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American Morning
War in Iraq: War Under Way
Aired April 12, 2003 - 09:30 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Here are the latest developments now at this hour.
Fifty injured U.S. service members are on their way home today. Among them is PFC Jessica Lynch, who was rescued 10 days after her convoy was ambushed in southern Iraq. She will continue treatment for her injuries at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington.
CNN's Martin Savidge in Baghdad says looting has abated somewhat in the capital, though it remains a serious problem. Muslim clerics have appealed to the Iraqis to stop looting, and more U.S. troops are now patrolling the streets there.
Russia, France, and Germany, who opposed the war with Iraq, are now pressing for the U.N. to take charge of post-Saddam Iraq. The leaders of those three countries are holding a summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.
He was the voice of Saddam Hussein at the United Nations, and now Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri has left the States for Paris and then Syria. Before leaving, he told reports, quoting now, "I will see you, I hope, in a peaceful time with a good friendship between Iraq and the United States."
Diet doctor Robert Atkins remains in a coma and on life support after falling on an icy sidewalk and hitting his head earlier in the week. Doctors in New York say chances of a meaningful recovery are poor. Atkins underwent surgery to remove a blood clot Tuesday after his fall.
Well, here are some of the war developments now that we are following this hour.
Plans for a postwar Iraq. We will look at rebuilding Iraq through the eyes of the Arab world.
And we'll take you to the Masters golf tournament, where women's activists plan to rally today against the Augusta National's male-only membership policy.
And can he be the next pop icon? Iraq's truth-challenged minister of information has become quite the popular guy.
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING SATURDAY. I'm Heidi Collins. LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I am Leon Harris here at the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta. Glad to have you with us this morning on this Saturday, April 12.
Right now, I'm going to show you a live picture of downtown Baghdad. We've been watching the skies there. Oh, actually we don't have the live picture right now. We wish that we could show you that. Our Martin Savidge reporting just moments ago there was still smoke...
COLLINS: Yes.
HARRIS: ... emanating from points around the city. Not sure right now whether that's the result of some fighting still going on there or if that's an evidence of looting. We'll have a -- and hopefully have a report on that coming up...
COLLINS: Right.
HARRIS: ... for you in just a bit.
In the meantime, here is a look at our early briefing and some of the stories you can expect later today right here on the network.
Saddam Hussein's fall from power is going to be the focus of President Bush's weekly radio address this morning, which airs at 10:06 Eastern, just about a half hour from now.
Rescued prisoner of war Private First Class Jessica Lynch, she is on her way back to the U.S. from Germany even as we speak. She will receive treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
And a memorial service will take place this evening in Tuba City, Arizona, for Army Private First Class Lori Piestewa. She was a member of the 507th Maintenance Unit that was ambushed in southern Iraq on March 23, along with Jessica Lynch -- Heidi.
COLLINS: And as Leon was just saying, rescued POW Private Jessica Lynch and 49 other U.S. service members wounded in the war are flying back to the U.S. at this very hour. A C-17 transport plane is carrying Lynch and the others from Germany to the States. Until now, Lynch has been getting treatment for multiple broken bones and gunshot wounds in a military hospital in Germany. She will continue that treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
A military spokesman read this statement from her family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. MIKE YOUNG, U.S. AIR FORCE: "It is almost impossible to express how grateful we are to the brave American service members who participated in Jessie's rescue and to the courageous Iraqi citizens who risked their lives to make her rescue possible. Jessie is alive because of their sacrifices.
"Jessie's recovery continues, and she is doing well. She is in pain, but she is in good spirits. Although she faces a lengthy rehabilitation, she is tough. We believe she will regain her strength soon.
"Our family is proud of Jessie. In our eyes, she and her rescuers are heroes. But we also understand that Jessie was a soldier performing her duty, the same way thousands of other service members perform their duties every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to every military member on the battlefield and at their duty stations. We pray for their safety.
"We also offer our prayers for the families who have lost loved ones during the war or who have loved ones still designated as missing in action or confirmed as prisoners of war. We know your hearts are broken. We hope you will soon find comfort."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: You may recall Lynch was taken prisoner when the Army maintenance company she was with was ambushed last month.
And something you don't want to miss. In the 11:00 a.m. Eastern hour, we will hear from the pilot of the helicopter involved in that rescue, Colonel Stewart Noll (ph). He will talk to us by telephone.
And tonight, be sure to watch our special on the dramatic rescue of PFC Jessica Lynch. That will be coming up 8:30 Eastern, 5:30 Pacific.
