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CNN Live At Daybreak

The New Iraq: Iraqi POWs Return

Aired May 09, 2003 - 06:11   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Dozens of Iraqi prisoners from the 1980-88 Iraq -- Iran-Iraq War have been released this week. They're returning home.
Our Karl Penhaul got a chance to talk with them and he's joining us. He is live in Baghdad today.

Karl, hello.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

As you say, not POWs from this war, not POWs from the 1991 Gulf War, POWs from the very first Gulf War, the 1980 to 1988 Iran-Iraq War. The last 59 Iraqi POWs that Iran says it had were released this week and we have been talking to one of those.

This war was a very dirty affair, a million and a half soldiers and civilians killed on either side, more than 60,000 Iraqi prisoners of war at one stage. As I say, these are the last 59.

We were there when this guy, Flan Medi (ph), some neighbors came around to his house and saw him for the first time, a very dramatic scene there. Then we sat down and had a long chat with him. And he's a broken man. He's spent half his life in jail, Daryn, and this is how he described the moment when he came home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FLAN MEDI (through translator): I still can't believe that I came home and that my brother and sister were waiting outside. I was just hugging my mother, my brothers were crying and we were together again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: That war, Daryn, had a huge political, social and economic impact on Iraq. And if you're tracing back the causes of today's problems and Saddam Hussein's political manipulation and such like, then you probably do know better to go back to that war and analyze the kind of impact it did have on Iraq at the time -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Absolutely amazing. You can only image the impact and the emotions felt by those people.

Karl Penhaul from Baghdad. Karl, thank you for that report.

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






Aired May 9, 2003 - 06:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Dozens of Iraqi prisoners from the 1980-88 Iraq -- Iran-Iraq War have been released this week. They're returning home.
Our Karl Penhaul got a chance to talk with them and he's joining us. He is live in Baghdad today.

Karl, hello.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

As you say, not POWs from this war, not POWs from the 1991 Gulf War, POWs from the very first Gulf War, the 1980 to 1988 Iran-Iraq War. The last 59 Iraqi POWs that Iran says it had were released this week and we have been talking to one of those.

This war was a very dirty affair, a million and a half soldiers and civilians killed on either side, more than 60,000 Iraqi prisoners of war at one stage. As I say, these are the last 59.

We were there when this guy, Flan Medi (ph), some neighbors came around to his house and saw him for the first time, a very dramatic scene there. Then we sat down and had a long chat with him. And he's a broken man. He's spent half his life in jail, Daryn, and this is how he described the moment when he came home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FLAN MEDI (through translator): I still can't believe that I came home and that my brother and sister were waiting outside. I was just hugging my mother, my brothers were crying and we were together again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: That war, Daryn, had a huge political, social and economic impact on Iraq. And if you're tracing back the causes of today's problems and Saddam Hussein's political manipulation and such like, then you probably do know better to go back to that war and analyze the kind of impact it did have on Iraq at the time -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Absolutely amazing. You can only image the impact and the emotions felt by those people.

Karl Penhaul from Baghdad. Karl, thank you for that report.

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