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CNN Live Today

Interview With Zainab Al-Suwali

Aired March 19, 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: Our correspondents on the ground in Baghdad today are describing for us a city that is preparing for war. There are no traffic jams there because most people are either staying inside or staying at home or shops are closing up, there is no place for people to go if they did leave their homes.
Well, for some insight on what life like that may be like, and what Iraqis may be feeling or going through in their minds and hearts as the deadline approaches, we turn now to our guest this morning, Zainab Al-Suwali. She is with the American Islamic Congress, and she has joined us once before.

Now, she escaped from Iraq right after the Gulf War, and she still has friends and family living there today, and Suwaysia (ph), want to know -- have you had a chance at all to talk with your friends there or your family, and see what they're going through at this particular hour?

ZAINAB AL-SUWALI, AMERICAN ISLAMIC CONGRESS: Well, I've been trying to call, but unfortunately, the line cannot go through. So I spoke with a friend, just came out of Iraq two days ago, and he told me the situation is very interesting inside Iraq because people are storing -- buying a lot of food and storing it at homes, and also filling bags of sand, building bunkers. At the same time, they are very excited and very happy to get rid of Saddam soon. So they have both mixed feelings.

HARRIS: Tell me about that, Zainab. What exactly are they saying about their expectations about life in the next couple of weeks or so? They really fully expect Saddam Hussein to be gone and for life to improve for them? Do they expect that to happen immediately, or do they think it's going to take time?

AL-SUWALI: Well, they are hoping that it is going to happen -- they hope that it's going to happen as soon as possible, but they know how stubborn Saddam is, and that might take a week or maybe less. We don't know, and they don't know. But they are hoping for fast solution.

HARRIS: Now, the people you're talking to, Zainab, are they in Baghdad, or are they in some other town outside of Baghdad?

AL-SUWALI: Actually, the people, they just left Iraq the day before yesterday.

HARRIS: They left Iraq. Did they leave from Baghdad, or did they leave from another city? AL-SUWALI: They left from Baghdad.

HARRIS: They left from Baghdad. What kind -- what do they describe for you, describing the life that they were leading there the last few days in Baghdad. Give us an idea of what they told you life was like for them there.

AL-SUWALI: They said that the people are afraid and preparing for war, and at the same time, the government officials are still brutally treating the people there, and they are taking the people who they suspect that they are against the government to jail just for security reason, and they are afraid that the Iraqi people will have another uprising against Saddam while -- when the war starts, because they have support from the U.S. now.

HARRIS: Do they think there will be a massive uprising by regular citizens and regular people against Saddam, once the fighting actually starts, or actually stops or whatever? Do they fully expect there to be some sort of an uprising?

AL-SUWALI: Yes, they are expecting that, and it's very tense back there in Iraq, and the government is trying to have control over the people and some of the people they are surrounded in their areas. They don't allow -- they don't let them leave their cities, and some of the people who they are suspecting that they are going to be taking part in the uprising, they are taking them as hostages.

HARRIS: Zainab, here is something I'm very curious about, and I would love to know what the people that you've spoken with, what they have told you about this, and what your own experience is with this. We see Saddam Hussein and Parliament members there come out in public and they speak very forcefully, they speak very confidently, and they talk about how they're going to defend their country, and how any U.S. soldier or any coalition soldier that comes in the country is going to be killed. What do people like you or your friends think when you hear that? Do you really fully believe anything you hear at all from that government?

AL-SUWALI: No. People there, they don't believe anything they hear from the government. They always -- I remember in the Gulf War in 1991, we always listened to foreign broadcasts because we cannot get any information from our own government inside Iraq. Besides, the government is waging war against us because they are afraid, and they know the pressure that they put on people, they know how much they torture their own people. And that's why they are afraid of the people's reaction. And people inside Iraq, they don't really believe what the government is saying.

HARRIS: Well -- I am sorry, Zainab, your friends who were able to get out, they are the lucky ones, obviously.

AL-SUWALI: That's right.

HARRIS: But there are many who are still going to be there if there is any conflict, if it does actually come to that. They're going to have to stay there, they are going to have to live through any bombing. You've been through that sort of thing.

