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CNN Saturday Morning News

Deadly Shooting at Checkpoint in Iraq

Aired September 27, 2003 - 08:03   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq now, there are conflicting accounts of a deadly shooting incident involving U.S. troops at a checkpoint in Falluja.
Our Harris Whitbeck has the latest from Baghdad this morning -- Harris, what are you hearing from where you are?

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, U.S. military authorities in Baghdad are now saying that the soldiers who fired upon a van at a checkpoint in Falluja had actually been fired upon first. They say that this van approached the checkpoint and shots were fired from that van at the U.S. soldiers. The U.S. military says two people were killed and four were wounded, but agency reporters report from the scene that there were at least four people killed during that shooting, among them three men, one woman from the same family. They also say among the several injured there was one young girl.

Meanwhile, here in Baghdad, the Al-Rasheed Hotel was attacked earlier this morning. Explosive devices were launched against the hotel, which houses top U.S. military and civilian officials in Baghdad. The Al-Rasheed Hotel is in a large, very heavily fortified complex that also houses a convention center, which is used by top military and civilian officials to give press conferences here -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Harris Whitbeck live this morning from Baghdad.

Thanks so much for the update, Harris.

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Aired September 27, 2003 - 08:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq now, there are conflicting accounts of a deadly shooting incident involving U.S. troops at a checkpoint in Falluja.
Our Harris Whitbeck has the latest from Baghdad this morning -- Harris, what are you hearing from where you are?

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, U.S. military authorities in Baghdad are now saying that the soldiers who fired upon a van at a checkpoint in Falluja had actually been fired upon first. They say that this van approached the checkpoint and shots were fired from that van at the U.S. soldiers. The U.S. military says two people were killed and four were wounded, but agency reporters report from the scene that there were at least four people killed during that shooting, among them three men, one woman from the same family. They also say among the several injured there was one young girl.

Meanwhile, here in Baghdad, the Al-Rasheed Hotel was attacked earlier this morning. Explosive devices were launched against the hotel, which houses top U.S. military and civilian officials in Baghdad. The Al-Rasheed Hotel is in a large, very heavily fortified complex that also houses a convention center, which is used by top military and civilian officials to give press conferences here -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Harris Whitbeck live this morning from Baghdad.

Thanks so much for the update, Harris.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com