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CNN Live At Daybreak
U.S. Meets With Opponents of Saddam Hussein
Aired April 15, 2003 - 05:44 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: Well now that the United States has declared the war in Iraq is all but over, it has invited handpicked Iraqi opposition leaders to Nasiriya for talks on shaping a new government.
CNN's Michael Holmes joins us from Baghdad with that and other developments from the war front -- good morning.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
That's right, that meeting should be under way, if all went according to plan, under very heavy security. It is a U.S.-sponsored meeting. There is a U.S. envoy there. And as you pointed out, members of the former exiles, Iraqi exiles, opposition groups, they will be there also. But significantly, also Iraqis from in country, they'll be attending, too.
It's being described as something of a town hall meeting, and hopes are not high that there's going to be anything substantial coming out of this. It's -- it is a start and it has to start somewhere. They're not going to be talking about the administrative government that everyone will see come to Iraq in the months ahead. That's going to come after regional meetings and then national meetings.
What this is is a start. It's to identify what people want, to get an exchange of ideas between the U.S. envoy and the locals and the exiles and it's going to be interesting because it'll probably be a lively meeting.
One thing that will be discussed is whether members of the Baath Party, Saddam Hussein's own party, will be allowed to participate in any political process. The U.S. says it wants a broad base inclusive situation set up, but whether that will include Baath'st is yet to be decided.
Want to talk to you about the raid that happened here at the Palestine Hotel this morning and what has flowed from that. It was at about 8:00 a.m. when U.S. Army/Marines went to the 17th, and we now know, the 9th floor as well, knocking on doors, each and every door on those floors, telling people to open up. The door would be broken down if they did not. And of course this is the home to journalists, 2,000 of us based here at the Palestine Hotel, many to a room in some cases.
Journalists were told to lay on the ground at gunpoint. They were, in some cases, searched physically, in other cases their credentials checked. They were told to stay in their rooms. Three people were detained, non-Westerners, and what happened to them we don't know. But certainly since then there has been an air of increased security around the Palestine Hotel, Carol. It is now a real effort to get back in through these rings of security around the hotel -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. Michael Holmes reporting live from Baghdad. Thank you for the update.
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 15, 2003 - 05:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Well now that the United States has declared the war in Iraq is all but over, it has invited handpicked Iraqi opposition leaders to Nasiriya for talks on shaping a new government.
CNN's Michael Holmes joins us from Baghdad with that and other developments from the war front -- good morning.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
That's right, that meeting should be under way, if all went according to plan, under very heavy security. It is a U.S.-sponsored meeting. There is a U.S. envoy there. And as you pointed out, members of the former exiles, Iraqi exiles, opposition groups, they will be there also. But significantly, also Iraqis from in country, they'll be attending, too.
It's being described as something of a town hall meeting, and hopes are not high that there's going to be anything substantial coming out of this. It's -- it is a start and it has to start somewhere. They're not going to be talking about the administrative government that everyone will see come to Iraq in the months ahead. That's going to come after regional meetings and then national meetings.
What this is is a start. It's to identify what people want, to get an exchange of ideas between the U.S. envoy and the locals and the exiles and it's going to be interesting because it'll probably be a lively meeting.
One thing that will be discussed is whether members of the Baath Party, Saddam Hussein's own party, will be allowed to participate in any political process. The U.S. says it wants a broad base inclusive situation set up, but whether that will include Baath'st is yet to be decided.
Want to talk to you about the raid that happened here at the Palestine Hotel this morning and what has flowed from that. It was at about 8:00 a.m. when U.S. Army/Marines went to the 17th, and we now know, the 9th floor as well, knocking on doors, each and every door on those floors, telling people to open up. The door would be broken down if they did not. And of course this is the home to journalists, 2,000 of us based here at the Palestine Hotel, many to a room in some cases.
Journalists were told to lay on the ground at gunpoint. They were, in some cases, searched physically, in other cases their credentials checked. They were told to stay in their rooms. Three people were detained, non-Westerners, and what happened to them we don't know. But certainly since then there has been an air of increased security around the Palestine Hotel, Carol. It is now a real effort to get back in through these rings of security around the hotel -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. Michael Holmes reporting live from Baghdad. Thank you for the update.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