HARRIS: Well, in the meantime, we want to get to Marty Savidge. We talked about him moments ago. We said he was seeing still some evidence of looting at this hour in Baghdad. He is checking in right now.
Good to see you, Marty, very good to see you, nice and clean and dry in one piece. What you are seeing right now in Baghdad?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you are still seeing smoke rise from the city skyline here. New fires seem to light up all the time. It's an indication that there is usually looting going on in that area, certainly unrest. One fire dies down, and then another one seems to start up. So black smoke is on the horizon in a number of places here in Baghdad.
It's been a busy day for the Marines. Most days are in Baghdad, but today especially. First of all, the Marines were out this morning. We're investigating a school, and there they say they found what is a suicide bomb-making -- or vest bomb-making facility. What I mean by that is that suicide bombers traditionally wear these sort of vests that they would traditionally pack with high explosives and then carry out their deadly attacks.
At this particular school, they found what they say was a fabricating plant where they made the vests that would be used for the attacks. Three hundred vests were also found inside of that facility right here in Baghdad. And then earlier today, another Marine unit on patrol finds a man who walks up and says he was Saddam Hussein's plastic surgeon. Well, of all people, this man may have a wealth of information, not only about past family members, but also about where the regime members that have so far slipped through the fingers of coalition forces may have gone.
Right now, he's being interviewed intensely by intelligence officers with the U.S. Marines to see if he truly knows where those leaders went.
And then, the security situation in Baghdad. Yes, looting still goes on. The Marines are out there in force, so is the U.S. Army, trying to quell things. But they can only do so much. And here's one of the problems that CNN crews have found going out on the street.
The streets are safe, as long as there is a U.S. military presence on that street. But once the convoy goes by and the Marines are gone, well, things change dramatically. One crew went out to an area around the ministry of information. They were told that it was safe and it was secure. But when they got there, what they found was a melee going on, and that they were shot at.
So that's the problem with Baghdad these days. You may think it is safe, it may even sound safe and sound, but it is not, by a long shot.
Back to you.
HARRIS: All right, that's certainly enough. Marty, you stay safe. We'll check back with you later on. Good to see you. Marty Savidge, live in downtown Baghdad.
All right. Let's go now to Daryn Kagan, who's standing by in Kuwait City, for more -- Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Leon, I want to go ahead now and get some Arab perspective on Iraq after Saddam Hussein. And we're going to talk to Mamoun Fandy. He is with Georgetown University, and he joins us now from Washington, D.C.
Thanks for being with us.
MAMOUN FANDY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: If there's one thing I've learned in my month here in Kuwait, is that there's no such thing as one monolith, one Arab perspective. For instance, the perspective on the war and the future of Iraq is very different here in Kuwait than Egypt, where you're from.
FANDY: That's correct. I think the Arab viewpoint has been diverse tremendously. There are many people who were antiwar, there are many countries that did not participate, but also in the Gulf region, there is a different feeling about what Iraq is all about, and this will certainly play a major role in shaping postwar Iraq. KAGAN: Saddam Hussein was not the most popular figure in the Arab world, yet a lot of people didn't think it should go to war. I think there are some images that played one way in the U.S. but might have a different effect in the Arab world. And I am thinking, for instance, a couple days ago when the statue of Saddam Hussein came down and some Marines put a U.S. flag over that, before they put the Iraqi flag. What kind of impact would that have in the Arab world?
FANDY: I think in certain areas, it had an effect that the United States is an occupying power and all the rest. But really, on balance, Daryl, you have to look at it in general that all the demonstrations we saw on Al Jazeera TV screens and other things were not exactly the feelings of the Arab world. I mean, not many people were shedding a tear on Saddam Hussein's falling statues.
You look around, and there were no single American soft target or single American who was hurt in the Arab world during the most intense fighting for 20 days in one of the major Arab capitals. So this is a big surprise, I think.
KAGAN: And just real quickly, do you think there's a concern of parts of the Arab world, perhaps in Syria or Iran, that what happened in Iraq means the U.S. is going to come knocking at their door very soon?
FANDY: Well, there is tremendous jitters in the whole region, I think. People are very worried, but their worries are not as they used to be before the war, those worries that there are going to be land grabs, and the Iraq will disintegrate, it will descend into a civil war, and other things. All of this did not come to pass. So people are a little bit calm on this. But there is tremendous worry about who's next.
KAGAN: Mamoun Fandy from Georgetown University, thank you very much for joining us from Washington, D.C.
Heidi, it's suddenly getting a little gusty here in Kuwait City. We're going to tighten things down, we'll be back in just a bit. For now, back to you in Atlanta.
COLLINS: All right, very good. Thanks so much, Daryn.
