Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Saddam Hussein's Warning to Iraqi People

Aired February 27, 2003 - 06:04   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The United States has a financial plan for war and a plan for after the war, while Saddam Hussein tells the people of Iraq, dig your trenches and prepare to fight.
We take you live to what could be the site of the battle -- of a major battle, Baghdad, and senior international correspondent Nic Robertson.

Good morning -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, we've seen President Saddam Hussein appear on television many times here in the past, meeting with officials. Yesterday, he met with the governors from around the country. They told him that all of the preparations were now in place in their regions for the possibility of war.

President Saddam Hussein, however, had about his bluntest message yet for the Iraqi people. He said the best way that they could protect themselves from the bombing was to dig what he called "fighting trenches" in their gardens and around their houses. And he said that if bombing starts, then they should go with their families into those trenches, because even if a bomb falls on their house, he said that that way, they could be safe.

We have seen a little bit of progress here by the U.N. weapons inspectors in the last day or so. They've been destroying some mustard gas artillery shells. They found a new way to drill into the shells and get the mustard gas out before destroying the chemical agent.

However, on that critical issue of Iraq's need to say that it will destroy its Al Samoud 2 missiles beginning Saturday, still no information on that, Carol. The U.N. here still waiting for an answer.

COSTELLO: OK, as we are. Nic Robertson live from Baghdad this morning.

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 February 27, 2003 - 06:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The United States has a financial plan for war and a plan for after the war, while Saddam Hussein tells the people of Iraq, dig your trenches and prepare to fight.
We take you live to what could be the site of the battle -- of a major battle, Baghdad, and senior international correspondent Nic Robertson.

Good morning -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, we've seen President Saddam Hussein appear on television many times here in the past, meeting with officials. Yesterday, he met with the governors from around the country. They told him that all of the preparations were now in place in their regions for the possibility of war.

President Saddam Hussein, however, had about his bluntest message yet for the Iraqi people. He said the best way that they could protect themselves from the bombing was to dig what he called "fighting trenches" in their gardens and around their houses. And he said that if bombing starts, then they should go with their families into those trenches, because even if a bomb falls on their house, he said that that way, they could be safe.

We have seen a little bit of progress here by the U.N. weapons inspectors in the last day or so. They've been destroying some mustard gas artillery shells. They found a new way to drill into the shells and get the mustard gas out before destroying the chemical agent.

However, on that critical issue of Iraq's need to say that it will destroy its Al Samoud 2 missiles beginning Saturday, still no information on that, Carol. The U.N. here still waiting for an answer.

COSTELLO: OK, as we are. Nic Robertson live from Baghdad this morning.

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