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CNN Saturday Morning News

Seven Iraqi Police Recruits Killed in Explosion

Aired July 05, 2003 - 07:30   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: There's been a powerful explosion outside a police station in western Iraq this morning. Police say seven police recruits were killed and dozens wounded. It happened in the town of Ramadi, about 75 miles west of Baghdad. Some say the blast was the result of a roadside bomb, while others say it was a rocket propelled grenade.
Let's find out if there are any certain details from our Nic Robertson, who is joining us now -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, I'm at a site of the blast right now. The blast appeared to come from the base of a streetlight at the side of the main road. Only part of the streetlight is damaged. The blast appears to have been shaped to blast out across the pavement area, where all the police recruits were walking. Bystanders, witnesses to this incident told me that the police recruits had come out of their training school, were walking down the main road, as they do every day, about 50 of them together, and as they passed this streetlight the explosion went off.

The witnesses describes seeing people lying wounded, people with leg wounds, head wounds, wounds in their arms, many, many injured. They say that cars, passersby stopped, picked up the wounded, took them off to the hospital. Now, some people here, Iraqis, are saying that they think that the Americans planted this particular device.

However, it is very interesting that this attack on these police recruits that were being trained by U.S. forces comes a day after a statement purporting to come from Saddam Hussein warning people not to support the coalition forces (UNINTELLIGIBLE) working against the coalition.

This isn't the first time that Iraqis who have worked with the coalition have been targeted. A senior electricity executive was assassinated at her house less than two weeks ago. But the feeling of the people here in Ramadi -- and this is a town that has been staunchly loyal to Saddam Hussein in the past. It has very strong ties with his former ruling Baath Party. The feeling here is one of animosity towards the U.S. forces who are here in this town.

According to the eyewitnesses, the U.S. troops came on the scene, sealed off the road immediately after the blast. Helicopters were up in the air surveying the scene.

At this time, however, the, all the injured have been taken away and there are no U.S. troops in this particular area right now -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nic Robertson, thanks very much for that update -- Kris.

KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Fred.

Well, also in Iraq, on this same story, we're going to continue to talk about it, an explosion near a police station in a town west of Baghdad. It killed several police recruits.

We are joined now by CNN's Jane Arraf. She is the Baghdad bureau chief for CNN.

She joins us now live with this report -- hello, Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kris.

Coalition officials here in Baghdad are saying that that blast actually occurred at a graduation ceremony for new police recruits in the town of Ramadi, about 110 kilometers west of Baghdad.

The coalition officials say that seven people were killed and at least 40 injured when what appeared to be a homemade bomb went off.

Now, obviously one of the worst attacks in the recent times, but certainly not the only one. There have been an average, according to U.S. officials, of more than a dozen attacks or attempted attacks a day. It coincides, of course, with the release of a tape purporting to be Saddam Hussein, saying that opposition cells had formed, brigades for holy war have formed and he encourage them, congratulates them and urges Iraqis to protect them. But most of all, he says that he is still here, Saddam Hussein is still here, along with some of his comrades.

Now, whether that's the case or not, U.S. officials are concerned that the perception that he's still here and still alive will embolden some of those attackers. And we are seeing increasingly bold attacks on U.S. forces in Baghdad and outside of Baghdad -- Kris.

OSBORN: You know, Jane, in a very practical sense, in terms of helping the coalition crack down on these attacks, they're looking to train the highest number of police officers possible. They have, what, about 25,000 now. They need about 65,000. But in addition to the practical part of this, there has to be a morale issue. I mean it can't help when you've got these kind of attacks against an Iraqi force that could help with security.

ARRAF: No, it certainly doesn't, and it's not really, it's the worst attack on a police recruiting station, the worst attack on the new Iraqi police. But certainly, again, not the only one. In a recent attack on American forces just a couple of days ago, when Iraqi police rushed to the scene, they were driven away by the crowd, according to witnesses. In many areas, the Iraqi police appear to be as unpopular as the U.S. soldiers are.

Now, this isn't the case everywhere, certainly, but it is still seen as a very difficult and dangerous job for anyone who wants to be an Iraqi policeman.

In addition, a lot of them are complaining that they don't have guns, they have not been given proper weapons. They're only now getting training. It's all happening very slowly. It's a very difficult thing trying to create an entirely new police force. And certainly it's something that would be a sign of stability once it existed and was out there in force. But there are still forces out there that do not want stability to spread in Iraq -- Kris.

OSBORN: Yes, very difficult and dangerous.

