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CNN Saturday Morning News
Security Improves in Mosul
Aired April 26, 2003 - 11:04 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.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: Let's move to northern Iraq and get the latest of rebuilding efforts there. CNN's Jane Arraf has been talking with commander of the 101st Airborne Division -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kelli, Major General David Petraeus tells us that actually security has increased somewhat in Mosul which has been quite volatile with continuing gunfire over the last little while. He says in the past 48 hours, no one has shot at the U.S. forces there, but he says, although they have moved in a big way with a lower key presence than the Marines who preceded them, things are still unsettled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION: We do not have any American flags on any of our soldiers, vehicles, or equipment. We do still work with our helmets and body armor but because there still is a threat our soldiers. At some point in the future it may be that we'll change that posture but for the time being, we'll maintain that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: And as part of that process of getting that city back together, it's been really quite fragmented and with heavily hit by looting. The general has been meeting with local figures. He showed up today at the former governor's office, which was actually the scene of a gunfight between a local leader who declared himself in charge and a rival group. Now, they shot at each other and several people were killed in this and one of the things he's trying to do is make sure this frontier justice doesn't prevail. He's been meeting with local leaders in an effort to find a consensus candidate who can head an interim the government.
At the same time, there are thousands of soldiers from the 101st Airborne from Fort Campbell, Kentucky out in the streets of Mosul and for the first time, they're really interacting with local people. You can see groups of kids gathered around them, they are absolutely fascinated by the Americans. Now, among the practical things that the airborne unit is doing is ensuring that gasoline comes into the city, they're providing security for the first time for gasoline to be available at the pumps, which it hasn't been, it has been in fits and starts over the last little while. They've taken control of a major ammunitions depot to make sure that ammunition does not get into people's hands and according to the general, the railway is expected to start running tomorrow in a test -- Kelli. ARENA: Thanks so much for that report, Jane.
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 April 26, 2003 - 11:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: Let's move to northern Iraq and get the latest of rebuilding efforts there. CNN's Jane Arraf has been talking with commander of the 101st Airborne Division -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kelli, Major General David Petraeus tells us that actually security has increased somewhat in Mosul which has been quite volatile with continuing gunfire over the last little while. He says in the past 48 hours, no one has shot at the U.S. forces there, but he says, although they have moved in a big way with a lower key presence than the Marines who preceded them, things are still unsettled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION: We do not have any American flags on any of our soldiers, vehicles, or equipment. We do still work with our helmets and body armor but because there still is a threat our soldiers. At some point in the future it may be that we'll change that posture but for the time being, we'll maintain that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: And as part of that process of getting that city back together, it's been really quite fragmented and with heavily hit by looting. The general has been meeting with local figures. He showed up today at the former governor's office, which was actually the scene of a gunfight between a local leader who declared himself in charge and a rival group. Now, they shot at each other and several people were killed in this and one of the things he's trying to do is make sure this frontier justice doesn't prevail. He's been meeting with local leaders in an effort to find a consensus candidate who can head an interim the government.
At the same time, there are thousands of soldiers from the 101st Airborne from Fort Campbell, Kentucky out in the streets of Mosul and for the first time, they're really interacting with local people. You can see groups of kids gathered around them, they are absolutely fascinated by the Americans. Now, among the practical things that the airborne unit is doing is ensuring that gasoline comes into the city, they're providing security for the first time for gasoline to be available at the pumps, which it hasn't been, it has been in fits and starts over the last little while. They've taken control of a major ammunitions depot to make sure that ammunition does not get into people's hands and according to the general, the railway is expected to start running tomorrow in a test -- Kelli. ARENA: Thanks so much for that report, Jane.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