President Bush spent some quiet time yesterday with troops injured in Iraq who are now being treated at military hospitals in Maryland.
But as CNN's Chris burns reports, aside from goodwill gestures, there is criticism swirling about the administration that Iraq is now spinning out of control.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the president's first visit to those wounded in the conflict to express his thanks. GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a brave lot here in Bethesda, people who are willing to sacrifice for something greater than themselves.
BURNS: The White House declared Friday that Saddam Hussein's regime has ended.
BUSH: I don't think I'll ever forget, sure a lot of other people will never forget, the statue of Saddam Hussein falling. Baghdad, and then seeing the jubilation on the faces of ordinary Iraqis.
BURNS: But President Bush is holding off on a formal address to the American people while fighting continues in Iraq.
BUSH: This war will end when our commanders on the field tell me that the objective has been achieved.
BURNS: But regime death hasn't yet brought regime change. As anarchy remains in much of Iraq, the White House is trying to deflect criticism that after winning the war, the peace is unraveling.
The Bush administration expressed understanding of the looting and unrest without forgiving it. The White House lashed back at critics who demand quicker moves to establish security and an interim government, indicating they don't want to say, I told you so, again.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This is almost starting to remind me of the stories that said that our forces were bogged down.
BURNS: The White House spokesman also contends living conditions aren't as dire as some portray.
FLEISCHER: While there are pockets of Iraq that have humanitarian problems to be worked through, there is not a widespread humanitarian crisis in Iraq.
BURNS: Fleischer calls the humanitarian problems the legacy of decades of Saddam's regime.
(on camera): The Bush administration cautions against overreacting to images of chaos in Iraq, asking patience as it prepares to put together an interim authority, aiming to head off the perception that the U.S.-led coalition will win the war but could end up losing the peace.
Chris Burns, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: All right. Coming up, little bit of a change of pace this morning. For a Saturday morning, we need this, I think. At Augusta National, the best of the best are on a quest for the coveted green jacket.
HARRIS: That's right. A battle of another sort here we are talking about. But other folks there in Augusta are not seeing green today. They are seeing red. Talk about that just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: As you might imagine, several sports stories have been kind of pushed aside with all of the news of the war in Iraq. So let's go ahead and play a little bit of catchup now.
The Masters is going on, and we have Josie Karp standing by at Augusta National to tell us all about it.
Hi, Josie.
JOSIE KARP, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
I can tell you a little bit about the golf situation right off the bat. And we're here at Augusta National Golf Club, and they're trying to play the end of the second round and all of the third round of this Master's golf tournament. Today they had a lot of weather issues earlier in the week that sort of got the a little bit off schedule. They're going to try to get back on schedule today.
But golf is only part of the story. Today, after months of buildup, all those people who have a problem with Augusta National Golf Club's all-male membership will get a chance to make their point in person. Daylong protests are scheduled, not right here at the site of Augusta National, but about a half-mile away.
The largest protest group is, of course, led by Martha Burk of the National Council of Women's Organizations. She is the one who touched off this controversy about 10 months ago when she sent a letter to Hootie Johnson, who is the chairman of Augusta National urging to have the club admit a female member by the time that the Masters tournament rolled around this year.
Well, that hasn't happened. And this week there's been sort of a controversy within a controversy, as I mentioned. Those protests aren't going to take place at the front gates of Augusta National, where Martha Burk had hoped to get her point across. Instead, court rulings this week upheld the city's decision, because of safety concerns, to move most of the protesters to the half-acre -- excuse me, five-acre site about a half mile away.
And the concern of Burk and some of her supporters was the fact that maybe their point wouldn't be made to the people that they were trying to influence most.
So it'll be an interesting situation today. The protests haven't started yet. We will update you throughout the day about what's going on here at the golf tournament, and also over at the protest site.
Back to you.
COLLINS: All right, very good. Jose Karp. I am sure the golfers are just trying to concentrate on their golf. Very good. Thanks, Josie... Leon.
HARRIS: All right. We're going to go back to Baghdad and look more at the war in Iraq right now.
Security in the towns that have been freed of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Hussein regime are the big focus right now, and the 101st Airborne are now moved -- have been moved, rather, into Baghdad to help improve security there. We have seen plenty of reports of late of looting going on there.
Our Ryan Chilcote has been embedded with the 101st all along. He checks in now live with the very latest from there. Hello, Ryan, what's the word?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Leon.
Well, some -- a very busy day, first of all, for the 101st Airborne. First, some very sad news. The 101st Airborne soldiers today, both believe they positively identified and excavated the remains of U.S. soldier. They covered those remains, read a prayer for that soldier that they believe was killed some time ago in fighting and evacuated him from the area.
