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Length: 4:15
PAULA ZAHN: Breaking news
right now from southern Iraq, where a supply convoy
has been ambushed. Four Americans have been
kidnapped.
We get the very latest on this breaking story from
Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, Michael Ware in
Baghdad.
Let's get started with Jamie.
Do we have any idea who may have ambushed this
convoy?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT:
No, we don't.
In fact, a senior Pentagon official, just a short
time ago, cautioned me that he's not confident in the
numbers they're getting back in this initial report.
Here's what they're hearing, though, that a civilian
convoy leaving Kuwait was ambushed or hijacked near
Nasiriyah. Apparently, there were supposedly 19
vehicles in the convoy. As a result of this incident,
they're calling it, they're saying that as many as 14
people were abducted, including, it's believed, four
Americans who were working for this Kuwaiti-based
contracting company.
The incident took place in the southern part of Iraq,
an area that was under British control, until it was
recently turned over to Iraqi control. And Pentagon
officials say that they believe the British forces
are working with the Iraqis to try to figure out
exactly what happened. And that's basically what we
know at this point -- Paula.
ZAHN: Michael, fill us in on how tenuous that
situation was, as you had the transfer of security
over to Iraqi security forces.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, essentially
what happened is that the Brits and the Italians, who
were running Dhi Qar Province, handed over all
responsibility to security of that province to the
Iraqis back in September.
So, that means that coalition forces have -- do not
patrol, by and large, through the provincial capital
or through the countryside. They're largely
restricted to major logistic spaces, U.S.-operated,
that serve the whole mission here in Iraq.
So, what has happened is that, when that control was
passed, this is into an area which is heavily
dominated by Shia militias. So, nothing of this kind
of nature would be able to happen without the
involvement of some kind of paramilitary forces
dominant in the south -- Paula.
ZAHN: And, Michael, I know we're just beginning to
get our first details nailed down here. But initial
reports suggested that maybe some of those Shiite
militia had disguised themselves at this checkpoint
as Iraqi security forces.
WARE: That practice is as common as, you know, the
sun rising in the morning, Paula.
I mean, this is what happens a lot in this country,
that there will be flash checkpoints, illegal
checkpoints, with militiamen, or insurgent groups, or
even just petty criminals, posing as police, as army,
or as national police commando forces.
It's also a way that the death squads can gain access
to houses with less resistance, flashing legitimate
or fake identification. I mean, this is a very, very
common practice, to the point where, when you run
into a checkpoint in this country, you honestly do
not know exactly who you're about to deal with.
ZAHN: And, Jamie, give us a sense of what kind of
shockwave is sent, whether the Pentagon can confirm
these numbers or not, that potentially four American
contractors have been kidnapped.
MCINTYRE: Well, again, Pentagon officials are saying
to be very cautious about these first reports.
They have a saying here, that first reports are often
wrong. They're not confirming any of those details,
because, frankly, they're still trying to sort out
exactly what happened. Again, it was not in an area
where U.S. military forces were in direct control.
But just to build on what Michael Ware said, you
know, kidnappings in Iraq are very common. It is a
very lucrative criminal activity. Many of them are
done not for ideological reasons, but simply to
extract ransoms. And ransoms are often paid for the
release of people. And that encourages more
kidnappings.
So, we don't know what happened in this particular
case. But it does appear, from the initial reports,
that among those abducted were four Americans. And we
may hear more later from the U.S. military, as
they're scrambling to put together some sort of
statement.
ZAHN: And, if you get that information, we will come
back to you live.
Jamie McIntyre, Michael Ware, thanks.