ABC's Bob Woodruff says he's off to Afghanistan
ABC News anchorman Bob Woodruff was not able to report from Iraq as planned and is now on his way to Afghanistan, according to an on-air conversation he had from a military transport plane with co-anchor Chris Cuomo on Good Morning America Tuesday.
Woodruff, who is traveling with Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was able to land in Iraq Monday. But a sandstorm prevented him from visiting the frontline medical personnel on whom the ABC anchorman had intended to report, according to what Woodruff told Cuomo.
The landing marked Woodruff's return to the country where he was seriously injured by a bomb blast in 2006 shortly after he became anchor of World News, the network's signature evening newscast. Charles Gibson now anchors the telecast.
Writing at abcnews.com Monday, Woodruff explained the what he hoped to accomplish with his return to war reporting:
I have many goals with this trip. I want to visit the doctors, nurses and medics who are putting their own lives at risk to save others. I would like to understand first-hand the status of the war and learn more about what the US role will be. I want to view first-hand the new equipment and vehicles that reduce the numbers of injured.
I feel extremely privileged to be back to reporting and to have recovered as well as I did. It is an honor for me to continue to highlight the stories of this conflict to our audience.
Read a transcript of Woodruff's conversation with Cuomo here.
