Return to Transcripts main page

Breaking News

State Department Confirms Assassination Attempt

Aired September 05, 2002 - 13:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Another story we have been working on all this morning, and that is the assassination attempt on Afghan president Hamid Karzai. We go back to the State Department now, where our Andrea Koppel has new developments for us -- Andrea.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the first now official statement from the State Department reacting to today's assassination attempt saying that according to the information available to them, this evening, in Kandahar, a car carrying President Karzai and the governor of Kandahar was attacked. President Karzai was unharmed.

Obviously, this is information we have already been reporting, but now it is being confirmed by the State Department. They did say, however, that they have no information as to who was responsible or whether or not it was related to the bombings that happened in Kabul today.

On that note, they do add, as well, that there were no Americans to their knowledge among those who were killed or injured in Kabul earlier today -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Andrea, meanwhile, the security that is in place for Hamid Karzai, how has that been impacted?

KOPPEL: To our knowledge, it hasn't. Right now, there are U.S. Special Forces who are guarding President Karzai, and shortly, perhaps, as soon as at the end of this month, Diplomatic Security Services will be heading over there. DSS are really the unsung heroes of the greater security services. They operate just as Secret Service do when they protect the president, but DSS tend to protect visiting dignitaries who come to this country, and of course, they travel wherever Secretary of State Colin Powell travels.

PHILLIPS: Andrea Koppel from the State Department. Thank you.

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