AL-SUWALI: Definitely. That's right.

HARRIS: How -- how do you describe to an American public who may have never ever, ever come anywhere close to something like that, can you please describe for us what that must be like?

AL-SUWALI: Well, in 1991, when the war happened, we were afraid of the bombing, as any regular people who -- scared from bombs and war. But at the same time, we were very excited because we thought this is going to be Saddam's end, and his regime. After that, we liberate Iraq and we have a free democratic government.

Unfortunately, this did not happen, and we led an uprising. After the end of the war immediately, Iraqi people rose up against Saddam Hussein's regime and liberated 15 out of the 18 province inside Iraq, but Saddam gathered his troops back and crushed us. We were hoping that we have the support from the U.S. or its allies at that time to get rid of Saddam.

So now the time is coming back again, and I think Iraqis are willing to rise up against Saddam Hussein's regime again, but this time they need to see the force on the land inside Iraq there to support them to help them so Saddam Hussein will not gather his army and kill the people inside Iraq.

HARRIS: Well, we are going to watch ourselves and see if there is any sort of uprising. And Zainab, we want to make sure that we're able to talk with you throughout this whole process, whatever happens, we want to talk with you. Are you still going to be able to speak with your friends and family who are still back there in Baghdad, no matter what happens? Do you have a way to communicate with them?

AL-SUWALI: Well, the only way is telephone now, and people really cannot say much over the phone.

HARRIS: Yes.

AL-SUWALI: But the person that just came out of Iraq told me about this, and we're hoping that there is going to be a way to communicate with the people, whether -- I'm not sure about the telephone status, how it's going to be, but we're hoping.

HARRIS: Sure. That -- that makes sense. We understand that. Well, Zainab we encourage you to try and continue to try to stay in touch with them, because we would like to use you as a conduit to learn more from the people who are still behind there and see what they're going through, and Zainab Al-Suwali, we want to have you come back and talk with us some more in the future. We appreciate your time today. Thank you very much.

AL-SUWALI: Thank you.

HARRIS: And we'll talk with you soon hopefully.

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 19, 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: Our correspondents on the ground in Baghdad today are describing for us a city that is preparing for war. There are no traffic jams there because most people are either staying inside or staying at home or shops are closing up, there is no place for people to go if they did leave their homes.
Well, for some insight on what life like that may be like, and what Iraqis may be feeling or going through in their minds and hearts as the deadline approaches, we turn now to our guest this morning, Zainab Al-Suwali. She is with the American Islamic Congress, and she has joined us once before.

Now, she escaped from Iraq right after the Gulf War, and she still has friends and family living there today, and Suwaysia (ph), want to know -- have you had a chance at all to talk with your friends there or your family, and see what they're going through at this particular hour?

ZAINAB AL-SUWALI, AMERICAN ISLAMIC CONGRESS: Well, I've been trying to call, but unfortunately, the line cannot go through. So I spoke with a friend, just came out of Iraq two days ago, and he told me the situation is very interesting inside Iraq because people are storing -- buying a lot of food and storing it at homes, and also filling bags of sand, building bunkers. At the same time, they are very excited and very happy to get rid of Saddam soon. So they have both mixed feelings.

HARRIS: Tell me about that, Zainab. What exactly are they saying about their expectations about life in the next couple of weeks or so? They really fully expect Saddam Hussein to be gone and for life to improve for them? Do they expect that to happen immediately, or do they think it's going to take time?

AL-SUWALI: Well, they are hoping that it is going to happen -- they hope that it's going to happen as soon as possible, but they know how stubborn Saddam is, and that might take a week or maybe less. We don't know, and they don't know. But they are hoping for fast solution.

HARRIS: Now, the people you're talking to, Zainab, are they in Baghdad, or are they in some other town outside of Baghdad?

AL-SUWALI: Actually, the people, they just left Iraq the day before yesterday.

HARRIS: They left Iraq. Did they leave from Baghdad, or did they leave from another city? AL-SUWALI: They left from Baghdad.

