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CNN Live Sunday

Shiite Population Angry at U.S. Occupation

Aired July 20, 2003 - 16:01   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.


SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Deadly attacks and protests punctuate the day in Iraq. Two more American soldiers were killed, and another one wounded near Mosul. And the country's Shiite population is voicing anger over the coalition's continued presence in Iraq. CNN's Nic Robertson brings us the latest from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Angry young Shiah men rush forward to throw rocks at U.S. Marines. Photographers jump out of the way and religious leaders try to keep the peace. Under the onslaught the Marines back up. The crowd moves forward, and the road fills. In this, Najaf, Iraq's most holy of cities, Marines keep guns pointed down as clerics calm the crowds. "Don't do anything without checking with us," he says. But this crowd already fired up by angry rhetoric from other religious leaders, told U.S. troops had, the previous day, surrounded the home of leading anti-U.S. Shiah cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr.

LT. COL. CHRIS CONLIN, U.S. MARINES: It's not true. We have not surrounded his house. We never went to his house. It's a lie. But he's good at that.

ROBERTSON: Two days before, Sadr called on his Shiah followers to form their own army and government, raising tensions with the mostly low-profile Marine force.

CONLIN: What we were doing yesterday was not surrounding Sadr's house, but actually providing protection for Mr. Wolfowitz, who was here.

ROBERTSON: In Fallujah, to the northwest, 3rd Infantry Division troops provide tough security, a different response to a different problem, manning a new checkpoint where one U.S. Soldier was killed by an improvised bomb just days before. Commanders seeing increased attacks amidst reports of low morale.

LT. COL. ERIC SCHWARTZ, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION: They get emboldened by newspaper articles that say that the American forces have hit a point of weakness.

ROBERTSON: The response, while continuing humanitarian work, to take a firm stand.

SCHWARTZ: We started heavy with the stick yesterday. Today we saw three specific incidences where Fallujahns have come out and they've told us where explosive devices have been planted. ROBERTSON (on camera): Iraqi police in Fallujah say they're not sure exactly who's behind the most recent attacks, criminals, Ba'athists, or Islamic extremists.

ROBERTSON (voiceover): The Marines in Najaf and troops elsewhere, as important to know how to respond as who's behind the attack.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: And one of the ways that the coalition is planning to respond across the whole spectrum of different situations in different cities across Iraq is to put Iraqis out on the street and the police in a new protection call for Iraq and with a new army that is being recruited and soon to be trained -- Sean.

CALLEBS: Well, Nic, clearly at this time of instability throughout the country, one of the chief jobs is to try and foster goodwill. What do you see U.S. troops out there doing right now to do just that?

ROBERTSON: Well, if we look at Fallujah as just one particular example, almost a million dollars has been put into that city in reconstruction aid for schools, putting in fans, books, blackboards in the classrooms, material for hospitals, reconstruction of hospitals, a new sewage system is going in quite soon.

Every day, while on one hand soldiers are driving around the city, on the outskirts of the city maybe getting shot at, there's a team of engineers working with the mayor, working with civilian contractors in the city to provide employment and to go out and meet some of the basic needs of the population.

What doesn't seem to be happening yet is that perception corner of the population hasn't turned substantially. That is to say, OK, the U.S. troops are in our town and they're doing some good, so let's make sure we leave them alone. That perception corner has really yet to be turned in Fallujah and in many other parts of the country as well, Sean.

CALLEBS: Okay, Nic. That is something we will continue to watch. Nic Robertson in Baghdad. 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 20, 2003 - 16:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Deadly attacks and protests punctuate the day in Iraq. Two more American soldiers were killed, and another one wounded near Mosul. And the country's Shiite population is voicing anger over the coalition's continued presence in Iraq. CNN's Nic Robertson brings us the latest from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Angry young Shiah men rush forward to throw rocks at U.S. Marines. Photographers jump out of the way and religious leaders try to keep the peace. Under the onslaught the Marines back up. The crowd moves forward, and the road fills. In this, Najaf, Iraq's most holy of cities, Marines keep guns pointed down as clerics calm the crowds. "Don't do anything without checking with us," he says. But this crowd already fired up by angry rhetoric from other religious leaders, told U.S. troops had, the previous day, surrounded the home of leading anti-U.S. Shiah cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr.

LT. COL. CHRIS CONLIN, U.S. MARINES: It's not true. We have not surrounded his house. We never went to his house. It's a lie. But he's good at that.

ROBERTSON: Two days before, Sadr called on his Shiah followers to form their own army and government, raising tensions with the mostly low-profile Marine force.

CONLIN: What we were doing yesterday was not surrounding Sadr's house, but actually providing protection for Mr. Wolfowitz, who was here.

ROBERTSON: In Fallujah, to the northwest, 3rd Infantry Division troops provide tough security, a different response to a different problem, manning a new checkpoint where one U.S. Soldier was killed by an improvised bomb just days before. Commanders seeing increased attacks amidst reports of low morale.

LT. COL. ERIC SCHWARTZ, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION: They get emboldened by newspaper articles that say that the American forces have hit a point of weakness.

ROBERTSON: The response, while continuing humanitarian work, to take a firm stand.

SCHWARTZ: We started heavy with the stick yesterday. Today we saw three specific incidences where Fallujahns have come out and they've told us where explosive devices have been planted. ROBERTSON (on camera): Iraqi police in Fallujah say they're not sure exactly who's behind the most recent attacks, criminals, Ba'athists, or Islamic extremists.

ROBERTSON (voiceover): The Marines in Najaf and troops elsewhere, as important to know how to respond as who's behind the attack.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: And one of the ways that the coalition is planning to respond across the whole spectrum of different situations in different cities across Iraq is to put Iraqis out on the street and the police in a new protection call for Iraq and with a new army that is being recruited and soon to be trained -- Sean.

CALLEBS: Well, Nic, clearly at this time of instability throughout the country, one of the chief jobs is to try and foster goodwill. What do you see U.S. troops out there doing right now to do just that?

ROBERTSON: Well, if we look at Fallujah as just one particular example, almost a million dollars has been put into that city in reconstruction aid for schools, putting in fans, books, blackboards in the classrooms, material for hospitals, reconstruction of hospitals, a new sewage system is going in quite soon.

Every day, while on one hand soldiers are driving around the city, on the outskirts of the city maybe getting shot at, there's a team of engineers working with the mayor, working with civilian contractors in the city to provide employment and to go out and meet some of the basic needs of the population.

What doesn't seem to be happening yet is that perception corner of the population hasn't turned substantially. That is to say, OK, the U.S. troops are in our town and they're doing some good, so let's make sure we leave them alone. That perception corner has really yet to be turned in Fallujah and in many other parts of the country as well, Sean.

CALLEBS: Okay, Nic. That is something we will continue to watch. Nic Robertson in Baghdad. 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