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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iraqi Villagers Welcome U.S. Marines

Aired April 08, 2003 - 06:03   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Quickly to Art Harris by way of telephone, popping up in central Iraq, 2nd Marines, Light Armored Reconnaissance.
Art, I understand you've been working your way through the town with the Marines today. Local reaction there is what from the Iraqis?

ART HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, we are on the banks of the old Tigris River here, rolled into town, the Light Armored Reconnaissance, 2nd Marines, looking for trouble, holding their breaths, possible Fedayeens suspected here, and encountered a dramatic sandstorm and a dramatic reception of townspeople pouring out to welcome the Marines. They were chanting, "Bush, Bush, Bush," clapping, yelling.

We waded across, you know, the bridge, and people just swarmed around me. They ripped up dinar bills with Saddam Hussein's face on it. They slapped their throat saying, "Saddam, bad; Bush, good." And they just seemed happy. I have not seen this kind of reception, nor have the Marines ever seen this kind of reception for them in the last few weeks. It is overwhelmingly pro-American, pro-U.S., pro-coalition forces.

They say they feel freer in recent days, through translators. The mayor came up to me and introduced himself, wants me to come into the town and see it. The Marines are holding their breath a little bit, because they don't know what's beyond the barriers, beyond the cheering crowds. They want to check out some military compounds here before they rule it a totally friendly zone, but it sure does appear that way -- Bill.

HEMMER: Yes, Art, I'm assuming here -- and correct me if my assumption is wrong -- I'm assuming because you're south of Baghdad the majority of the Iraqis you're coming across are Shia. We know their history with Saddam Hussein has not been a good one.

Have you come across many Sunnis, and how have they responded, if that answer even applies to you there?

HARRIS: Yes, a couple of days ago, Bill, more of an even-handed, leery, you know, reserved receptions for these Marines. A very well- off landowner invited the commander and his light armored vehicles onto his property briefly, gave them cold drinks, and said, though, he did not want them parked on the property, they might scare the farmers, and he did not know what the aftermath might be in terms of retribution should Saddam Hussein survive. And so, you know, they are, you know, hedging their bets in some places, but the further south, and especially in the case of this village, where I see a TV tower, I see a very large water tower over the town. It's not small, it's not large, but it is not as significant, and the reception is certainly insignificant, Bill.

You know, I had a man come up to me pointing at pock marks on his face, and saying "Saddam Hussein bio ogee (ph), bio ogee (ph)," meaning "biological weapons."

And so, the people here are certainly happy to see the U.S. Marines -- Bill.

HEMMER: Art, I want to talk a bit more. You mentioned the water tower there. In Umm Qasr in the southeast we're told a water shortage is there despite this huge water pipeline that had been installed by the British about a week, 10 days ago. What's the conditions there in your location? Food, water, supplies are what now?

HARRIS: Well, the 200 to 300 people on the bridge do not seem to be as hungry and thirsty by any means as the people we have encountered on the roads and in the farmlands in the interior. Bill, this is right on the alluvial plain of the Tigris River, where much of the farming, agricultural seems not much changed since biblical times. And, you know, the grass and the wheat and the rice is growing, and they seem to be subsisting as they have fairly well for many, many years. They're not begging, you know, as emotionally as the other places. They're not saying, "water, food." They just are saying, "We're glad you're here."

So the conditions seem to be a little better where the main rivers flow. Otherwise, Bill, it is a land that could use an injection certainly of food, water and compassion.

Back to you.

HEMMER: Art, quickly here one more question for you, if you could, for a second. How aware are the people you have spoken to about what's happening in Baghdad, if at all?

HARRIS: You know, they are somewhat aware, but it depends on the level of education. A white Mercedes was following the Marines a day- and-a-half ago on the main highway about 60 miles south of Baghdad, where we were that day. A man got out, and I asked him through a translator what he was listening to for his news.

HEMMER: All right, Art, I apologize about the interruption. I really wanted the answer.

