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CNN Live Sunday
No Official Army Reaction Yet to Deadly Helicopter Accident
Aired November 16, 2003 - 10:07 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. has lost five helicopters in Iraq in less than one month, and dozens of troops. For official reaction on all of this, we go to Pentagon correspondent Chris Plante now.
Chris, good morning to you.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Still at this point, the notification of next of kin is ongoing through the Army. No official response from the Army at this point. That's generally the case until notification has been completed. And no senior Pentagon officials have responded in any particular way at this point, as they're still waiting for the results of the investigation in the effort to determine exactly what happened in this situation before they come out and respond to it.
But the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, was interviewed earlier today by Wolf Blitzer for his show "LATE EDITION" at noon Eastern, and he had a little bit of official reaction to the incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMB. PAUL BREMER, IRAQI CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: The only think we know for sure is that they collided in midair. They were on separate missions, so they were not flying together in formation. And at the moment, that's all we know.
We're waiting to hear the investigation of the military at this point. It is obviously a very tragic thing that happens. And it does remind us we're at war against terrorists here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLANTE: And, of course, the people that they're most interested -- the U.S. military most interested in getting a hold of are the people behind these attacks and the people who are funding and leading these things. Saddam Hussein still on the loose, Mr. Al Dhouri (ph), the number six man on deck of cards, on the most wanted list, also still on the loose. And another former Ba'ath Party leader in the city of Karbala are three high priority targets at this point.
Now, Jalal Talabani, who is the head of the Iraqi Governing Council, was also interviewed for "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER" today and he spoke to some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JALAL TALABANI, PRESIDENT, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: I think Saddam Hussein is alive, as Ambassador Bremer said, but I don't think he is so brave or so strong to arrange all these things. There are activities from terrorist organizations coming from outside the country, and I don't think Saddam Hussein has any chance or any future for Iraq. He's finished.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLANTE: And there are two major military operations going on in this area around Baghdad, the Ba'athist Triangle or the Sunni Triangle, as it is called alternately. Operation Iron Hammer and Operation Ivy Cyclone are both very aggressive military operations being conducted by the U.S. There are tanks involved, attack helicopters, Bradley fighting vehicles, significant numbers of troops. And on occasion, even aerial bombardment, which began about 10 days ago and has been a feature of these two major operations in an effort to root out the elements that are attacking coalition forces and U.S. forces in particular -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Chris Plante reporting for us live this morning from the Pentagon. Thanks so much, Chris.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Accident>
Aired November 16, 2003 - 10:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. has lost five helicopters in Iraq in less than one month, and dozens of troops. For official reaction on all of this, we go to Pentagon correspondent Chris Plante now.
Chris, good morning to you.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Still at this point, the notification of next of kin is ongoing through the Army. No official response from the Army at this point. That's generally the case until notification has been completed. And no senior Pentagon officials have responded in any particular way at this point, as they're still waiting for the results of the investigation in the effort to determine exactly what happened in this situation before they come out and respond to it.
But the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, was interviewed earlier today by Wolf Blitzer for his show "LATE EDITION" at noon Eastern, and he had a little bit of official reaction to the incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMB. PAUL BREMER, IRAQI CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: The only think we know for sure is that they collided in midair. They were on separate missions, so they were not flying together in formation. And at the moment, that's all we know.
We're waiting to hear the investigation of the military at this point. It is obviously a very tragic thing that happens. And it does remind us we're at war against terrorists here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLANTE: And, of course, the people that they're most interested -- the U.S. military most interested in getting a hold of are the people behind these attacks and the people who are funding and leading these things. Saddam Hussein still on the loose, Mr. Al Dhouri (ph), the number six man on deck of cards, on the most wanted list, also still on the loose. And another former Ba'ath Party leader in the city of Karbala are three high priority targets at this point.
Now, Jalal Talabani, who is the head of the Iraqi Governing Council, was also interviewed for "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER" today and he spoke to some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JALAL TALABANI, PRESIDENT, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: I think Saddam Hussein is alive, as Ambassador Bremer said, but I don't think he is so brave or so strong to arrange all these things. There are activities from terrorist organizations coming from outside the country, and I don't think Saddam Hussein has any chance or any future for Iraq. He's finished.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLANTE: And there are two major military operations going on in this area around Baghdad, the Ba'athist Triangle or the Sunni Triangle, as it is called alternately. Operation Iron Hammer and Operation Ivy Cyclone are both very aggressive military operations being conducted by the U.S. There are tanks involved, attack helicopters, Bradley fighting vehicles, significant numbers of troops. And on occasion, even aerial bombardment, which began about 10 days ago and has been a feature of these two major operations in an effort to root out the elements that are attacking coalition forces and U.S. forces in particular -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Chris Plante reporting for us live this morning from the Pentagon. Thanks so much, Chris.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Accident>
