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CNN Live Today
Discussion with Member of American Islamic Conference
Aired March 11, 2003 - 10:19 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: After the war is won and victory is declared, Saddam is gone, now what in Iraq? With some possible answers, we turn to Zainab Al-Suwalj. She is of the American Islamic Congress, and she's been meeting with top officials of the Bush administration on the shape of a post-Saddam Iraq. She joins us from Boston.
Good morning. Nice to have you with us, ma'am. We sure do appreciate the time.
And we're very curious about the meetings that you had with the administration officials last week. Can you tell us who it was you spoke with and what you talked about?
ZAINAB AL-SUWALJ, AMERICAN ISLAMIC CONGRESS: Yes, we met with Dr. Condoleezza Rice, and also we met with Vice President Dick Cheney. First, they listened to our persecution stories from inside Iraq, and then we asked them to help the Iraqi people, and we asked them for commitments to help Iraqi people establish democracy inside Iraq after Saddam Hussein's regime is gone. And also, we asked for women that they can take part in politics and make policy inside Iraq.
HARRIS: That's a big issue for you. I understand that's a very important issue?
AL-SUWALJ: Definitely. And we are a group of women for free -- called Women for Free Iraq, and met with the officials in the White House, and we talked about our concerns and for the upcoming period.
HARRIS: Then tell us what it was that Mr. Cheney or Ms. Rice told you about the administration's plan to start democracy there, because a lot of people that we've been talking to have told us that they see lots of problems in dealing with the different factions inside your countries, the Shiites, the Kurds, and that there will be some kind of conflict among those groups once Saddam is taken out and a power vacuum there. What did they tell you about dealing with that?
AL-SUWALJ: Well, we are, as I said, we are a group of women, Iraqi women from many different backgrounds. We are Sunni, Shiites, Kurds, Arabs, Christians, Muslims. We all get together. Inside Iraq, we really don't have a problem as everybody is talking about. We never had a problem between different ethnicities.
They assured us that democracy will take place, and also, it's going to be a federal democratic government inside Iraq, and everyone and every ethnicity is going to have a voice in it. HARRIS: It sounds as though you believe that the magic potion is take Saddam out the picture and everything will be wonderful and rosy, and it will be practically heaven on Earth in Iraq, is that what you are saying?
AL-SUWALJ: We're hoping that will happen inside Iraq after Saddam Hussein's regime has been removed. I'm not saying that there are not going to be any difficulties. But I think we are -- we could overcome all of these difficulties and enjoy democracy in Iraq.
And the best example for that, we have 1991 when the Iraqi people rose up against Saddam and liberated 15 out of 18 province inside Iraq. We enjoyed and saw how democracy looked like in this few days when we were liberated, and then Saddam gathered his group back and killed people who were in the uprising, and so we have best example.
And the another example, is we have the Kurds in the north, and democracy they are enjoying right now. So these are two examples.
HARRIS: Let me ask you about then, the wider picture in the Middle East. President Bush said he believes that transforming Iraq into a democracy would change the entire region into one in which democracy can flourish everywhere. Many other people believe that could be accomplished if the problem with Palestinians and Israelis was solved first. Which one do you think is the bigger problem?
AL-SUWALJ: I think Iraq problem right now is -- I believe that Middle Eastern conflict is a big problem in the Middle East. But right now, we are talking about Saddam Hussein and his dictatorship, to Iraq, and only not a threat to his own people, but to neighboring countries as well, so I think establishing democracy in Iraq is going to help the whole region to stabilize.
HARRIS: Now if U.S. troops do go into Baghdad, how long can they stay there and still have the Iraqi people believe they are liberators?
AL-SUWALJ: Well, the Iraqi people are eager to get rid of Saddam, and they waiting for them, and all our resources inside Iraq, all of the people we are talk to inside Iraq assure us that they are waiting, and they are asking us all of the time, when are you coming to liberate us?
I hope that when the war happens, the war is going to be fast and not so many people get to suffer, and we wish that since stability is controlling the country, then they can leave.
HARRIS: Zainab Al-Suwalj, thank you very much for your time this morning, and your insights. We appreciate it.