It was really quite a moving scene there. They -- I believe they know -- they do know the name of that soldier. We, both they and we, will withhold that name until, with all respect for that soldier's family, until that soldier's family has been notified.
Now, also today, the 101st Airborne soldiers raided a mosque in southern Baghdad. They were tipped off by an Iraqi that, in a nearby mosque, they would find as many as 30 Fedayeen paramilitary fighters holed up, some of them injured inside a mosque. They went there, entered both the mosque and the mosque's comp surrounding area, complex. But they did not find any fighters immediately.
What they did find were several documents, some money, some military garb, some uniforms and boots and things like that, one assault rifle in a nearby building, and some passports including Iraqi and Syrian passports.
Really, what they found there at this point, inconclusive but interesting, Leon.
HARRIS: Thanks, Ryan. Ryan Chilcote with the 101st Airborne there in Baghdad with the news of a recovered soldier there. Thank you very much, Ryan.
We're back after a break. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Breaking developments to report right now.
In the war in Iraq right now, if you may be aware of this list of 55 of Iraq's most wanted right now that the U.S. coalition has put out the lookout for, well, one has actually turned himself in, General Amer Hamoud al-Saadi, who is credited as being Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser. You see him there. He has turned himself in, we understand. We're getting this news from Sedaef (ph), which is a German television network. He is credited, as we said, with being a top Iraqi science adviser to President Saddam Hussein. He is, if you've been keeping track of the list, number 55 on that list of top 55 of Iraq's most wanted. So stay with us, and we'll keep you updated on any other developments on this story -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Meanwhile, Iraq's ambassador to the U.N. is on his way to Syria, hoping to learn about his family back in his homeland. Mohammed Aldouri was ambassador for just over two years and had the difficult assignment as Saddam Hussein's representative at the U.N. Under U.N. rules, Saddam Hussein's government holds its seat until a new Iraqi government formally presents itself and is approved by the General Assembly
HARRIS: All right. And we are going to have to apologize for not bringing that story about the information minister of Iraq, Mohammed Saeed Sahaf, but we'll have that for you later on someday, some other time, rather, on the network throughout the day.
COLLINS: Very good. For now, we are going to take a break, and we'll be back in just a little while.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Time now for a quick update of the headlines at this hour.
And topping this report is a development we've seen come in just moments ago. We're getting word from German television network Sedaef that one of the so-called Iraq's most wanted, one of the top officials in the Hussein regime that the coalition officials have been looking for, has turned himself in. General Amer Hamoud al-Saadi, who is credited with being Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, has turned himself in.
We understand that he did so with a Sedaef television crew. So we'll try to get more information on that for you as we get it here.
Now, in other news, rescued POW Jessica Lynch is soon going to be within a couple of hours' drive of her hometown in West Virginia, Palestine, West Virginia. She and 49 other wounded troops left Germany this morning for medical treatment in the U.S. The transport plane due to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland this afternoon.
U.S. military officials at Central Command in Qatar say that they don't know if Saddam Hussein was killed in this air strike. In fact, General Vincent Brooks says it, quote, "almost doesn't matter to us." He also said a search of the rubble is not going to happen anytime soon.
Well, as looting continues in Baghdad, talks are under way today to help restore order. The U.S. military interviewed a group of retired Iraqi police officers in an effort to create a legitimate police force in the Iraqi capital.
And British forces could soon start joining patrols with Iraqi police in the southern city of Basra in the next few days.
Well, he was the voice of Saddam Hussein at the United Nations. Now, Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri has left the States for Paris and then, we hear, Syria. But before he left, he told reporters, quoting here, "I will see you, I hope, in a peaceful time with a good relationship between Iraq and the United States" end quote.
In other news, North Korea says it would be will be to accept U.S. Demands for multilateral talks about its nuclear weapons program. In its statement, North Korea said any outcome or solution hinges on the real intentions of the United States.
Dr. Robert Atkins, creator of the Atkins diet, is on life support right now. He hit his head after slipping on some ice outside his medical center in New York last week. Doctors have removed a blood clot, but he remains in a coma.
And in more lighter news, in sports, Mike Weir (ph) currently at the top of the leader board with a 600 par at the Masters golf tournament. Players are going to complete round two today, which was interrupted because it couldn't get it all in yesterday. Now, a group that wants Augusta National to open up membership to women, they're planning a protest about a half-mile from the gate, and we'll keep our eyes open, see if anything develops there.
And we'll have an update for you on all the news in about 30 minutes from now, so stay tuned.
