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CNN Live Today
Chilling Words, Dire Warning from Saddam Hussein's Son
Aired January 24, 2003 - 11:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Chilling words and a dire warning from Saddam Hussein's son. He warms of a calamity worse than September 11th if the U.S. attacks Iraq.
CNN's Nic Robertson has that story now, and he joins us live from Baghdad.
Hi, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.
That's Saddam Hussein's elder son, Uday Saddam Hussein. He appeared on television here. He had a very clear message for the United States. He way saying, that as far as he could see, the United States would ultimately have to end up sitting down at the negotiating table with Iraq, because they would find Iraq strong. He said that's because Iraq is the most stable regime in the region at this time, but he had a very stark warning for the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UDAY HUSSEIN, SADDAM HUSSEIN'S SON (through translator): If they come, what they cried about on September 11 and what they saw as a big thing will seem like a picnic to them, a real picnic. They will be hurt, and they will pay an unimaginable price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, interestingly, in the same television speech, Uday Saddam Hussein also went on to say that as far as he could see, the United States' aggression over Iraq was purely over oil, and he said if that's what the United States wanted, then that was a deal that could easily be struck.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUSSEIN (through translator): They can get much out of Iraq, and even more than that, without resorting to the language of force and war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, there are indications, continuing indications Iraq is preparing for the possibility of war. The ruling Revolutionary Command Council issuing four new decrees, one law saying that if anyone commits armed robbery during a time of war, they would face the death penalty. Also, anyone essentially trying to dodge the draft by falsifying their military identification papers would get 10 to 15 years in jail. This is the holy day, Friday, here. This is a day where many Iraqis have been going to the mosques to listen to their religious leaders, their imams, to give them direction in their spirit you'll lives. What they have heard today from those leaders is denunciation of the U.N. inspectors here.
Now the imams saying during the week some small group of U.N. inspectors went to a mosque. They called that a violation of the mosque. The U.N. has said that the inspectors did go to a mosque. It was a visit, not an inspection, that they were invited in, but the message that Iraqi people are getting here through these religious leaders is one of intolerance towards the inspectors -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Nic, I'm curious about something you said a little bit earlier, too, when Uday proclaimed that Iraq is one of the most stable regions. Any sense of what exactly he meant by that?
ROBERTSON: Well, Uday Saddam Hussein has always spoken in very strong support of his father, the president. Over the years, he has come out at times of crisis and spoken in favor of his father, spoken -- put many ideas forward for his father, and that appears to be what we're hearing at this stage.
Now, when he says the regime is stable, what he is saying is that my father is the strongest man in the region, that he is capable of withstanding everything that's gone on. The example he gave specifically on this issue was that Iraq Has been faced with sanctions for over 12 years now, and he said that has had no impact on Iraq, and that's yes said that they were strong and that they were the most stable regime in the region.
COLLINS: All right, Nic Robertson live from Baghdad, 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
Aired January 24, 2003 - 11:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Chilling words and a dire warning from Saddam Hussein's son. He warms of a calamity worse than September 11th if the U.S. attacks Iraq.
CNN's Nic Robertson has that story now, and he joins us live from Baghdad.
Hi, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.
That's Saddam Hussein's elder son, Uday Saddam Hussein. He appeared on television here. He had a very clear message for the United States. He way saying, that as far as he could see, the United States would ultimately have to end up sitting down at the negotiating table with Iraq, because they would find Iraq strong. He said that's because Iraq is the most stable regime in the region at this time, but he had a very stark warning for the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UDAY HUSSEIN, SADDAM HUSSEIN'S SON (through translator): If they come, what they cried about on September 11 and what they saw as a big thing will seem like a picnic to them, a real picnic. They will be hurt, and they will pay an unimaginable price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, interestingly, in the same television speech, Uday Saddam Hussein also went on to say that as far as he could see, the United States' aggression over Iraq was purely over oil, and he said if that's what the United States wanted, then that was a deal that could easily be struck.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUSSEIN (through translator): They can get much out of Iraq, and even more than that, without resorting to the language of force and war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, there are indications, continuing indications Iraq is preparing for the possibility of war. The ruling Revolutionary Command Council issuing four new decrees, one law saying that if anyone commits armed robbery during a time of war, they would face the death penalty. Also, anyone essentially trying to dodge the draft by falsifying their military identification papers would get 10 to 15 years in jail. This is the holy day, Friday, here. This is a day where many Iraqis have been going to the mosques to listen to their religious leaders, their imams, to give them direction in their spirit you'll lives. What they have heard today from those leaders is denunciation of the U.N. inspectors here.
Now the imams saying during the week some small group of U.N. inspectors went to a mosque. They called that a violation of the mosque. The U.N. has said that the inspectors did go to a mosque. It was a visit, not an inspection, that they were invited in, but the message that Iraqi people are getting here through these religious leaders is one of intolerance towards the inspectors -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Nic, I'm curious about something you said a little bit earlier, too, when Uday proclaimed that Iraq is one of the most stable regions. Any sense of what exactly he meant by that?
ROBERTSON: Well, Uday Saddam Hussein has always spoken in very strong support of his father, the president. Over the years, he has come out at times of crisis and spoken in favor of his father, spoken -- put many ideas forward for his father, and that appears to be what we're hearing at this stage.
Now, when he says the regime is stable, what he is saying is that my father is the strongest man in the region, that he is capable of withstanding everything that's gone on. The example he gave specifically on this issue was that Iraq Has been faced with sanctions for over 12 years now, and he said that has had no impact on Iraq, and that's yes said that they were strong and that they were the most stable regime in the region.
COLLINS: All right, Nic Robertson live from Baghdad, 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
