Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Marines, Iraqis Struggle to Restore Power
Aired April 17, 2003 - 10:06 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the story on Iraq, and we go to Baghdad. That which is where the past, the present, and the future are all colliding right now. There is an anti-Saddam leader in the capital talking about future leadership. Meanwhile, a half brother of the dictator is in custody, and has what could prove to be very valuable information.
Let's go to Rula Amin there with the latest -- Rula, hello.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. Central Command says that the coalition forces overnight have been able to capture Barzan al-Tikriti. He is Saddam Hussein's half brother. He also holds the title of a presidential adviser. He was caught after Iraqi -- local Iraqis gave a tip to the Marines and the troops on where he was staying.
He is believed to have very significant information on how the Iraqi regime used to operate and work. The U.S. troops also believe he may be able to provide information on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction weapons programs, and that is why it's a significant capture. He may also be able to provide information on where is Saddam Hussein. We still don't know where is the Iraqi leader, his two sons, his aides, and his ministers. They are all still at large, and many people are just wondering where are they? In Baghdad, out of Baghdad, out of Iraq? It is a question that many people want to have an answer for.
Now, trying to fill this power vacuum are Iraqi opposition leaders who have been in exile for years. People like Ahmed Chalabi. He is a prominent opposition leader who has been living in London for a while now. He is favored by the Pentagon, he returned to Iraq and came to Baghdad, today he was meeting with local Iraqi leaders, trying to consult and to coordinate how to form a new Iraqi government. He was also trying to muster support among residents here in Baghdad who are very skeptical of all these opposition leaders who have been in exile while they were here under the rule of Saddam Hussein and also under the -- suffering under U.N. sanctions. So he has to do a lot of work in order to win their support -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Let me just ask you a lifestyle question right now. In Baghdad -- we were hearing from Ben Wedeman in Mosul, electricity a big problem there, how are efforts going to get the power turned back on in Baghdad?
AMIN: Well, there are joint efforts by the Marines and by local Iraqi electrical engineers, but very little successes so far. Only a few substations are running now. The major power grid -- major power grid is still crippled. The reason is, it's a multiple of problems. There is lack of equipment, there is lack of enough workers and expertise, as well as the main obstacle is that many of the transmission lines that bring power from the major grid to the substations have been down. Very much work is going on now, trying to determine where is the damage exactly, and they are trying to fix it. They are trying to restore electricity for more than five million people who live in Baghdad, and in very desperate need for this power, because without electricity, there is no clean water. No sewage treatment, and hospitals are running short on their generators -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Very difficult times indeed, right now in Baghdad. Rula Amin, thank you so much.
The United Nations pulled its weapons inspectors out of Iraq just before the war started. Now that the fighting has largely ended, troops are leading the search for weapons of mass destruction. Nothing has been found yet to back up Washington's accusations about such weapons.
Richard Roth is our senior U.N. correspondent. He has spoken to Hans Blix, the U.N.'s chief weapons inspector -- Richard, hello.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. I've spoken to Dr. Blix. The U.S. really hasn't, and they don't feel a need to. They are sending hundreds of their own people to probe for weapons of mass destruction inside Iraq. Dr. Blix waits for an invitation. He thinks his inspectors should be there, because they can only enhance any credibility of any discovery, if one is, indeed, made of weapons of mass destruction inside Iraq. Dr. Blix will brief the Security Council next week, a council that wants to know what to do with these inspectors, since it needs a final declaration that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction before lifting sanctions.
Blix is well aware of the surrender of Dr. Amir al-Saadi, Iraq's top scientist when it comes to any type of weapons programs, and he is curious to see if any information can be gleaned from this scientist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: What is more interesting is that my opposite member (ph), Dr. al-Saadi, who was head of the military industrial committee at one time, that he has now surrendered, and on surrendering, he did say, on television to the whole world, that there are no weapons of mass destruction, and that time will bear him out.
Well, I don't see why he should have any reason to lie at this stage. At the other stage, he might have had reason to do that because his life would be in danger if he didn't say what the government allowed him to say. But this is interesting, and of course, only thorough investigations will reveal the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Dr. Blix said, also, that Let's see if Washington and London find any weapons of mass destruction. As for Dr. al-Saadi, the top scientist, Blix of course met with him three times, at least, since November across the table, and kind of let it be known to me and others that it seemed that Dr. al-Saadi understood what the inspectors were trying to do, but it was leadership above him that sometimes made things difficult -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Richard, we heard President Bush yesterday call for an end to U.N. sanctions, 12 years of sanctions against Iraq. What's the likelihood and the timetable of that happening?
ROTH: The U.S. may eventually want to get some type of vote. France and Russia, of course, with vetoes in the Security Council, may be interested in not giving U.S. widespread power. What are we talking about? Well, to get those sanctions lifted, two key areas. A declaration on weapons of mass destruction, that they are gone, and oil sales, who controls the oil, the economy.
Many of these resolutions are very strictly worded, and some diplomats say, maybe the U.S. is going to try to say that Saddam Hussein doesn't exist, the government doesn't exist any more. These resolutions really are not even legal any more, but that would likely be countered by some of the other countries on the council. This is going to be several weeks of negotiating.