HARRIS: They left from Baghdad. What kind -- what do they describe for you, describing the life that they were leading there the last few days in Baghdad. Give us an idea of what they told you life was like for them there.

AL-SUWALI: They said that the people are afraid and preparing for war, and at the same time, the government officials are still brutally treating the people there, and they are taking the people who they suspect that they are against the government to jail just for security reason, and they are afraid that the Iraqi people will have another uprising against Saddam while -- when the war starts, because they have support from the U.S. now.

HARRIS: Do they think there will be a massive uprising by regular citizens and regular people against Saddam, once the fighting actually starts, or actually stops or whatever? Do they fully expect there to be some sort of an uprising?

AL-SUWALI: Yes, they are expecting that, and it's very tense back there in Iraq, and the government is trying to have control over the people and some of the people they are surrounded in their areas. They don't allow -- they don't let them leave their cities, and some of the people who they are suspecting that they are going to be taking part in the uprising, they are taking them as hostages.

HARRIS: Zainab, here is something I'm very curious about, and I would love to know what the people that you've spoken with, what they have told you about this, and what your own experience is with this. We see Saddam Hussein and Parliament members there come out in public and they speak very forcefully, they speak very confidently, and they talk about how they're going to defend their country, and how any U.S. soldier or any coalition soldier that comes in the country is going to be killed. What do people like you or your friends think when you hear that? Do you really fully believe anything you hear at all from that government?

AL-SUWALI: No. People there, they don't believe anything they hear from the government. They always -- I remember in the Gulf War in 1991, we always listened to foreign broadcasts because we cannot get any information from our own government inside Iraq. Besides, the government is waging war against us because they are afraid, and they know the pressure that they put on people, they know how much they torture their own people. And that's why they are afraid of the people's reaction. And people inside Iraq, they don't really believe what the government is saying.

HARRIS: Well -- I am sorry, Zainab, your friends who were able to get out, they are the lucky ones, obviously.

AL-SUWALI: That's right.

HARRIS: But there are many who are still going to be there if there is any conflict, if it does actually come to that. They're going to have to stay there, they are going to have to live through any bombing. You've been through that sort of thing.

AL-SUWALI: Definitely. That's right.

HARRIS: How -- how do you describe to an American public who may have never ever, ever come anywhere close to something like that, can you please describe for us what that must be like?

AL-SUWALI: Well, in 1991, when the war happened, we were afraid of the bombing, as any regular people who -- scared from bombs and war. But at the same time, we were very excited because we thought this is going to be Saddam's end, and his regime. After that, we liberate Iraq and we have a free democratic government.

Unfortunately, this did not happen, and we led an uprising. After the end of the war immediately, Iraqi people rose up against Saddam Hussein's regime and liberated 15 out of the 18 province inside Iraq, but Saddam gathered his troops back and crushed us. We were hoping that we have the support from the U.S. or its allies at that time to get rid of Saddam.

So now the time is coming back again, and I think Iraqis are willing to rise up against Saddam Hussein's regime again, but this time they need to see the force on the land inside Iraq there to support them to help them so Saddam Hussein will not gather his army and kill the people inside Iraq.

HARRIS: Well, we are going to watch ourselves and see if there is any sort of uprising. And Zainab, we want to make sure that we're able to talk with you throughout this whole process, whatever happens, we want to talk with you. Are you still going to be able to speak with your friends and family who are still back there in Baghdad, no matter what happens? Do you have a way to communicate with them?

AL-SUWALI: Well, the only way is telephone now, and people really cannot say much over the phone.

HARRIS: Yes.

AL-SUWALI: But the person that just came out of Iraq told me about this, and we're hoping that there is going to be a way to communicate with the people, whether -- I'm not sure about the telephone status, how it's going to be, but we're hoping.

HARRIS: Sure. That -- that makes sense. We understand that. Well, Zainab we encourage you to try and continue to try to stay in touch with them, because we would like to use you as a conduit to learn more from the people who are still behind there and see what they're going through, and Zainab Al-Suwali, we want to have you come back and talk with us some more in the future. We appreciate your time today. Thank you very much.

AL-SUWALI: Thank you.

HARRIS: And we'll talk with you soon hopefully.

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