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CNN Live Today
Iraqi Reaction to President Bush's Speech
Aired May 02, 2003 - 10:11 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 go to Baghdad for the Iraqi reaction to the speech President Bush gave last night.
CNN's Rym Brahimi is standing by in the Iraqi capital, and she's got more on that.
Hello -- Rym. What are you hearing there?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
Well, first of all, not that many people would have listened to the speech that came at about 4:00 a.m. local time. Some people did hear it, though, either on Iranian radio or on the new Iraqi broadcast. And what they're saying is, well, maybe the war is over between President Bush and President Saddam Hussein, but there are still issues to be dealt with.
Here's the reaction of one person we spoke to.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The war with the army is finished, with Saddam's people is finished. But for many people, it's not finished yet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How? You see, we are waiting. This is two, three hours for medicine. And shops are closed, work is none, and we are in need of money. And there is no selling. Yes, this is another war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRAHIMI: The other war this gentleman was referring to, obviously the one to get job security, in his words. So, maybe people have a sense here that, yes, they have made some progress, but they have -- they still need a lot more. They want action rather than just words.
Now, as you know, Leon, there were also a couple of arrests today, announced by the U.S. Central Command. One of them: Abdel Tawab Mullah Huweish. Now, he was minister of military industrialization.
There was also a deputy prime minister, and he would be of interest, I would imagine, to the U.S., because he would probably be able to talk about alleged links to weapons programs here. He was -- he's No. 16 in the 55 top most-wanted list that the U.S. has put out.
And then, somebody else has been arrested and in custody. He's Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf. Now, Marouf was actually a vice president, and he was also a member of the Revolutionary Command Council, which puts him in the very, very high-ranking members of the Iraqi leadership and of the ruling Baath Party. It was basically the highest authority in the country. He's No. 42 in the top 55 most- wanted.
Basically, now that brings to 17 the number of members of the leadership in custody.
Back to you -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right. Thank you, Rym. We'll see you in just a bit -- Rym Brahimi 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 May 2, 2003 - 10:11 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 go to Baghdad for the Iraqi reaction to the speech President Bush gave last night.
CNN's Rym Brahimi is standing by in the Iraqi capital, and she's got more on that.
Hello -- Rym. What are you hearing there?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
Well, first of all, not that many people would have listened to the speech that came at about 4:00 a.m. local time. Some people did hear it, though, either on Iranian radio or on the new Iraqi broadcast. And what they're saying is, well, maybe the war is over between President Bush and President Saddam Hussein, but there are still issues to be dealt with.
Here's the reaction of one person we spoke to.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The war with the army is finished, with Saddam's people is finished. But for many people, it's not finished yet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How? You see, we are waiting. This is two, three hours for medicine. And shops are closed, work is none, and we are in need of money. And there is no selling. Yes, this is another war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRAHIMI: The other war this gentleman was referring to, obviously the one to get job security, in his words. So, maybe people have a sense here that, yes, they have made some progress, but they have -- they still need a lot more. They want action rather than just words.
Now, as you know, Leon, there were also a couple of arrests today, announced by the U.S. Central Command. One of them: Abdel Tawab Mullah Huweish. Now, he was minister of military industrialization.
There was also a deputy prime minister, and he would be of interest, I would imagine, to the U.S., because he would probably be able to talk about alleged links to weapons programs here. He was -- he's No. 16 in the 55 top most-wanted list that the U.S. has put out.
And then, somebody else has been arrested and in custody. He's Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf. Now, Marouf was actually a vice president, and he was also a member of the Revolutionary Command Council, which puts him in the very, very high-ranking members of the Iraqi leadership and of the ruling Baath Party. It was basically the highest authority in the country. He's No. 42 in the top 55 most- wanted.
Basically, now that brings to 17 the number of members of the leadership in custody.
Back to you -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right. Thank you, Rym. We'll see you in just a bit -- Rym Brahimi 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.