"ON THE STORY" starts right now.
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Aired April 12, 2003 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Here are the latest developments now at this hour.
Fifty injured U.S. service members are on their way home today. Among them is PFC Jessica Lynch, who was rescued 10 days after her convoy was ambushed in southern Iraq. She will continue treatment for her injuries at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington.
CNN's Martin Savidge in Baghdad says looting has abated somewhat in the capital, though it remains a serious problem. Muslim clerics have appealed to the Iraqis to stop looting, and more U.S. troops are now patrolling the streets there.
Russia, France, and Germany, who opposed the war with Iraq, are now pressing for the U.N. to take charge of post-Saddam Iraq. The leaders of those three countries are holding a summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.
He was the voice of Saddam Hussein at the United Nations, and now Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri has left the States for Paris and then Syria. Before leaving, he told reports, quoting now, "I will see you, I hope, in a peaceful time with a good friendship between Iraq and the United States."
Diet doctor Robert Atkins remains in a coma and on life support after falling on an icy sidewalk and hitting his head earlier in the week. Doctors in New York say chances of a meaningful recovery are poor. Atkins underwent surgery to remove a blood clot Tuesday after his fall.
Well, here are some of the war developments now that we are following this hour.
Plans for a postwar Iraq. We will look at rebuilding Iraq through the eyes of the Arab world.
And we'll take you to the Masters golf tournament, where women's activists plan to rally today against the Augusta National's male-only membership policy.
And can he be the next pop icon? Iraq's truth-challenged minister of information has become quite the popular guy.
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING SATURDAY. I'm Heidi Collins. LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I am Leon Harris here at the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta. Glad to have you with us this morning on this Saturday, April 12.
Right now, I'm going to show you a live picture of downtown Baghdad. We've been watching the skies there. Oh, actually we don't have the live picture right now. We wish that we could show you that. Our Martin Savidge reporting just moments ago there was still smoke...
COLLINS: Yes.
HARRIS: ... emanating from points around the city. Not sure right now whether that's the result of some fighting still going on there or if that's an evidence of looting. We'll have a -- and hopefully have a report on that coming up...
COLLINS: Right.
HARRIS: ... for you in just a bit.
In the meantime, here is a look at our early briefing and some of the stories you can expect later today right here on the network.
Saddam Hussein's fall from power is going to be the focus of President Bush's weekly radio address this morning, which airs at 10:06 Eastern, just about a half hour from now.
Rescued prisoner of war Private First Class Jessica Lynch, she is on her way back to the U.S. from Germany even as we speak. She will receive treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
And a memorial service will take place this evening in Tuba City, Arizona, for Army Private First Class Lori Piestewa. She was a member of the 507th Maintenance Unit that was ambushed in southern Iraq on March 23, along with Jessica Lynch -- Heidi.
COLLINS: And as Leon was just saying, rescued POW Private Jessica Lynch and 49 other U.S. service members wounded in the war are flying back to the U.S. at this very hour. A C-17 transport plane is carrying Lynch and the others from Germany to the States. Until now, Lynch has been getting treatment for multiple broken bones and gunshot wounds in a military hospital in Germany. She will continue that treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
A military spokesman read this statement from her family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. MIKE YOUNG, U.S. AIR FORCE: "It is almost impossible to express how grateful we are to the brave American service members who participated in Jessie's rescue and to the courageous Iraqi citizens who risked their lives to make her rescue possible. Jessie is alive because of their sacrifices.
"Jessie's recovery continues, and she is doing well. She is in pain, but she is in good spirits. Although she faces a lengthy rehabilitation, she is tough. We believe she will regain her strength soon.
"Our family is proud of Jessie. In our eyes, she and her rescuers are heroes. But we also understand that Jessie was a soldier performing her duty, the same way thousands of other service members perform their duties every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to every military member on the battlefield and at their duty stations. We pray for their safety.
"We also offer our prayers for the families who have lost loved ones during the war or who have loved ones still designated as missing in action or confirmed as prisoners of war. We know your hearts are broken. We hope you will soon find comfort."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: You may recall Lynch was taken prisoner when the Army maintenance company she was with was ambushed last month.
And something you don't want to miss. In the 11:00 a.m. Eastern hour, we will hear from the pilot of the helicopter involved in that rescue, Colonel Stewart Noll (ph). He will talk to us by telephone.
And tonight, be sure to watch our special on the dramatic rescue of PFC Jessica Lynch. That will be coming up 8:30 Eastern, 5:30 Pacific.
HARRIS: Well, in the meantime, we want to get to Marty Savidge. We talked about him moments ago. We said he was seeing still some evidence of looting at this hour in Baghdad. He is checking in right now.