CNN's Jane Arraf, thank you 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 July 5, 2003 - 07:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: There's been a powerful explosion outside a police station in western Iraq this morning. Police say seven police recruits were killed and dozens wounded. It happened in the town of Ramadi, about 75 miles west of Baghdad. Some say the blast was the result of a roadside bomb, while others say it was a rocket propelled grenade.
Let's find out if there are any certain details from our Nic Robertson, who is joining us now -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, I'm at a site of the blast right now. The blast appeared to come from the base of a streetlight at the side of the main road. Only part of the streetlight is damaged. The blast appears to have been shaped to blast out across the pavement area, where all the police recruits were walking. Bystanders, witnesses to this incident told me that the police recruits had come out of their training school, were walking down the main road, as they do every day, about 50 of them together, and as they passed this streetlight the explosion went off.

The witnesses describes seeing people lying wounded, people with leg wounds, head wounds, wounds in their arms, many, many injured. They say that cars, passersby stopped, picked up the wounded, took them off to the hospital. Now, some people here, Iraqis, are saying that they think that the Americans planted this particular device.

However, it is very interesting that this attack on these police recruits that were being trained by U.S. forces comes a day after a statement purporting to come from Saddam Hussein warning people not to support the coalition forces (UNINTELLIGIBLE) working against the coalition.

This isn't the first time that Iraqis who have worked with the coalition have been targeted. A senior electricity executive was assassinated at her house less than two weeks ago. But the feeling of the people here in Ramadi -- and this is a town that has been staunchly loyal to Saddam Hussein in the past. It has very strong ties with his former ruling Baath Party. The feeling here is one of animosity towards the U.S. forces who are here in this town.

According to the eyewitnesses, the U.S. troops came on the scene, sealed off the road immediately after the blast. Helicopters were up in the air surveying the scene.

At this time, however, the, all the injured have been taken away and there are no U.S. troops in this particular area right now -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nic Robertson, thanks very much for that update -- Kris.

KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Fred.

Well, also in Iraq, on this same story, we're going to continue to talk about it, an explosion near a police station in a town west of Baghdad. It killed several police recruits.

We are joined now by CNN's Jane Arraf. She is the Baghdad bureau chief for CNN.

She joins us now live with this report -- hello, Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kris.

Coalition officials here in Baghdad are saying that that blast actually occurred at a graduation ceremony for new police recruits in the town of Ramadi, about 110 kilometers west of Baghdad.

The coalition officials say that seven people were killed and at least 40 injured when what appeared to be a homemade bomb went off.

Now, obviously one of the worst attacks in the recent times, but certainly not the only one. There have been an average, according to U.S. officials, of more than a dozen attacks or attempted attacks a day. It coincides, of course, with the release of a tape purporting to be Saddam Hussein, saying that opposition cells had formed, brigades for holy war have formed and he encourage them, congratulates them and urges Iraqis to protect them. But most of all, he says that he is still here, Saddam Hussein is still here, along with some of his comrades.

Now, whether that's the case or not, U.S. officials are concerned that the perception that he's still here and still alive will embolden some of those attackers. And we are seeing increasingly bold attacks on U.S. forces in Baghdad and outside of Baghdad -- Kris.

OSBORN: You know, Jane, in a very practical sense, in terms of helping the coalition crack down on these attacks, they're looking to train the highest number of police officers possible. They have, what, about 25,000 now. They need about 65,000. But in addition to the practical part of this, there has to be a morale issue. I mean it can't help when you've got these kind of attacks against an Iraqi force that could help with security.

ARRAF: No, it certainly doesn't, and it's not really, it's the worst attack on a police recruiting station, the worst attack on the new Iraqi police. But certainly, again, not the only one. In a recent attack on American forces just a couple of days ago, when Iraqi police rushed to the scene, they were driven away by the crowd, according to witnesses. In many areas, the Iraqi police appear to be as unpopular as the U.S. soldiers are.

Now, this isn't the case everywhere, certainly, but it is still seen as a very difficult and dangerous job for anyone who wants to be an Iraqi policeman.

In addition, a lot of them are complaining that they don't have guns, they have not been given proper weapons. They're only now getting training. It's all happening very slowly. It's a very difficult thing trying to create an entirely new police force. And certainly it's something that would be a sign of stability once it existed and was out there in force. But there are still forces out there that do not want stability to spread in Iraq -- Kris.

OSBORN: Yes, very difficult and dangerous.

CNN's Jane Arraf, thank you 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