Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
U.S. Troops Suffer More Losses in Iraq
Aired June 28, 2003 - 07:09 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.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, in Iraq, a U.S. military convoy has become the latest target of attacks. Last night's ambush of a U.S. convoy has left one American soldier dead and four wounded as well. A lot of casualties of late.
CNN Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf joins us now with more from the Iraqi capital -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Kris, we just got word in on another story that we've been following. It's that story of the two missing American servicemen, missing for more than two days now, along with their armored vehicle.
Now, a senior military official says that that case is within hours of being solved. They have six people in custody, six Iraqis that they have taken into custody in connection with that case. The two men disappeared from a checkpoint. The search was on when they lost contact with their unit, and there has been an intensive search since then by air with helicopter and on the ground.
So far, nothing has turned up, but now a senior official saying that they were within hours of perhaps knowing what's happened to those soldiers.
At the same time, as you mentioned, one soldier dead in a shooting last night, either a shooting or a grenade attack in this southern city suburb of Baghdad. Now, that used to be known as Saddam City, and it's home to more than 1 million Shi'a Muslims. It's occasionally a volatile place, but this (UNINTELLIGIBLE) seemed to have happened at a routine patrol last night. Fire was opened on these -- on this patrol, one soldier killed, four wounded, and an Iraqi interpreter along with them wounded as well, Kris.
OSBORN: Well, Jane, there's certainly been a lot of talk about these hit-and-run guerrilla-style attacks against coalition soldiers there in Iraq. Are you hearing anything about the level of coordination or resistance they may involve? There's been some speculation and a lot of discussion about that.
ARRAF: U.S. officials, military and civilian, have continued to say that they're really not seeing any overall regional or national coordination, and they've dismissed talk that Saddam, if he's still alive, is behind this as well. But clearly there is something that links many of these groups. What links all of these attacks is a desire to either see U.S. forces out of here, or make things extremely difficult for the reconstruction of Iraq.
But as it stands, there do appear to be a variety of groups, a variety of individuals acting in increasingly diverse ways to attack U.S. troops, not just convoys but individual soldiers out on the streets, particularly in the more conservative neighborhoods.
And that's part of the worrying thing, the diversity of those attacks makes it more difficult to combat, Kris.
OSBORN: Sure, thank you, Jane Arraf, CNN Baghdad bureau chief.
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 June 28, 2003 - 07:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, in Iraq, a U.S. military convoy has become the latest target of attacks. Last night's ambush of a U.S. convoy has left one American soldier dead and four wounded as well. A lot of casualties of late.
CNN Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf joins us now with more from the Iraqi capital -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Kris, we just got word in on another story that we've been following. It's that story of the two missing American servicemen, missing for more than two days now, along with their armored vehicle.
Now, a senior military official says that that case is within hours of being solved. They have six people in custody, six Iraqis that they have taken into custody in connection with that case. The two men disappeared from a checkpoint. The search was on when they lost contact with their unit, and there has been an intensive search since then by air with helicopter and on the ground.
So far, nothing has turned up, but now a senior official saying that they were within hours of perhaps knowing what's happened to those soldiers.
At the same time, as you mentioned, one soldier dead in a shooting last night, either a shooting or a grenade attack in this southern city suburb of Baghdad. Now, that used to be known as Saddam City, and it's home to more than 1 million Shi'a Muslims. It's occasionally a volatile place, but this (UNINTELLIGIBLE) seemed to have happened at a routine patrol last night. Fire was opened on these -- on this patrol, one soldier killed, four wounded, and an Iraqi interpreter along with them wounded as well, Kris.
OSBORN: Well, Jane, there's certainly been a lot of talk about these hit-and-run guerrilla-style attacks against coalition soldiers there in Iraq. Are you hearing anything about the level of coordination or resistance they may involve? There's been some speculation and a lot of discussion about that.
ARRAF: U.S. officials, military and civilian, have continued to say that they're really not seeing any overall regional or national coordination, and they've dismissed talk that Saddam, if he's still alive, is behind this as well. But clearly there is something that links many of these groups. What links all of these attacks is a desire to either see U.S. forces out of here, or make things extremely difficult for the reconstruction of Iraq.
But as it stands, there do appear to be a variety of groups, a variety of individuals acting in increasingly diverse ways to attack U.S. troops, not just convoys but individual soldiers out on the streets, particularly in the more conservative neighborhoods.
And that's part of the worrying thing, the diversity of those attacks makes it more difficult to combat, Kris.
OSBORN: Sure, thank you, Jane Arraf, CNN Baghdad bureau chief.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