Good to see you, Marty, very good to see you, nice and clean and dry in one piece. What you are seeing right now in Baghdad?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you are still seeing smoke rise from the city skyline here. New fires seem to light up all the time. It's an indication that there is usually looting going on in that area, certainly unrest. One fire dies down, and then another one seems to start up. So black smoke is on the horizon in a number of places here in Baghdad.
It's been a busy day for the Marines. Most days are in Baghdad, but today especially. First of all, the Marines were out this morning. We're investigating a school, and there they say they found what is a suicide bomb-making -- or vest bomb-making facility. What I mean by that is that suicide bombers traditionally wear these sort of vests that they would traditionally pack with high explosives and then carry out their deadly attacks.
At this particular school, they found what they say was a fabricating plant where they made the vests that would be used for the attacks. Three hundred vests were also found inside of that facility right here in Baghdad. And then earlier today, another Marine unit on patrol finds a man who walks up and says he was Saddam Hussein's plastic surgeon. Well, of all people, this man may have a wealth of information, not only about past family members, but also about where the regime members that have so far slipped through the fingers of coalition forces may have gone.
Right now, he's being interviewed intensely by intelligence officers with the U.S. Marines to see if he truly knows where those leaders went.
And then, the security situation in Baghdad. Yes, looting still goes on. The Marines are out there in force, so is the U.S. Army, trying to quell things. But they can only do so much. And here's one of the problems that CNN crews have found going out on the street.
The streets are safe, as long as there is a U.S. military presence on that street. But once the convoy goes by and the Marines are gone, well, things change dramatically. One crew went out to an area around the ministry of information. They were told that it was safe and it was secure. But when they got there, what they found was a melee going on, and that they were shot at.
So that's the problem with Baghdad these days. You may think it is safe, it may even sound safe and sound, but it is not, by a long shot.
Back to you.
HARRIS: All right, that's certainly enough. Marty, you stay safe. We'll check back with you later on. Good to see you. Marty Savidge, live in downtown Baghdad.
All right. Let's go now to Daryn Kagan, who's standing by in Kuwait City, for more -- Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Leon, I want to go ahead now and get some Arab perspective on Iraq after Saddam Hussein. And we're going to talk to Mamoun Fandy. He is with Georgetown University, and he joins us now from Washington, D.C.
Thanks for being with us.
MAMOUN FANDY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: If there's one thing I've learned in my month here in Kuwait, is that there's no such thing as one monolith, one Arab perspective. For instance, the perspective on the war and the future of Iraq is very different here in Kuwait than Egypt, where you're from.
FANDY: That's correct. I think the Arab viewpoint has been diverse tremendously. There are many people who were antiwar, there are many countries that did not participate, but also in the Gulf region, there is a different feeling about what Iraq is all about, and this will certainly play a major role in shaping postwar Iraq. KAGAN: Saddam Hussein was not the most popular figure in the Arab world, yet a lot of people didn't think it should go to war. I think there are some images that played one way in the U.S. but might have a different effect in the Arab world. And I am thinking, for instance, a couple days ago when the statue of Saddam Hussein came down and some Marines put a U.S. flag over that, before they put the Iraqi flag. What kind of impact would that have in the Arab world?
FANDY: I think in certain areas, it had an effect that the United States is an occupying power and all the rest. But really, on balance, Daryl, you have to look at it in general that all the demonstrations we saw on Al Jazeera TV screens and other things were not exactly the feelings of the Arab world. I mean, not many people were shedding a tear on Saddam Hussein's falling statues.
You look around, and there were no single American soft target or single American who was hurt in the Arab world during the most intense fighting for 20 days in one of the major Arab capitals. So this is a big surprise, I think.
KAGAN: And just real quickly, do you think there's a concern of parts of the Arab world, perhaps in Syria or Iran, that what happened in Iraq means the U.S. is going to come knocking at their door very soon?
FANDY: Well, there is tremendous jitters in the whole region, I think. People are very worried, but their worries are not as they used to be before the war, those worries that there are going to be land grabs, and the Iraq will disintegrate, it will descend into a civil war, and other things. All of this did not come to pass. So people are a little bit calm on this. But there is tremendous worry about who's next.
KAGAN: Mamoun Fandy from Georgetown University, thank you very much for joining us from Washington, D.C.
Heidi, it's suddenly getting a little gusty here in Kuwait City. We're going to tighten things down, we'll be back in just a bit. For now, back to you in Atlanta.
COLLINS: All right, very good. Thanks so much, Daryn.
