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CNN Live Today
What Now for Terrorist Abu Abbas?
Aired April 16, 2003 - 10:07 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 check in now with Rula Amin, who's joining us right now. She's got more on this coming from the Baghdad side of the story.
Hello, Rula. Was the word there?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.
You know, it was not a secret that Abu Abbas was living here in Baghdad for years. In fact, just months before the war started, we did ask him if he was going to try to flee Iraq now that the U.S. may be arriving In Baghdad. And the answer he had was, no, he was not, because he didn't think that even if the troops arrived here, he would be in trouble. He told us that throughout the years he has been traveling in the region, in different Arab countries, and that he went to Gaza, crossing controlled borders by Israel, and that his case was closed, and that didn't see it any more that anybody would put him on trial again. That's the word we had from him before the war started.
Today we heard from his wife. She is in Beirut. She told Arab media that she had just spoken to Abu Abbas on the phone a few hours before he was arrested. She was surprised. She appealed for his release. She said he had nothing to do with the war. He was not a Baathist. He was not part of the Iraqi government, and that he has nothing to do with this current war, and that's why she was very surprised that he was arrested -- Bill.
HARRIS: Hello, Rula, it's Leon here in Atlanta. Let me ask you this, is there any reaction there in Baghdad at all to the news of the arrest? Is this catching people there unaware? Is this the kind of thing that would basically get tongues to wagging at all in anyway?
AMIN: I have to tell you, honestly, people I think are so busy with trying to satisfy their immediate needs that they are not even paying attention to the news of the arrest of Abu Abbas. Many people here are still without power, still without water, there are no hospitals, and they don't feel safe in terms of their lives and property, and these are the immediate concerns. They are not worried about what's happening to Abu Abbas now, because they feel their own lives is under threat, and that's what they are trying to tackle.
HEMMER: Just humans being humans in that case. Thanks, Rula. Rula Amin reporting live for us from Baghdad.
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 16, 2003 - 10:07 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 check in now with Rula Amin, who's joining us right now. She's got more on this coming from the Baghdad side of the story.
Hello, Rula. Was the word there?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.
You know, it was not a secret that Abu Abbas was living here in Baghdad for years. In fact, just months before the war started, we did ask him if he was going to try to flee Iraq now that the U.S. may be arriving In Baghdad. And the answer he had was, no, he was not, because he didn't think that even if the troops arrived here, he would be in trouble. He told us that throughout the years he has been traveling in the region, in different Arab countries, and that he went to Gaza, crossing controlled borders by Israel, and that his case was closed, and that didn't see it any more that anybody would put him on trial again. That's the word we had from him before the war started.
Today we heard from his wife. She is in Beirut. She told Arab media that she had just spoken to Abu Abbas on the phone a few hours before he was arrested. She was surprised. She appealed for his release. She said he had nothing to do with the war. He was not a Baathist. He was not part of the Iraqi government, and that he has nothing to do with this current war, and that's why she was very surprised that he was arrested -- Bill.
HARRIS: Hello, Rula, it's Leon here in Atlanta. Let me ask you this, is there any reaction there in Baghdad at all to the news of the arrest? Is this catching people there unaware? Is this the kind of thing that would basically get tongues to wagging at all in anyway?
AMIN: I have to tell you, honestly, people I think are so busy with trying to satisfy their immediate needs that they are not even paying attention to the news of the arrest of Abu Abbas. Many people here are still without power, still without water, there are no hospitals, and they don't feel safe in terms of their lives and property, and these are the immediate concerns. They are not worried about what's happening to Abu Abbas now, because they feel their own lives is under threat, and that's what they are trying to tackle.
HEMMER: Just humans being humans in that case. Thanks, Rula. Rula Amin reporting live for us from Baghdad.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
