Tonight’s CBS Evening News included an update on the condition of Kimberly Dozier.
“She was hit pretty badly to her lower body and her legs. And I believe she was — received a shrapnel wound to her head,” Baghdad bureau producer Agnes Reau said.
Correspondent David Martin added: “Kimberly has been moved to a second hospital north of Baghdad where she underwent more surgery. Doctors are keeping her sedated and on a respirator, but they say she’s in much better shape than when she came in. As soon as it’s safe to move her, she will leave Iraq the same way so many wounded soldiers have: aboard a US military transport plane to a hospital in Germany.”
Martin said “successfully removed the shrapnel from her head and it did not penetrate her brain, so that does not appear to be life-threatening. The serious injuries are to her lower body.”
Click continued to read the transcript…
SCHIEFFER: In Iraq, there was no holiday from war. A wave of bombings left scores dead and wounded. It was one of those blasts that left a CBS News camera crew dead and one of our correspondents critically wounded. We’ll begin our coverage with national security correspondent David Martin.
MARTIN: Firefighters extinguished the flames of the demolished humvee, but the deadly damage has already been done: four people killed by a car bomb. CBS News cameraman Paul Douglas, soundman James Brolan, a still-unidentified American soldier and an Iraqi translator. Three more severely wounded, including correspondent Kimberly Dozier.
It happened in a neighborhood of Baghdad near the city center which had been the scene of two other deadly explosions just the day before. Dozier and her camera crew set out with soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division to do a story showing that Memorial Day was just like any other day in the war. They were riding in an armored humvee. And, according to Baghdad bureau producer Agnes Reau, they were wearing protective gear.
Ms. AGNES REAU (CBS News Producer): Every time we go out with the US military here, we are required to wear flak jacket, helmet and eye protection glasses.
MARTIN: Shortly after they set out, the soldiers and the CBS News crew got out of their humvees to inspect an Iraqi check point. That’s when the car bomb went off. Douglas and Brolan died there in the street. Dozier was medevaced to the emergency room in the green zone just a mile away.
Ms. REAU: She was hit pretty badly to her lower body and her legs. And I believe she was–received a shrapnel wound to her head.
MARTIN: All three–Douglas, Brolan and Dozier–had years of experience reporting in war zones. That three such combat-savvy journalists could fall victim to a car bomb demonstrates why so-called “improvised explosive devices” have killed and maimed so many.
The explosion that hit the CBS News team was not the only or even the deadliest blast to go off in Iraq on this Memorial Day. It was one of eight that killed at least 33 people, most of them Iraqis.
Kimberly has been moved to a second hospital north of Baghdad where she underwent more surgery. Doctors are keeping her sedated and on a respirator, but they say she’s in much better shape than when she came in. As soon as it’s safe to move her, she will leave Iraq the same way so many wounded soldiers have: aboard a US military transport plane to a hospital in Germany.
SCHIEFFER: David, there was one report that she had sustained some sort of head injury. That’s always a scary thing to hear. Any word on that?
MARTIN: Fortunately, Bob, doctors successfully removed the shrapnel from her head and it did not penetrate her brain, so that does not appear to be life-threatening. The serious injuries are to her lower body.
SCHIEFFER: OK. Well, thanks, Dave. Thanks.