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CNN Live At Daybreak

Alleged Saddam Hussein Audiotape

Aired May 07, 2003 - 05:32   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 right, let's see what kind of details we can get on this alleged Saddam Hussein audiotape.
Our Karl Penhaul is live in Baghdad. He's listened to the tape -- Karl, what do we know?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, first of all, a little bit about the circumstances of the tape, very important to mention that. Two Iraqis apparently were making their way towards the Palestine Hotel, which is where a lot of Western journalists hang out in Baghdad. As they approached the hotel, they saw the barbed wire around the hotel, some American soldiers there. Apparently they panicked and gave the tape to the first people that they thought would serve their purposes. One was a Western journalist. The other was his translator.

It could be that they recognized the translator -- he used to work with the regime of Saddam Hussein -- handed the tape to him and said if you're a true Iraqi, then make sure this message gets out.

The message in itself, if, indeed, it does prove to be Saddam Hussein, is quite dramatic, a call for, a call to arms, in fact, for the Iraqis to rise up against the Americans.

Let's listen to a little of what this tape says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Through the secret means, I'm talking to you from inside great Iraq and I say to you, the main task for you, Arab and Kurd, Shiite and Sunni, Muslim and Christian and the whole Iraqi people of all religions, your main task is to kick the enemy out from our country. You have to believe that he who is working with the foreigners is working against you. He is not only a servant for foreigners, he is an enemy of god and an enemy of the people, as well. Reject these people and reject anything that will divide you, Iraqi people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: There are some of the hallmarks of Saddam Hussein in this speech. It starts with a verse from the Quran. He gets very angry when talking about the Zionists. He sends insults against the Americans, expresses support for the Palestinian cause.

We took the tape out onto the streets of Baghdad and asked ordinary Iraqis what they thought of it. It was the subject of very hot debate.

Listen to what a couple of people had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whether Saddam was dead or alive, he's finished as far as Iraqis are concerned. Saddam is over. We don't want him. We don't want him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, this is his voice. This is his voice. He's in Iraq, but we don't want to fight him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: So no sense from any of those comments or with anybody else that we've spoken to this morning that they're ready to heed Saddam Hussein's call and launch a war of resistance against the Americans, even though they may be unhappy about the way that the Americans are failing to restore law and order to their country -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understood.

Karl Penhaul reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

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 7, 2003 - 05:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, let's see what kind of details we can get on this alleged Saddam Hussein audiotape.
Our Karl Penhaul is live in Baghdad. He's listened to the tape -- Karl, what do we know?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, first of all, a little bit about the circumstances of the tape, very important to mention that. Two Iraqis apparently were making their way towards the Palestine Hotel, which is where a lot of Western journalists hang out in Baghdad. As they approached the hotel, they saw the barbed wire around the hotel, some American soldiers there. Apparently they panicked and gave the tape to the first people that they thought would serve their purposes. One was a Western journalist. The other was his translator.

It could be that they recognized the translator -- he used to work with the regime of Saddam Hussein -- handed the tape to him and said if you're a true Iraqi, then make sure this message gets out.

The message in itself, if, indeed, it does prove to be Saddam Hussein, is quite dramatic, a call for, a call to arms, in fact, for the Iraqis to rise up against the Americans.

Let's listen to a little of what this tape says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Through the secret means, I'm talking to you from inside great Iraq and I say to you, the main task for you, Arab and Kurd, Shiite and Sunni, Muslim and Christian and the whole Iraqi people of all religions, your main task is to kick the enemy out from our country. You have to believe that he who is working with the foreigners is working against you. He is not only a servant for foreigners, he is an enemy of god and an enemy of the people, as well. Reject these people and reject anything that will divide you, Iraqi people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: There are some of the hallmarks of Saddam Hussein in this speech. It starts with a verse from the Quran. He gets very angry when talking about the Zionists. He sends insults against the Americans, expresses support for the Palestinian cause.

We took the tape out onto the streets of Baghdad and asked ordinary Iraqis what they thought of it. It was the subject of very hot debate.

Listen to what a couple of people had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whether Saddam was dead or alive, he's finished as far as Iraqis are concerned. Saddam is over. We don't want him. We don't want him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, this is his voice. This is his voice. He's in Iraq, but we don't want to fight him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: So no sense from any of those comments or with anybody else that we've spoken to this morning that they're ready to heed Saddam Hussein's call and launch a war of resistance against the Americans, even though they may be unhappy about the way that the Americans are failing to restore law and order to their country -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understood.

Karl Penhaul reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

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