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CNN Live At Daybreak
U.S. Forces Boosting Presence in Baghdad
Aired April 11, 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: There are certainly no signs of leadership within the city of Baghdad right now. Looting is still going on, but things are rather calm where Martin Savidge is right now near the Palestine Hotel.
Let's check in with him now.
Good morning -- Martin.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
This is Friday, which is the Muslim holy day of prayer here in Baghdad, all across Iraq and all across the Arab world. So it is quiet. It would traditionally be a day when the stores are closed. They are closed now.
Still, there is smoke that rises above the skyline of the capital, and there is still a crackle of gunfire that can be heard. More so at night, but also even during the daytime hours you will hear shots being fired. We don't know who is shooting, don't know who is being shot at. It's just a matter-of-fact thing.
And one of the things that is very interesting is that, as I said, if this had been four weeks ago with the U.S. troops on the streets and they had heard the sound of gunfire, they'd all be diving, taking their positions. Now, they don't even give it a second glance.
Trying to get this city back on its feet, that is the primary cause now. The troops are changing, at least the Marines are said be changing, from going from what was a fighting mode now into a mode that is security mode. Not easy to do, because they have not necessarily been trained in peacekeeping or police work, which is sort of what security requires.
They're also meeting today and trying to get civic leaders involved and getting Baghdad turned on. What I mean by that: Turning the lights back on, getting to the problem where the power stations are, getting the water turned back on, getting the police back on the streets and getting civil servants back in their offices. That would happen hopefully as soon as tomorrow. Because then, you start to build the fabric that reinforces normal life, that reassures the people who live here that despite a military presence in their city, life will get better and can improve.
The problem, though: How do you communicate to all of those civic leaders when there is no radio, or not much of a radio out here? And many people don't have power to hear it, and certainly don't have television or power to watch it.
So that's something they're grappling with now. There were meetings going on between the military and a number of non- governmental agencies and international aid agencies to try to see how best to bring the fabric of life back into full flourish here in Baghdad -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Martin, I wanted to ask you about Saddam Hussein, and if you had a chance to talk with people about whether they need proof that Saddam Hussein is dead. Because there must be some fear there still that he is still alive somewhere.
Can you still hear me, Martin?
He cannot hear me anymore. OK, we'll get back to that question a little later.
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 11, 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: There are certainly no signs of leadership within the city of Baghdad right now. Looting is still going on, but things are rather calm where Martin Savidge is right now near the Palestine Hotel.
Let's check in with him now.
Good morning -- Martin.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
This is Friday, which is the Muslim holy day of prayer here in Baghdad, all across Iraq and all across the Arab world. So it is quiet. It would traditionally be a day when the stores are closed. They are closed now.
Still, there is smoke that rises above the skyline of the capital, and there is still a crackle of gunfire that can be heard. More so at night, but also even during the daytime hours you will hear shots being fired. We don't know who is shooting, don't know who is being shot at. It's just a matter-of-fact thing.
And one of the things that is very interesting is that, as I said, if this had been four weeks ago with the U.S. troops on the streets and they had heard the sound of gunfire, they'd all be diving, taking their positions. Now, they don't even give it a second glance.
Trying to get this city back on its feet, that is the primary cause now. The troops are changing, at least the Marines are said be changing, from going from what was a fighting mode now into a mode that is security mode. Not easy to do, because they have not necessarily been trained in peacekeeping or police work, which is sort of what security requires.
They're also meeting today and trying to get civic leaders involved and getting Baghdad turned on. What I mean by that: Turning the lights back on, getting to the problem where the power stations are, getting the water turned back on, getting the police back on the streets and getting civil servants back in their offices. That would happen hopefully as soon as tomorrow. Because then, you start to build the fabric that reinforces normal life, that reassures the people who live here that despite a military presence in their city, life will get better and can improve.
The problem, though: How do you communicate to all of those civic leaders when there is no radio, or not much of a radio out here? And many people don't have power to hear it, and certainly don't have television or power to watch it.
So that's something they're grappling with now. There were meetings going on between the military and a number of non- governmental agencies and international aid agencies to try to see how best to bring the fabric of life back into full flourish here in Baghdad -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Martin, I wanted to ask you about Saddam Hussein, and if you had a chance to talk with people about whether they need proof that Saddam Hussein is dead. Because there must be some fear there still that he is still alive somewhere.
Can you still hear me, Martin?
He cannot hear me anymore. OK, we'll get back to that question a little later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