The British prime minister and the U.S. president now speaking in Belfast.

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 April 8, 2003 - 06:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Quickly to Art Harris by way of telephone, popping up in central Iraq, 2nd Marines, Light Armored Reconnaissance.
Art, I understand you've been working your way through the town with the Marines today. Local reaction there is what from the Iraqis?

ART HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, we are on the banks of the old Tigris River here, rolled into town, the Light Armored Reconnaissance, 2nd Marines, looking for trouble, holding their breaths, possible Fedayeens suspected here, and encountered a dramatic sandstorm and a dramatic reception of townspeople pouring out to welcome the Marines. They were chanting, "Bush, Bush, Bush," clapping, yelling.

We waded across, you know, the bridge, and people just swarmed around me. They ripped up dinar bills with Saddam Hussein's face on it. They slapped their throat saying, "Saddam, bad; Bush, good." And they just seemed happy. I have not seen this kind of reception, nor have the Marines ever seen this kind of reception for them in the last few weeks. It is overwhelmingly pro-American, pro-U.S., pro-coalition forces.

They say they feel freer in recent days, through translators. The mayor came up to me and introduced himself, wants me to come into the town and see it. The Marines are holding their breath a little bit, because they don't know what's beyond the barriers, beyond the cheering crowds. They want to check out some military compounds here before they rule it a totally friendly zone, but it sure does appear that way -- Bill.

HEMMER: Yes, Art, I'm assuming here -- and correct me if my assumption is wrong -- I'm assuming because you're south of Baghdad the majority of the Iraqis you're coming across are Shia. We know their history with Saddam Hussein has not been a good one.

Have you come across many Sunnis, and how have they responded, if that answer even applies to you there?

HARRIS: Yes, a couple of days ago, Bill, more of an even-handed, leery, you know, reserved receptions for these Marines. A very well- off landowner invited the commander and his light armored vehicles onto his property briefly, gave them cold drinks, and said, though, he did not want them parked on the property, they might scare the farmers, and he did not know what the aftermath might be in terms of retribution should Saddam Hussein survive. And so, you know, they are, you know, hedging their bets in some places, but the further south, and especially in the case of this village, where I see a TV tower, I see a very large water tower over the town. It's not small, it's not large, but it is not as significant, and the reception is certainly insignificant, Bill.

You know, I had a man come up to me pointing at pock marks on his face, and saying "Saddam Hussein bio ogee (ph), bio ogee (ph)," meaning "biological weapons."

And so, the people here are certainly happy to see the U.S. Marines -- Bill.

HEMMER: Art, I want to talk a bit more. You mentioned the water tower there. In Umm Qasr in the southeast we're told a water shortage is there despite this huge water pipeline that had been installed by the British about a week, 10 days ago. What's the conditions there in your location? Food, water, supplies are what now?

HARRIS: Well, the 200 to 300 people on the bridge do not seem to be as hungry and thirsty by any means as the people we have encountered on the roads and in the farmlands in the interior. Bill, this is right on the alluvial plain of the Tigris River, where much of the farming, agricultural seems not much changed since biblical times. And, you know, the grass and the wheat and the rice is growing, and they seem to be subsisting as they have fairly well for many, many years. They're not begging, you know, as emotionally as the other places. They're not saying, "water, food." They just are saying, "We're glad you're here."

So the conditions seem to be a little better where the main rivers flow. Otherwise, Bill, it is a land that could use an injection certainly of food, water and compassion.

Back to you.

HEMMER: Art, quickly here one more question for you, if you could, for a second. How aware are the people you have spoken to about what's happening in Baghdad, if at all?

HARRIS: You know, they are somewhat aware, but it depends on the level of education. A white Mercedes was following the Marines a day- and-a-half ago on the main highway about 60 miles south of Baghdad, where we were that day. A man got out, and I asked him through a translator what he was listening to for his news.

HEMMER: All right, Art, I apologize about the interruption. I really wanted the answer.

The British prime minister and the U.S. president now speaking in Belfast.

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