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CNN Sunday Morning
Rockets Hit Baghdad's Al Rasheed Hotel
Aired October 26, 2003 - 08:08 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.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: This morning we have been telling you about a rocket attack on the Al Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad that happened early morning Baghdad time. It happened while Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was at that hotel. For the latest information now, we go to Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf.
Is it now late afternoon in Baghdad, Jane. Tell us what is going on there now. We saw a very shaken Wolfowitz appear before the microphone just a short while ago.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Sean, when you look at the damage done to this hotel, it's understandable why he would have been shaken. Now, he was actually staying on one of those top floors, believed to be on the 12th floor. We're not sure what side. But just below there, on the floors just below this luxury hotel, six rockets, at least, came slamming in. And you can see that they went separate through some of those rooms, blowing out windows, blowing out frames, destroying part of the side of that hotel even.
Now, one American soldier has been killed, four wounded, as well as seven American civilians wounded in this blast. There are four others wounded as well, possibly Iraqi. This appears to have been a very bold and very well executed attack. In fact, the rockets were launched just a few hundred meters from here on a major intersection.
Although there's very heavy security on this side, including the Rasheed Hotel, we are in the middle of Baghdad, and there's traffic coming and going. At 6:00 a.m., the trailer that the rocket launchers appeared to have been in wouldn't have attracted a lot of notice. There's similar trailers going throughout the city with generators and street equipment. Apparently these rockets were launched from the trailer. No sign of the attackers who appear to have fled, executing what is probably one of the boldest attacks in months in Baghdad -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Well, Jane, earlier you talked about this being one of the so-called green zones, one of the highest levels of secure area in Baghdad. Just a couple weeks ago we saw the suicide bomber at the Baghdad Hotel. Is there a sense that there is really no place safe in the Iraqi capital nowadays?
ARRAF: Well, what U.S. officials have been relying on is their ability to get better intelligence and work with the Iraqi police in some cases to make more arrests, to actually crack down on these cells of opposition that they're facing. But if somebody wants to carry out an attack like this, there really isn't much protection. Now, as we said, this is a very secure area behind us. But behind us, where the rockets were launched from, is a busy street and a major intersection. According to residents, there aren't a lot of American patrols here. And that's been a feature of Baghdad life as well, that we have been seeing fewer U.S. patrols as more Iraqi police take over.
Now, at 6:00 in the morning, apparently there wasn't much of a presence outside the perimeter, and this is a very tight security perimeter. But you are absolutely right that it is a reminder, if any were needed, that there really is nowhere safe in Baghdad and in all of Iraq. That there are significant pockets of what the U.S. continues to refer to as resistance who will do anything to try to drive out American forces -- Sean.
CALLEBS: OK, Jane Arraf. And, once again, we should point out that Wolfowitz says this will not deter the U.S. and coalition troops in any way. Jane Arraf, thanks very 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 - 08:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: This morning we have been telling you about a rocket attack on the Al Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad that happened early morning Baghdad time. It happened while Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was at that hotel. For the latest information now, we go to Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf.
Is it now late afternoon in Baghdad, Jane. Tell us what is going on there now. We saw a very shaken Wolfowitz appear before the microphone just a short while ago.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Sean, when you look at the damage done to this hotel, it's understandable why he would have been shaken. Now, he was actually staying on one of those top floors, believed to be on the 12th floor. We're not sure what side. But just below there, on the floors just below this luxury hotel, six rockets, at least, came slamming in. And you can see that they went separate through some of those rooms, blowing out windows, blowing out frames, destroying part of the side of that hotel even.
Now, one American soldier has been killed, four wounded, as well as seven American civilians wounded in this blast. There are four others wounded as well, possibly Iraqi. This appears to have been a very bold and very well executed attack. In fact, the rockets were launched just a few hundred meters from here on a major intersection.
Although there's very heavy security on this side, including the Rasheed Hotel, we are in the middle of Baghdad, and there's traffic coming and going. At 6:00 a.m., the trailer that the rocket launchers appeared to have been in wouldn't have attracted a lot of notice. There's similar trailers going throughout the city with generators and street equipment. Apparently these rockets were launched from the trailer. No sign of the attackers who appear to have fled, executing what is probably one of the boldest attacks in months in Baghdad -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Well, Jane, earlier you talked about this being one of the so-called green zones, one of the highest levels of secure area in Baghdad. Just a couple weeks ago we saw the suicide bomber at the Baghdad Hotel. Is there a sense that there is really no place safe in the Iraqi capital nowadays?
ARRAF: Well, what U.S. officials have been relying on is their ability to get better intelligence and work with the Iraqi police in some cases to make more arrests, to actually crack down on these cells of opposition that they're facing. But if somebody wants to carry out an attack like this, there really isn't much protection. Now, as we said, this is a very secure area behind us. But behind us, where the rockets were launched from, is a busy street and a major intersection. According to residents, there aren't a lot of American patrols here. And that's been a feature of Baghdad life as well, that we have been seeing fewer U.S. patrols as more Iraqi police take over.
Now, at 6:00 in the morning, apparently there wasn't much of a presence outside the perimeter, and this is a very tight security perimeter. But you are absolutely right that it is a reminder, if any were needed, that there really is nowhere safe in Baghdad and in all of Iraq. That there are significant pockets of what the U.S. continues to refer to as resistance who will do anything to try to drive out American forces -- Sean.
CALLEBS: OK, Jane Arraf. And, once again, we should point out that Wolfowitz says this will not deter the U.S. and coalition troops in any way. Jane Arraf, thanks very 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
