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American Morning
Town Hall Meeting in Baghdad
Aired April 28, 2003 - 07:03 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get back to Iraq quickly. A lot of news to digest this morning in Baghdad, where the retired U.S. lieutenant general heading up the rebuilding of Iraq held a town hall- style meeting today in Baghdad with prospective future leaders of that country. Jay Garner says his aim is a democratic Iraqi government that represents all of the country's groups.
Rym Brahimi watching that and listening as well, live in Baghdad for more there.
Good afternoon -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill.
Indeed, Jay Garner gathered some 250 prominent Iraqis at the Conference Palace right across the road from the Rashid Hotel (ph). Now, that area is where the National Assembly used to meet previously.
Today would have been Saddam Hussein's 66th birthday, and instead of the whole pomp and national holiday that we would have seen in years until now, well, today a big political meeting to discus the future of Iraq.
Among those prominent Iraqis, well, representatives from every faction -- Sunni, Shia representatives, as well as Arab tribal chief and Kurds. So a big mix there -- present there, all discussing Iraq's political future.
Not everyone is happy, though, Bill. And we saw that a few moments ago. There was a big demonstration. Several hundred of Iraqis demonstrating right near to where we are at the Palestine Hotel in central Baghdad. They say that their group has not been properly represented at the political meeting hosted by Jay Garner. They're from Najaf, the holy city of Najaf south of Baghdad, and their group, a theological college known as the Hazza (ph), they say, has not been properly represented.
And I imagine we would have to expect to see a little more of that as there will be a variety of people now vying for power since there has been this power vacuum -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Rym, thanks -- Rym Brahimi reporting in 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 28, 2003 - 07:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get back to Iraq quickly. A lot of news to digest this morning in Baghdad, where the retired U.S. lieutenant general heading up the rebuilding of Iraq held a town hall- style meeting today in Baghdad with prospective future leaders of that country. Jay Garner says his aim is a democratic Iraqi government that represents all of the country's groups.
Rym Brahimi watching that and listening as well, live in Baghdad for more there.
Good afternoon -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill.
Indeed, Jay Garner gathered some 250 prominent Iraqis at the Conference Palace right across the road from the Rashid Hotel (ph). Now, that area is where the National Assembly used to meet previously.
Today would have been Saddam Hussein's 66th birthday, and instead of the whole pomp and national holiday that we would have seen in years until now, well, today a big political meeting to discus the future of Iraq.
Among those prominent Iraqis, well, representatives from every faction -- Sunni, Shia representatives, as well as Arab tribal chief and Kurds. So a big mix there -- present there, all discussing Iraq's political future.
Not everyone is happy, though, Bill. And we saw that a few moments ago. There was a big demonstration. Several hundred of Iraqis demonstrating right near to where we are at the Palestine Hotel in central Baghdad. They say that their group has not been properly represented at the political meeting hosted by Jay Garner. They're from Najaf, the holy city of Najaf south of Baghdad, and their group, a theological college known as the Hazza (ph), they say, has not been properly represented.
And I imagine we would have to expect to see a little more of that as there will be a variety of people now vying for power since there has been this power vacuum -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Rym, thanks -- Rym Brahimi reporting in 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.