President Bush spent some quiet time yesterday with troops injured in Iraq who are now being treated at military hospitals in Maryland.
But as CNN's Chris burns reports, aside from goodwill gestures, there is criticism swirling about the administration that Iraq is now spinning out of control.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the president's first visit to those wounded in the conflict to express his thanks. GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a brave lot here in Bethesda, people who are willing to sacrifice for something greater than themselves.
BURNS: The White House declared Friday that Saddam Hussein's regime has ended.
BUSH: I don't think I'll ever forget, sure a lot of other people will never forget, the statue of Saddam Hussein falling. Baghdad, and then seeing the jubilation on the faces of ordinary Iraqis.
BURNS: But President Bush is holding off on a formal address to the American people while fighting continues in Iraq.
BUSH: This war will end when our commanders on the field tell me that the objective has been achieved.
BURNS: But regime death hasn't yet brought regime change. As anarchy remains in much of Iraq, the White House is trying to deflect criticism that after winning the war, the peace is unraveling.
The Bush administration expressed understanding of the looting and unrest without forgiving it. The White House lashed back at critics who demand quicker moves to establish security and an interim government, indicating they don't want to say, I told you so, again.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This is almost starting to remind me of the stories that said that our forces were bogged down.
BURNS: The White House spokesman also contends living conditions aren't as dire as some portray.
FLEISCHER: While there are pockets of Iraq that have humanitarian problems to be worked through, there is not a widespread humanitarian crisis in Iraq.
BURNS: Fleischer calls the humanitarian problems the legacy of decades of Saddam's regime.
(on camera): The Bush administration cautions against overreacting to images of chaos in Iraq, asking patience as it prepares to put together an interim authority, aiming to head off the perception that the U.S.-led coalition will win the war but could end up losing the peace.
Chris Burns, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: All right. Coming up, little bit of a change of pace this morning. For a Saturday morning, we need this, I think. At Augusta National, the best of the best are on a quest for the coveted green jacket.
HARRIS: That's right. A battle of another sort here we are talking about. But other folks there in Augusta are not seeing green today. They are seeing red. Talk about that just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: As you might imagine, several sports stories have been kind of pushed aside with all of the news of the war in Iraq. So let's go ahead and play a little bit of catchup now.
The Masters is going on, and we have Josie Karp standing by at Augusta National to tell us all about it.
Hi, Josie.
JOSIE KARP, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
I can tell you a little bit about the golf situation right off the bat. And we're here at Augusta National Golf Club, and they're trying to play the end of the second round and all of the third round of this Master's golf tournament. Today they had a lot of weather issues earlier in the week that sort of got the a little bit off schedule. They're going to try to get back on schedule today.
But golf is only part of the story. Today, after months of buildup, all those people who have a problem with Augusta National Golf Club's all-male membership will get a chance to make their point in person. Daylong protests are scheduled, not right here at the site of Augusta National, but about a half-mile away.
The largest protest group is, of course, led by Martha Burk of the National Council of Women's Organizations. She is the one who touched off this controversy about 10 months ago when she sent a letter to Hootie Johnson, who is the chairman of Augusta National urging to have the club admit a female member by the time that the Masters tournament rolled around this year.
Well, that hasn't happened. And this week there's been sort of a controversy within a controversy, as I mentioned. Those protests aren't going to take place at the front gates of Augusta National, where Martha Burk had hoped to get her point across. Instead, court rulings this week upheld the city's decision, because of safety concerns, to move most of the protesters to the half-acre -- excuse me, five-acre site about a half mile away.
And the concern of Burk and some of her supporters was the fact that maybe their point wouldn't be made to the people that they were trying to influence most.
So it'll be an interesting situation today. The protests haven't started yet. We will update you throughout the day about what's going on here at the golf tournament, and also over at the protest site.
Back to you.
COLLINS: All right, very good. Jose Karp. I am sure the golfers are just trying to concentrate on their golf. Very good. Thanks, Josie... Leon.
HARRIS: All right. We're going to go back to Baghdad and look more at the war in Iraq right now.
Security in the towns that have been freed of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Hussein regime are the big focus right now, and the 101st Airborne are now moved -- have been moved, rather, into Baghdad to help improve security there. We have seen plenty of reports of late of looting going on there.
Our Ryan Chilcote has been embedded with the 101st all along. He checks in now live with the very latest from there. Hello, Ryan, what's the word?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Leon.
Well, some -- a very busy day, first of all, for the 101st Airborne. First, some very sad news. The 101st Airborne soldiers today, both believe they positively identified and excavated the remains of U.S. soldier. They covered those remains, read a prayer for that soldier that they believe was killed some time ago in fighting and evacuated him from the area.
