Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Surrender of Tariq Aziz

Aired April 25, 2003 - 05:31   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: All morning long we've been telling you about the big news out of Baghdad, the surrender of Tariq Aziz. The former deputy prime minister and possibly the most visible Iraqi leader other than Saddam Hussein is now in coalition custody.
For more on that, we take you back to Baghdad and Rula Amin -- good morning, Rula.

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

It's a very windy day here in Baghdad.

The family of Tariq Aziz confirms to CNN that he did turn himself in. It wasn't a matter of he was being captured, he turned himself in. CNN's Nic Robertson went to one of the family's houses in a Zayuna (ph) neighborhood. That's in central Baghdad. And over there the family told Nic that it took a few days to arrange for this setup where the U.S. troops came to that house late Thursday evening and then they took him away from them.

The family assured Nic it was done, the arrest was done in a very dignified manner.

This makes Tariq Aziz the highest ranking Iraqi official to be captured by U.S. troops. Not only he is the deputy prime minister for Saddam Hussein, but he's been an associate of Saddam Hussein for so many years and he has become the public face for Iraq, the modern secular face. He's the only Christian among Saddam Hussein's inner circle. He's been a seasoned diplomat for so many years, very eloquent, fluent English and a tough negotiator.

Now, the U.S. officials are telling, are saying that they have many questions that they will need answers for from Tariq Aziz, basically surrounding Saddam Hussein. Where is he? Is he still alive? Is he dead? What is he up to? And where was he in the last few days of the war? We're not sure if Tariq Aziz would be willing to give such answers, but this is the key element in his capture.

He is number 43 on the U.S. most wanted list among, out of 55 people, and he's not among the U.S. -- the Iraqi officials the U.S. is seeking in order to put on trial for war -- for crimes against humanity -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Rula, what is the reaction of the Iraqi people to Tariq Aziz being taken into custody?

AMIN: Well, some people did really hate him, at least just by association, because he was part of the old regime and it was a dictatorship regime. Other people admired his skills. They thought he was a very seasoned diplomat. He was eloquent. He was very elegant. They considered him, they said he was a politician, a polite person. Other people -- and those people said, you know, they don't really hold him much guilty for the regime's atrocities. They said he was just a politician. He was a foreign minister. He was not involved in the security operations of the regime or in the repression range, measures that were taken against the population.

So we had mixed feelings on the streets. Some wanted him to be punished. Others said he didn't really have a lot of guilt in what had happened before -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understand.

Rula Amin reporting live from Baghdad.

Many thanks to you.

For more on Tariq Aziz, one of Saddam Hussein's closest advisers, go to our Web site, Special Report: The New Iraq, cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.

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 25, 2003 - 05:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All morning long we've been telling you about the big news out of Baghdad, the surrender of Tariq Aziz. The former deputy prime minister and possibly the most visible Iraqi leader other than Saddam Hussein is now in coalition custody.
For more on that, we take you back to Baghdad and Rula Amin -- good morning, Rula.

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

It's a very windy day here in Baghdad.

The family of Tariq Aziz confirms to CNN that he did turn himself in. It wasn't a matter of he was being captured, he turned himself in. CNN's Nic Robertson went to one of the family's houses in a Zayuna (ph) neighborhood. That's in central Baghdad. And over there the family told Nic that it took a few days to arrange for this setup where the U.S. troops came to that house late Thursday evening and then they took him away from them.

The family assured Nic it was done, the arrest was done in a very dignified manner.

This makes Tariq Aziz the highest ranking Iraqi official to be captured by U.S. troops. Not only he is the deputy prime minister for Saddam Hussein, but he's been an associate of Saddam Hussein for so many years and he has become the public face for Iraq, the modern secular face. He's the only Christian among Saddam Hussein's inner circle. He's been a seasoned diplomat for so many years, very eloquent, fluent English and a tough negotiator.

Now, the U.S. officials are telling, are saying that they have many questions that they will need answers for from Tariq Aziz, basically surrounding Saddam Hussein. Where is he? Is he still alive? Is he dead? What is he up to? And where was he in the last few days of the war? We're not sure if Tariq Aziz would be willing to give such answers, but this is the key element in his capture.

He is number 43 on the U.S. most wanted list among, out of 55 people, and he's not among the U.S. -- the Iraqi officials the U.S. is seeking in order to put on trial for war -- for crimes against humanity -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Rula, what is the reaction of the Iraqi people to Tariq Aziz being taken into custody?

AMIN: Well, some people did really hate him, at least just by association, because he was part of the old regime and it was a dictatorship regime. Other people admired his skills. They thought he was a very seasoned diplomat. He was eloquent. He was very elegant. They considered him, they said he was a politician, a polite person. Other people -- and those people said, you know, they don't really hold him much guilty for the regime's atrocities. They said he was just a politician. He was a foreign minister. He was not involved in the security operations of the regime or in the repression range, measures that were taken against the population.

So we had mixed feelings on the streets. Some wanted him to be punished. Others said he didn't really have a lot of guilt in what had happened before -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understand.

Rula Amin reporting live from Baghdad.

Many thanks to you.

For more on Tariq Aziz, one of Saddam Hussein's closest advisers, go to our Web site, Special Report: The New Iraq, cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com