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Marines Enter Iraqi Secret Police Training Facility

Aired April 10, 2003 - 11:19   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: Let's now get another view in Baghdad, one that actually would have been quite -- totally unimaginable just a few days ago. Reporter Luke Hunt is with the French press agency, and Luke had been embedded with the 1st Marines, and he now joins us by the telephone, and he is calling in from a compound where the Iraqi secret police train. Luke, what is that place like?
LUKE HUNT, AFP REPORTER: It's quite amazing. We are sitting back and just scanning (ph) the region. It's about a square kilometer. It has six seven-story buildings which were used to house anywhere between 5,000 and 10,000 men. It's got two four to five story buildings which were the main operation rooms. It has a theater, gardens, fountains, a tennis court, there are all sorts of luxuries, but it also has one of the most hideous prisons I've ever seen. Extraordinary solitary confinement rooms. The cells are for eight people a piece, and they are only divided by steel bars.

And the entire complex has been bombed out. The smaller buildings have been bombed out of recognition, and the larger buildings have been hit directly by Tomahawk missiles.

HARRIS: Well, Luke, we've been watching over the past 24 hours or so, we have been watching the Iraqi people tearing down all these other symbols of oppression there. Any sign that perhaps they might have wanted to go in there and tear that place apart as well?

HUNT: There's a fairly heavy Marine presence here at the moment, and it's probably the most secure place in Baghdad, if it was for the secret police who occupied the premise. So there is not much chances of getting in (ph), it's surrounded by extremely high walls, gun towers.

I'm not -- one thing our public affairs officer said, this place was -- he described it as the shroud of evil that had cast itself over the local community, and I'm sure if they wanted to get in -- I'm sure there would be a lot of people who would like to get in. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen. But there's not much left. I'm at the ground level. It's quiet inside. It's been bombed beyond recognition almost.

HARRIS: Luke, quickly, two real quick points. I just finished speaking with Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. There's still concern there about trying to find the POWs who have been missing. Do you get a sense that the Marines may believe that there may be some evidence of the POWs being held there? Do you see any sign of that, or is there any sign of any torture or anything of that nature in that particular compound? HUNT: In regards to the first question, there are no signs that POWs were here -- have been here. It's just probable -- it is probable that -- well, a lot of people have been held here, that's obvious. But in regards to POWs, this place was vacated before it was bombed, and a lot of it was cleaned out.

And in regards to POWs, there is a general feeling that there's not enough -- we picked up a couple today, that are being treated for wounds with a hospital crew that I'm with, but they're not coming in in great numbers (UNINTELLIGIBLE) perhaps more soldiers have moved through the north, but there's no evidence to support that at the moment, it's only speculation.

HARRIS: OK. Thanks Luke. Luke Hunt with the l'Agence French Presse, we thank you very much for that report.

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 10, 2003 - 11:19   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's now get another view in Baghdad, one that actually would have been quite -- totally unimaginable just a few days ago. Reporter Luke Hunt is with the French press agency, and Luke had been embedded with the 1st Marines, and he now joins us by the telephone, and he is calling in from a compound where the Iraqi secret police train. Luke, what is that place like?
LUKE HUNT, AFP REPORTER: It's quite amazing. We are sitting back and just scanning (ph) the region. It's about a square kilometer. It has six seven-story buildings which were used to house anywhere between 5,000 and 10,000 men. It's got two four to five story buildings which were the main operation rooms. It has a theater, gardens, fountains, a tennis court, there are all sorts of luxuries, but it also has one of the most hideous prisons I've ever seen. Extraordinary solitary confinement rooms. The cells are for eight people a piece, and they are only divided by steel bars.

And the entire complex has been bombed out. The smaller buildings have been bombed out of recognition, and the larger buildings have been hit directly by Tomahawk missiles.

HARRIS: Well, Luke, we've been watching over the past 24 hours or so, we have been watching the Iraqi people tearing down all these other symbols of oppression there. Any sign that perhaps they might have wanted to go in there and tear that place apart as well?

HUNT: There's a fairly heavy Marine presence here at the moment, and it's probably the most secure place in Baghdad, if it was for the secret police who occupied the premise. So there is not much chances of getting in (ph), it's surrounded by extremely high walls, gun towers.

I'm not -- one thing our public affairs officer said, this place was -- he described it as the shroud of evil that had cast itself over the local community, and I'm sure if they wanted to get in -- I'm sure there would be a lot of people who would like to get in. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen. But there's not much left. I'm at the ground level. It's quiet inside. It's been bombed beyond recognition almost.

HARRIS: Luke, quickly, two real quick points. I just finished speaking with Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. There's still concern there about trying to find the POWs who have been missing. Do you get a sense that the Marines may believe that there may be some evidence of the POWs being held there? Do you see any sign of that, or is there any sign of any torture or anything of that nature in that particular compound? HUNT: In regards to the first question, there are no signs that POWs were here -- have been here. It's just probable -- it is probable that -- well, a lot of people have been held here, that's obvious. But in regards to POWs, this place was vacated before it was bombed, and a lot of it was cleaned out.

And in regards to POWs, there is a general feeling that there's not enough -- we picked up a couple today, that are being treated for wounds with a hospital crew that I'm with, but they're not coming in in great numbers (UNINTELLIGIBLE) perhaps more soldiers have moved through the north, but there's no evidence to support that at the moment, it's only speculation.

HARRIS: OK. Thanks Luke. Luke Hunt with the l'Agence French Presse, we thank you very much for that report.

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