AL-SUWALJ: Thank you for having me.
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 March 11, 2003 - 10:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: After the war is won and victory is declared, Saddam is gone, now what in Iraq? With some possible answers, we turn to Zainab Al-Suwalj. She is of the American Islamic Congress, and she's been meeting with top officials of the Bush administration on the shape of a post-Saddam Iraq. She joins us from Boston.
Good morning. Nice to have you with us, ma'am. We sure do appreciate the time.
And we're very curious about the meetings that you had with the administration officials last week. Can you tell us who it was you spoke with and what you talked about?
ZAINAB AL-SUWALJ, AMERICAN ISLAMIC CONGRESS: Yes, we met with Dr. Condoleezza Rice, and also we met with Vice President Dick Cheney. First, they listened to our persecution stories from inside Iraq, and then we asked them to help the Iraqi people, and we asked them for commitments to help Iraqi people establish democracy inside Iraq after Saddam Hussein's regime is gone. And also, we asked for women that they can take part in politics and make policy inside Iraq.
HARRIS: That's a big issue for you. I understand that's a very important issue?
AL-SUWALJ: Definitely. And we are a group of women for free -- called Women for Free Iraq, and met with the officials in the White House, and we talked about our concerns and for the upcoming period.
HARRIS: Then tell us what it was that Mr. Cheney or Ms. Rice told you about the administration's plan to start democracy there, because a lot of people that we've been talking to have told us that they see lots of problems in dealing with the different factions inside your countries, the Shiites, the Kurds, and that there will be some kind of conflict among those groups once Saddam is taken out and a power vacuum there. What did they tell you about dealing with that?
AL-SUWALJ: Well, we are, as I said, we are a group of women, Iraqi women from many different backgrounds. We are Sunni, Shiites, Kurds, Arabs, Christians, Muslims. We all get together. Inside Iraq, we really don't have a problem as everybody is talking about. We never had a problem between different ethnicities.
They assured us that democracy will take place, and also, it's going to be a federal democratic government inside Iraq, and everyone and every ethnicity is going to have a voice in it. HARRIS: It sounds as though you believe that the magic potion is take Saddam out the picture and everything will be wonderful and rosy, and it will be practically heaven on Earth in Iraq, is that what you are saying?
AL-SUWALJ: We're hoping that will happen inside Iraq after Saddam Hussein's regime has been removed. I'm not saying that there are not going to be any difficulties. But I think we are -- we could overcome all of these difficulties and enjoy democracy in Iraq.
And the best example for that, we have 1991 when the Iraqi people rose up against Saddam and liberated 15 out of 18 province inside Iraq. We enjoyed and saw how democracy looked like in this few days when we were liberated, and then Saddam gathered his group back and killed people who were in the uprising, and so we have best example.
And the another example, is we have the Kurds in the north, and democracy they are enjoying right now. So these are two examples.
HARRIS: Let me ask you about then, the wider picture in the Middle East. President Bush said he believes that transforming Iraq into a democracy would change the entire region into one in which democracy can flourish everywhere. Many other people believe that could be accomplished if the problem with Palestinians and Israelis was solved first. Which one do you think is the bigger problem?
AL-SUWALJ: I think Iraq problem right now is -- I believe that Middle Eastern conflict is a big problem in the Middle East. But right now, we are talking about Saddam Hussein and his dictatorship, to Iraq, and only not a threat to his own people, but to neighboring countries as well, so I think establishing democracy in Iraq is going to help the whole region to stabilize.
HARRIS: Now if U.S. troops do go into Baghdad, how long can they stay there and still have the Iraqi people believe they are liberators?
AL-SUWALJ: Well, the Iraqi people are eager to get rid of Saddam, and they waiting for them, and all our resources inside Iraq, all of the people we are talk to inside Iraq assure us that they are waiting, and they are asking us all of the time, when are you coming to liberate us?
I hope that when the war happens, the war is going to be fast and not so many people get to suffer, and we wish that since stability is controlling the country, then they can leave.
HARRIS: Zainab Al-Suwalj, thank you very much for your time this morning, and your insights. We appreciate it.
AL-SUWALJ: Thank you for having me.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
