Sunday morning. It must be pointed out, though, that Wolfowitz' room was on that very same side of the hotel, and he was in his room at the time of the attack.
As you pointed out, with only -- we've gotten one U.S. soldier killed, 15 people wounded, seven of them U.S. civilians. A very shaken Wolfowitz did come out immediately afterwards and speak with the media.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: This terrorist act will not deter us from completing our mission, which is to help the Iraqi people free themselves from the type of criminals who did this and to protect the American people from this kind of terrorism. The Americans who are here doing this job, civilians as well as military, are heroes, and I want to express our profound sympathy for the victims of this attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Wolfowitz had another close call on Saturday, when a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter was attacked near Tikrit just hours after he left that very same city by helicopter. We don't know if there's a connection between the two, but obviously very frightening.
The Bush administration this month has been pressing quite hard the positive news from Iraq, trying to overcome poll numbers, a recent Gallup poll on Iraq finding that 58 percent of Americans believe that things are going badly there. And that is the highest number since the war began. But the president himself in his Saturday radio address yesterday said that "There is still difficult work ahead because freedom has enemies in Iraq." Clear proof of that today -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Kathleen Koch, thanks so much. We'll wait to get reaction from this latest incident later in the day. Thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