It was really quite a moving scene there. They -- I believe they know -- they do know the name of that soldier. We, both they and we, will withhold that name until, with all respect for that soldier's family, until that soldier's family has been notified.
Now, also today, the 101st Airborne soldiers raided a mosque in southern Baghdad. They were tipped off by an Iraqi that, in a nearby mosque, they would find as many as 30 Fedayeen paramilitary fighters holed up, some of them injured inside a mosque. They went there, entered both the mosque and the mosque's comp surrounding area, complex. But they did not find any fighters immediately.
What they did find were several documents, some money, some military garb, some uniforms and boots and things like that, one assault rifle in a nearby building, and some passports including Iraqi and Syrian passports.
Really, what they found there at this point, inconclusive but interesting, Leon.
HARRIS: Thanks, Ryan. Ryan Chilcote with the 101st Airborne there in Baghdad with the news of a recovered soldier there. Thank you very much, Ryan.
We're back after a break. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Breaking developments to report right now.
In the war in Iraq right now, if you may be aware of this list of 55 of Iraq's most wanted right now that the U.S. coalition has put out the lookout for, well, one has actually turned himself in, General Amer Hamoud al-Saadi, who is credited as being Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser. You see him there. He has turned himself in, we understand. We're getting this news from Sedaef (ph), which is a German television network. He is credited, as we said, with being a top Iraqi science adviser to President Saddam Hussein. He is, if you've been keeping track of the list, number 55 on that list of top 55 of Iraq's most wanted. So stay with us, and we'll keep you updated on any other developments on this story -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Meanwhile, Iraq's ambassador to the U.N. is on his way to Syria, hoping to learn about his family back in his homeland. Mohammed Aldouri was ambassador for just over two years and had the difficult assignment as Saddam Hussein's representative at the U.N. Under U.N. rules, Saddam Hussein's government holds its seat until a new Iraqi government formally presents itself and is approved by the General Assembly
HARRIS: All right. And we are going to have to apologize for not bringing that story about the information minister of Iraq, Mohammed Saeed Sahaf, but we'll have that for you later on someday, some other time, rather, on the network throughout the day.
COLLINS: Very good. For now, we are going to take a break, and we'll be back in just a little while.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Time now for a quick update of the headlines at this hour.
And topping this report is a development we've seen come in just moments ago. We're getting word from German television network Sedaef that one of the so-called Iraq's most wanted, one of the top officials in the Hussein regime that the coalition officials have been looking for, has turned himself in. General Amer Hamoud al-Saadi, who is credited with being Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, has turned himself in.
We understand that he did so with a Sedaef television crew. So we'll try to get more information on that for you as we get it here.
Now, in other news, rescued POW Jessica Lynch is soon going to be within a couple of hours' drive of her hometown in West Virginia, Palestine, West Virginia. She and 49 other wounded troops left Germany this morning for medical treatment in the U.S. The transport plane due to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland this afternoon.
U.S. military officials at Central Command in Qatar say that they don't know if Saddam Hussein was killed in this air strike. In fact, General Vincent Brooks says it, quote, "almost doesn't matter to us." He also said a search of the rubble is not going to happen anytime soon.
Well, as looting continues in Baghdad, talks are under way today to help restore order. The U.S. military interviewed a group of retired Iraqi police officers in an effort to create a legitimate police force in the Iraqi capital.
And British forces could soon start joining patrols with Iraqi police in the southern city of Basra in the next few days.
Well, he was the voice of Saddam Hussein at the United Nations. Now, Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri has left the States for Paris and then, we hear, Syria. But before he left, he told reporters, quoting here, "I will see you, I hope, in a peaceful time with a good relationship between Iraq and the United States" end quote.
In other news, North Korea says it would be will be to accept U.S. Demands for multilateral talks about its nuclear weapons program. In its statement, North Korea said any outcome or solution hinges on the real intentions of the United States.
Dr. Robert Atkins, creator of the Atkins diet, is on life support right now. He hit his head after slipping on some ice outside his medical center in New York last week. Doctors have removed a blood clot, but he remains in a coma.
And in more lighter news, in sports, Mike Weir (ph) currently at the top of the leader board with a 600 par at the Masters golf tournament. Players are going to complete round two today, which was interrupted because it couldn't get it all in yesterday. Now, a group that wants Augusta National to open up membership to women, they're planning a protest about a half-mile from the gate, and we'll keep our eyes open, see if anything develops there.
And we'll have an update for you on all the news in about 30 minutes from now, so stay tuned.
"ON THE STORY" starts right now.
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