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CNN Sunday Morning
Six More U.S. Soldiers Killed Today in Iraq
Aired November 23, 2003 - 09:31 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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with the latest violence in Iraq. Convoy attacks and accidents, the various incidents have claimed the lives of six more U.S. soldiers. CNN's Walter Rodgers is in Baghdad. He joins us with the details. Walter?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Martin.
Tragically American soldiers are now dying on what seems an average of at least one a day. Today, as you point out, six were killed. Three of those in hostile action. One of the soldiers killed by a remotely detonated roadside bomb in the northeast suburbs of Baghdad around Baqubah.
But for Mosul, two more American soldiers were killed there in what is turning out to be a very grisly incident. According to the army, the two American soldiers in Mosul were traveling in an automobile from one outpost to another. There was an automobile accident according to the Army, and then there was firing. That's as far as the army will go. But my colleague Jane Arraf in Mosul has been interviewing eyewitnesses up there, and the eyewitnesses told Jane Arraf that the soldiers' throats were slit and that the Iraqis came in and looted the bodies of the soldiers. Whatever the circumstances of their death, two U.S. soldiers were seen lying dead in the street of Mosul under a sheet.
Nonetheless, the ranking U.S. general here said that the insurgents are losing this battle and they say that the United States is winning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT, SPOKESMAN, U.S. MILITARY: We're not worried in the least. In fact, what we have demonstrated time after time, after every engagement with the enemy we prevail. We have nothing at this point that causes us to be concerned. Militarily -- this is an enemy that cannot defeat us militarily and in engagement after engagement, we see the enemy breaking off, running away, and militarily their attacks are becoming more and more insignificant to us against coalition forces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: Still, when an enemy runs away like that, attack and flee is a classic tenet and tactic of guerrilla warfare, and despite the claims of U.S. military here that they are winning, and that every time there's an engagement they win, that may well be the case, but nonetheless the Iraqi insurgents continue to make the Americans bleed. Martin?
SAVIDGE: You're right, Walter. We have seen that tactic successfully used in other parts of the world.
Thank you very much. Walter Rodgers in 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 November 23, 2003 - 09:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with the latest violence in Iraq. Convoy attacks and accidents, the various incidents have claimed the lives of six more U.S. soldiers. CNN's Walter Rodgers is in Baghdad. He joins us with the details. Walter?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Martin.
Tragically American soldiers are now dying on what seems an average of at least one a day. Today, as you point out, six were killed. Three of those in hostile action. One of the soldiers killed by a remotely detonated roadside bomb in the northeast suburbs of Baghdad around Baqubah.
But for Mosul, two more American soldiers were killed there in what is turning out to be a very grisly incident. According to the army, the two American soldiers in Mosul were traveling in an automobile from one outpost to another. There was an automobile accident according to the Army, and then there was firing. That's as far as the army will go. But my colleague Jane Arraf in Mosul has been interviewing eyewitnesses up there, and the eyewitnesses told Jane Arraf that the soldiers' throats were slit and that the Iraqis came in and looted the bodies of the soldiers. Whatever the circumstances of their death, two U.S. soldiers were seen lying dead in the street of Mosul under a sheet.
Nonetheless, the ranking U.S. general here said that the insurgents are losing this battle and they say that the United States is winning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT, SPOKESMAN, U.S. MILITARY: We're not worried in the least. In fact, what we have demonstrated time after time, after every engagement with the enemy we prevail. We have nothing at this point that causes us to be concerned. Militarily -- this is an enemy that cannot defeat us militarily and in engagement after engagement, we see the enemy breaking off, running away, and militarily their attacks are becoming more and more insignificant to us against coalition forces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: Still, when an enemy runs away like that, attack and flee is a classic tenet and tactic of guerrilla warfare, and despite the claims of U.S. military here that they are winning, and that every time there's an engagement they win, that may well be the case, but nonetheless the Iraqi insurgents continue to make the Americans bleed. Martin?
SAVIDGE: You're right, Walter. We have seen that tactic successfully used in other parts of the world.
Thank you very much. Walter Rodgers in 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
