Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=4/4/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-301770

TITLE=IRAQ / BRIEFING/ CAR BOMB (S-O)

BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON

DATELINE=DOHA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: U-S officials say a car bomb killed three coalition soldiers, a pregnant woman and the driver at a checkpoint set up by U-S-led special forces west of Baghdad. V-O-A's Roger Wilkison reports from coalition headquarters in Qatar, it is still unclear if the incident was a suicide bombing.

TEXT: Briefing reporters Friday, Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, the lead spokesman for U-S Central Command, said the car bombing took place west of an important dam that was seized a day earlier by special forces.

General Brooks describes what happened at the checkpoint when a car approached it.

/// BROOKS ACT ///

A woman who appeared clearly to be pregnant exited the vehicle screaming for assistance, in some degree of distress. As coalition forces began to approach, she and the vehicle were detonated. So, she was killed by the explosion from the vehicle.

/// END ACT ///

Other officials said later that three coalition soldiers died along with the woman and the car's driver, and two other soldiers were injured.

It was the second time in six days that coalition troops have been killed in a car bombing.

Coalition officials say they are not sure it was a suicide attack, saying the car bomb may have been detonated from a distance by remote control. (Signed)

NEB/RW/KL/TW/FC