Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Baghdad Residents Demand Answers After Series of Explosions Rock City
Aired April 26, 2003 - 11:07 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: People in Baghdad are demanding answers this morning after a series of explosions today. CNN's Kathleen Koch is at Pentagon with the reaction there. Good morning, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Anderson. Well, CENTCOM has put out a press release explaining at least the details as it knows it about what happened there and they say that an unknown number of attackers, attacked a group of 3rd Infantry soldiers who were guarding this ammunitions dump in Baghdad. Now, CENTCOM says that the assailants fired, what it called, an unknown incendiary device into the ammo dump causing the explosion, causing the fire. CENTCOM says one U.S. soldier was wounded in the attack, four civilians then wounded and six killed if the following fire and explosion, though, clearly these numbers to differ of what Red Cross is saying.
CENTCOM says the ammunition had been put there by Saddam Hussein's forces and that this was, quote, "another example of the former regime's disregard for the safety of Iraqi citizens." Now, obviously bringing safety and stability to the entire country of Iraq will come slowly much as the country begins to establish a new government and it has been reported over the past week that Iran is sending in emissaries to try to influence that government to be fundamentalist and Islamic, just as it its government is. And defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld is now increasingly warning Iran not to interfere in Iraq's journey toward democracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: This much is certain, a vocal minority clambering to transform Iraq in Iran's image will not permitted to do so. We will not allow the Iraqi people's democratic transition to be hijack for -- by those who might wish to install another form of dictatorship. Our policy in Iraq is simple, it is to stay as long as necessary to finish our work, and then to leave Iraq to the Iraqi people as soon as that work is done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: And Defense Secretary Rumsfeld leaves this morning to the region for a weeklong visit. He will be visiting with regional leaders thanking them for their support during the Iraq war, also, discussing future military deployments in the gulf area. He will indeed, also, as is normal be meeting with U.S. troops in the area, giving them some words of encouragement. Rumsfeld saying yesterday that the U.S. is interested in beginning to bring them home, beginning to scale back, but is also ready it ramp up if necessary. Back to you.
COOPER: But, Kathleen, you saw, probably, the video that was taken earlier today in Baghdad. We saw an Islamic cleric leading a crowd in protest and one of the things the protests are saying is we asked the U.S. militaries -- U.S. authorities to move this ammo dump out of this civilian neighborhood. Why didn't they do it? So, I put this question to you.
KOCH: I spoke to a CENTCOM official about that just a few minutes ago and he said that basically the military's desire is, if possible, when it can to destroy these ammo dumps in place, but that this one was too close it a residential neighborhood. So, the only option was to move it, but to move it, that meant they may disrupt the ammunition causing explosions just like this. It could have been booby-trapped, it could have been very volatile, so they were concerned with doing that.
COOPER: All right, Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Explosions Rock City>
Aired April 26, 2003 - 11:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: People in Baghdad are demanding answers this morning after a series of explosions today. CNN's Kathleen Koch is at Pentagon with the reaction there. Good morning, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Anderson. Well, CENTCOM has put out a press release explaining at least the details as it knows it about what happened there and they say that an unknown number of attackers, attacked a group of 3rd Infantry soldiers who were guarding this ammunitions dump in Baghdad. Now, CENTCOM says that the assailants fired, what it called, an unknown incendiary device into the ammo dump causing the explosion, causing the fire. CENTCOM says one U.S. soldier was wounded in the attack, four civilians then wounded and six killed if the following fire and explosion, though, clearly these numbers to differ of what Red Cross is saying.
CENTCOM says the ammunition had been put there by Saddam Hussein's forces and that this was, quote, "another example of the former regime's disregard for the safety of Iraqi citizens." Now, obviously bringing safety and stability to the entire country of Iraq will come slowly much as the country begins to establish a new government and it has been reported over the past week that Iran is sending in emissaries to try to influence that government to be fundamentalist and Islamic, just as it its government is. And defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld is now increasingly warning Iran not to interfere in Iraq's journey toward democracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: This much is certain, a vocal minority clambering to transform Iraq in Iran's image will not permitted to do so. We will not allow the Iraqi people's democratic transition to be hijack for -- by those who might wish to install another form of dictatorship. Our policy in Iraq is simple, it is to stay as long as necessary to finish our work, and then to leave Iraq to the Iraqi people as soon as that work is done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: And Defense Secretary Rumsfeld leaves this morning to the region for a weeklong visit. He will be visiting with regional leaders thanking them for their support during the Iraq war, also, discussing future military deployments in the gulf area. He will indeed, also, as is normal be meeting with U.S. troops in the area, giving them some words of encouragement. Rumsfeld saying yesterday that the U.S. is interested in beginning to bring them home, beginning to scale back, but is also ready it ramp up if necessary. Back to you.
COOPER: But, Kathleen, you saw, probably, the video that was taken earlier today in Baghdad. We saw an Islamic cleric leading a crowd in protest and one of the things the protests are saying is we asked the U.S. militaries -- U.S. authorities to move this ammo dump out of this civilian neighborhood. Why didn't they do it? So, I put this question to you.
KOCH: I spoke to a CENTCOM official about that just a few minutes ago and he said that basically the military's desire is, if possible, when it can to destroy these ammo dumps in place, but that this one was too close it a residential neighborhood. So, the only option was to move it, but to move it, that meant they may disrupt the ammunition causing explosions just like this. It could have been booby-trapped, it could have been very volatile, so they were concerned with doing that.
COOPER: All right, Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Explosions Rock City>
