Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Tariq Aziz and His Big Surrender in Baghdad

Aired April 25, 2003 - 05:02   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: Now to Tariq Aziz and his big surrender in Baghdad. Just to jog your memory, we have some quick facts on Tariq Aziz. He was appointed Iraqi miff in November of 1974 and deputy prime minister in July of 1979. He was best known for supervising Iraq's international affairs.
Well, let's go live to Iraq right now for more reaction on the Aziz surrender.

CNN's Rula Amin is in Baghdad, as usual, and she just filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tariq Aziz's family confirms to CNN that the deputy prime minister did turn himself into the U.S. troops. Nic Robertson, CNN correspondent, went to the family's house in a Zayuna (ph) neighborhood. That's in central Baghdad. And family members there told him that it took a few days to arrange for the turning in of Tariq Aziz.

U.S. troops came to the house on Thursday evening around 11:00 p.m. They took him there and the family assured Nic it was done in a dignified manner. He was not cuffed. His hands were not cuffed. He had suffered a heart attack recently, two of them, and that's why he needed his medication. There were even some medics with the troops.

Now, that makes Tariq Aziz the highest Iraqi official so far to be captured by the U.S. troops. He had been Iraq's deputy prime minister for years.

But more importantly, he has turned into Iraq's modern and secular face for the West. He is the only Christian in Saddam Hussein's inner circle. He was a member of the Baath Party's regional command council. However, he was not very influential or powerful. It all depended if he had Saddam Hussein's ear that day.

He was a very eloquent speaker, fluent in English, very confident and tough, and considered in the Arab world as one of the Arab world's most seasoned diplomats. That's why many people will probably be shocked at hearing that he had turned himself in.

However, his family told Nic Robertson that he had made his mind fairly quickly, obviously after the way the war has unfolded. We do know that Tariq Aziz's family is still here in Baghdad, at least some close members of his family are still here.

Rula Amin, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And one more note on the Aziz surrender. The "Wall Street Journal" is reporting an American played a key role. The American is a friend of Aziz and his family and spoke in four satellite telephone conversations with Aziz. U.S. officials have asked the American not to disclose his identity because he's also negotiating the surrender of other top Iraqi officials.

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 - 05:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Tariq Aziz and his big surrender in Baghdad. Just to jog your memory, we have some quick facts on Tariq Aziz. He was appointed Iraqi miff in November of 1974 and deputy prime minister in July of 1979. He was best known for supervising Iraq's international affairs.
Well, let's go live to Iraq right now for more reaction on the Aziz surrender.

CNN's Rula Amin is in Baghdad, as usual, and she just filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tariq Aziz's family confirms to CNN that the deputy prime minister did turn himself into the U.S. troops. Nic Robertson, CNN correspondent, went to the family's house in a Zayuna (ph) neighborhood. That's in central Baghdad. And family members there told him that it took a few days to arrange for the turning in of Tariq Aziz.

U.S. troops came to the house on Thursday evening around 11:00 p.m. They took him there and the family assured Nic it was done in a dignified manner. He was not cuffed. His hands were not cuffed. He had suffered a heart attack recently, two of them, and that's why he needed his medication. There were even some medics with the troops.

Now, that makes Tariq Aziz the highest Iraqi official so far to be captured by the U.S. troops. He had been Iraq's deputy prime minister for years.

But more importantly, he has turned into Iraq's modern and secular face for the West. He is the only Christian in Saddam Hussein's inner circle. He was a member of the Baath Party's regional command council. However, he was not very influential or powerful. It all depended if he had Saddam Hussein's ear that day.

He was a very eloquent speaker, fluent in English, very confident and tough, and considered in the Arab world as one of the Arab world's most seasoned diplomats. That's why many people will probably be shocked at hearing that he had turned himself in.

However, his family told Nic Robertson that he had made his mind fairly quickly, obviously after the way the war has unfolded. We do know that Tariq Aziz's family is still here in Baghdad, at least some close members of his family are still here.

Rula Amin, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And one more note on the Aziz surrender. The "Wall Street Journal" is reporting an American played a key role. The American is a friend of Aziz and his family and spoke in four satellite telephone conversations with Aziz. U.S. officials have asked the American not to disclose his identity because he's also negotiating the surrender of other top Iraqi officials.

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