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CNN Live Today
Voice of Past Haunts Iraq Today
Aired May 07, 2003 - 11:08 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A voice in the past haunted Iraq today. A man who sounded quite a bit like Saddam Hussein urged the Iraqis to throw out Americans and return him to power.
Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Baghdad with more on the recording.
Nic, hello.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Well, this appears to be the first verbal message coming from Saddam Hussein since he was thrown out of power about a month ago. We believe that, because in the message, he talks about his birthday on the 28th of April, he talked about the looting of Iraq's National Museum that happened after he was forced out of power. So it seems that this message is a recent message, and that was certainly what was told to reporters who received the audiotape on Monday night. They were told that it was recorded late last week.
Now in this message, Saddam Hussein, or whoever purports to be him, calls on the Iraqi people to shoot the U.S. soldiers here, to not do business with them, to write anti-American slogans on the walls here.
Indeed, it went on to say that anyone who dealt with foreigners would be considered a traitor.
Now, whoever delivered this message, and it was supposed to be, purported to be Saddam Hussein, said that Saddam Hussein was still inside Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): 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, Shia 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, in the message, Saddam Hussein alluded to making this a secret resistance, alluding to it seems the Baath Party, his former ruling Baath Party, its underground movement before it took power in the revolution in 1968. Certainly the people we talked to here in Baghdad today, say they don't care whether or not it was Saddam Hussein's voice. They're not going to follow this message. It not something they want to do, rise up in arms against the U.S. soldiers.
Indeed, in one part of Baghdad that used to be staunchly pro- Saddam Hussein, people told us the reason they won't rise against the U.S. soldiers is because they're protecting them and giving them stability and a certain amount of security.
So at this time, the message appears to be falling at least on deaf ears -- Daryn.
KAGAN: It's one thing to get more of these date references which seemed to be lacking from the earlier tapes that we heard before and during the war, but what about confirming whether or not it is him?
ROBERTSON: That's going to take a further and detailed analysis. The people we have in our office here who have listened to Saddam Hussein's statements over the years listened to this tape, and say, although it's very poor quality, the language used appears to be like Saddam Hussein, and it does sound to them like Saddam Hussein. They say perhaps 90-95 percent sure, but it will require proper full scientific analysis before anyone can ascertain whether or not it was Saddam Hussein, and of course, potentially worrying. This is a call to arms. This is a call to form a resistance.
The truth will be whether or not people secretly do follow this call to arms, do mount a concerted resistance against the U.S. occupation as they see it -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Nic Robertson in Baghdad, thank you.
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 - 11:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A voice in the past haunted Iraq today. A man who sounded quite a bit like Saddam Hussein urged the Iraqis to throw out Americans and return him to power.
Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Baghdad with more on the recording.
Nic, hello.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Well, this appears to be the first verbal message coming from Saddam Hussein since he was thrown out of power about a month ago. We believe that, because in the message, he talks about his birthday on the 28th of April, he talked about the looting of Iraq's National Museum that happened after he was forced out of power. So it seems that this message is a recent message, and that was certainly what was told to reporters who received the audiotape on Monday night. They were told that it was recorded late last week.
Now in this message, Saddam Hussein, or whoever purports to be him, calls on the Iraqi people to shoot the U.S. soldiers here, to not do business with them, to write anti-American slogans on the walls here.
Indeed, it went on to say that anyone who dealt with foreigners would be considered a traitor.
Now, whoever delivered this message, and it was supposed to be, purported to be Saddam Hussein, said that Saddam Hussein was still inside Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): 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, Shia 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, in the message, Saddam Hussein alluded to making this a secret resistance, alluding to it seems the Baath Party, his former ruling Baath Party, its underground movement before it took power in the revolution in 1968. Certainly the people we talked to here in Baghdad today, say they don't care whether or not it was Saddam Hussein's voice. They're not going to follow this message. It not something they want to do, rise up in arms against the U.S. soldiers.
Indeed, in one part of Baghdad that used to be staunchly pro- Saddam Hussein, people told us the reason they won't rise against the U.S. soldiers is because they're protecting them and giving them stability and a certain amount of security.
So at this time, the message appears to be falling at least on deaf ears -- Daryn.
KAGAN: It's one thing to get more of these date references which seemed to be lacking from the earlier tapes that we heard before and during the war, but what about confirming whether or not it is him?
ROBERTSON: That's going to take a further and detailed analysis. The people we have in our office here who have listened to Saddam Hussein's statements over the years listened to this tape, and say, although it's very poor quality, the language used appears to be like Saddam Hussein, and it does sound to them like Saddam Hussein. They say perhaps 90-95 percent sure, but it will require proper full scientific analysis before anyone can ascertain whether or not it was Saddam Hussein, and of course, potentially worrying. This is a call to arms. This is a call to form a resistance.
The truth will be whether or not people secretly do follow this call to arms, do mount a concerted resistance against the U.S. occupation as they see it -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Nic Robertson in Baghdad, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