KAGAN: Richard Roth at the United Nations. Richard, thank you.
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 17, 2003 - 10:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the story on Iraq, and we go to Baghdad. That which is where the past, the present, and the future are all colliding right now. There is an anti-Saddam leader in the capital talking about future leadership. Meanwhile, a half brother of the dictator is in custody, and has what could prove to be very valuable information.
Let's go to Rula Amin there with the latest -- Rula, hello.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. Central Command says that the coalition forces overnight have been able to capture Barzan al-Tikriti. He is Saddam Hussein's half brother. He also holds the title of a presidential adviser. He was caught after Iraqi -- local Iraqis gave a tip to the Marines and the troops on where he was staying.
He is believed to have very significant information on how the Iraqi regime used to operate and work. The U.S. troops also believe he may be able to provide information on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction weapons programs, and that is why it's a significant capture. He may also be able to provide information on where is Saddam Hussein. We still don't know where is the Iraqi leader, his two sons, his aides, and his ministers. They are all still at large, and many people are just wondering where are they? In Baghdad, out of Baghdad, out of Iraq? It is a question that many people want to have an answer for.
Now, trying to fill this power vacuum are Iraqi opposition leaders who have been in exile for years. People like Ahmed Chalabi. He is a prominent opposition leader who has been living in London for a while now. He is favored by the Pentagon, he returned to Iraq and came to Baghdad, today he was meeting with local Iraqi leaders, trying to consult and to coordinate how to form a new Iraqi government. He was also trying to muster support among residents here in Baghdad who are very skeptical of all these opposition leaders who have been in exile while they were here under the rule of Saddam Hussein and also under the -- suffering under U.N. sanctions. So he has to do a lot of work in order to win their support -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Let me just ask you a lifestyle question right now. In Baghdad -- we were hearing from Ben Wedeman in Mosul, electricity a big problem there, how are efforts going to get the power turned back on in Baghdad?
AMIN: Well, there are joint efforts by the Marines and by local Iraqi electrical engineers, but very little successes so far. Only a few substations are running now. The major power grid -- major power grid is still crippled. The reason is, it's a multiple of problems. There is lack of equipment, there is lack of enough workers and expertise, as well as the main obstacle is that many of the transmission lines that bring power from the major grid to the substations have been down. Very much work is going on now, trying to determine where is the damage exactly, and they are trying to fix it. They are trying to restore electricity for more than five million people who live in Baghdad, and in very desperate need for this power, because without electricity, there is no clean water. No sewage treatment, and hospitals are running short on their generators -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Very difficult times indeed, right now in Baghdad. Rula Amin, thank you so much.
The United Nations pulled its weapons inspectors out of Iraq just before the war started. Now that the fighting has largely ended, troops are leading the search for weapons of mass destruction. Nothing has been found yet to back up Washington's accusations about such weapons.
Richard Roth is our senior U.N. correspondent. He has spoken to Hans Blix, the U.N.'s chief weapons inspector -- Richard, hello.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. I've spoken to Dr. Blix. The U.S. really hasn't, and they don't feel a need to. They are sending hundreds of their own people to probe for weapons of mass destruction inside Iraq. Dr. Blix waits for an invitation. He thinks his inspectors should be there, because they can only enhance any credibility of any discovery, if one is, indeed, made of weapons of mass destruction inside Iraq. Dr. Blix will brief the Security Council next week, a council that wants to know what to do with these inspectors, since it needs a final declaration that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction before lifting sanctions.
Blix is well aware of the surrender of Dr. Amir al-Saadi, Iraq's top scientist when it comes to any type of weapons programs, and he is curious to see if any information can be gleaned from this scientist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: What is more interesting is that my opposite member (ph), Dr. al-Saadi, who was head of the military industrial committee at one time, that he has now surrendered, and on surrendering, he did say, on television to the whole world, that there are no weapons of mass destruction, and that time will bear him out.
Well, I don't see why he should have any reason to lie at this stage. At the other stage, he might have had reason to do that because his life would be in danger if he didn't say what the government allowed him to say. But this is interesting, and of course, only thorough investigations will reveal the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Dr. Blix said, also, that Let's see if Washington and London find any weapons of mass destruction. As for Dr. al-Saadi, the top scientist, Blix of course met with him three times, at least, since November across the table, and kind of let it be known to me and others that it seemed that Dr. al-Saadi understood what the inspectors were trying to do, but it was leadership above him that sometimes made things difficult -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Richard, we heard President Bush yesterday call for an end to U.N. sanctions, 12 years of sanctions against Iraq. What's the likelihood and the timetable of that happening?
ROTH: The U.S. may eventually want to get some type of vote. France and Russia, of course, with vetoes in the Security Council, may be interested in not giving U.S. widespread power. What are we talking about? Well, to get those sanctions lifted, two key areas. A declaration on weapons of mass destruction, that they are gone, and oil sales, who controls the oil, the economy.
Many of these resolutions are very strictly worded, and some diplomats say, maybe the U.S. is going to try to say that Saddam Hussein doesn't exist, the government doesn't exist any more. These resolutions really are not even legal any more, but that would likely be countered by some of the other countries on the council. This is going to be several weeks of negotiating.
KAGAN: Richard Roth at the United Nations. Richard, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
