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American Morning
How Serious is Civil Disorder in Iraq?
Aired May 16, 2003 - 08:07 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Baath Party activists loyal to Saddam Hussein have launched attacks against those setting up an interim government in Baghdad. This is raising fears that the former dictator could still be directing sabotage operations.
Yesterday, the new director of Iraqi reconstruction vowed to put an end to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BREMER, U.S./IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION: We have and will aggressively move to seek to identify these people and remove them from office. We have hunted down and will continue to deal with those members of the old regime who are sabotaging the country and the coalition's efforts. We will ensure that representations of Saddam Hussein and other Baathist symbols are removed systematically from public display.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: How serious is the civil disorder in Iraq?
Con Coughlin is live in Baghdad. He is the author of "Saddam: King of Terror" and executive editor of "The London Sunday Telegraph."
Good to see you.
CON COUGHLIN, AUTHOR, "SADDAM: KING OF TERROR": Good morning.
WHITFIELD: Well, these threats of interrogating those Iraqis into submission, who do you suppose is giving the orders?
COUGHLIN: Well, I think Saddam or either his sons. They're still around in the country, as far as I can ascertain. And the Baathists are very active. And as you said in your introduction, there have been attacks carried out on the house of Ahmed Chalabi, the head of the INC and on the house of Iyad Allawi, who is the head of the rival Iraqi National Accord. And both men believe these attacks were orchestrated by Baathists and, of course, they only take their orders from one man, Saddam Hussein.
WHITFIELD: Why do 8u feel confident that these orders are coming from Saddam Hussein and within the country of Iraq?
COUGHLIN: Well, it's just I've been here over 10 days now and everybody I've spoken to believes Saddam is alive. We know from the past that Saddam only acts -- sorry, the Baath Party only acts on Saddam's orders. And, yes, Saddam is lying low somewhere here. So are his sons. And they are seeking to exploit the situation.
Now, what Paul Bremer said is very welcome news, indeed. But in my view, it's a bit late coming. This should have happened immediately after the liberation of Iraq. I'm glad it's starting now. But they need to get cracking on this, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: So as long as you feel or you're sensing from the majority of the Iraqi people there that there is this great belief that Saddam Hussein is certainly still present within the country, is it your feeling from the Iraqi people there that there's no way they are going to have much confidence in this interim government or any U.S. efforts because they feel that they are intimidated and if they speak out publicly about their support for this new regime change, that they will likely be punished?
COUGHLIN: I think that's one part of it, Fredricka. The other part is that they're not very happy with the way the coalition has run Iraq since the liberation. There's still a lot of looting here, still a lot of lawlessness. A lot of government ministers are still burning today. I mean this is nearly six week after the liberation.
WHITFIELD: And, in fact, Paul Bremer is blaming the old regime. He said that emphatically just yesterday. He's blaming the old regime for that kind of mayhem, for the looting. He says it has nothing to do with this interim government or the U.S. efforts.
COUGHLIN: Well, yes, it's because the U.S. interim government has done so little that this looting can take place and the Baathists can exploit the lawlessness. And this is what has upset a lot of Iraqis who welcomed American forces here five or six weeks ago when they liberated Baghdad. And as I said, the good will is starting to turn sour.
So it's very good news that Paul Bremer has said he's going to act and we look forward to seeing the fruits of that action being reaped.
WHITFIELD: All right, Con Coughlin, author of "Saddam: King of Terror."
The U.S. is boasting that it has arrested as many as 300 Iraqis just within the past 48 hours. But obviously, according to Con, still not making much of a difference.
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 16, 2003 - 08:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Baath Party activists loyal to Saddam Hussein have launched attacks against those setting up an interim government in Baghdad. This is raising fears that the former dictator could still be directing sabotage operations.
Yesterday, the new director of Iraqi reconstruction vowed to put an end to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BREMER, U.S./IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION: We have and will aggressively move to seek to identify these people and remove them from office. We have hunted down and will continue to deal with those members of the old regime who are sabotaging the country and the coalition's efforts. We will ensure that representations of Saddam Hussein and other Baathist symbols are removed systematically from public display.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: How serious is the civil disorder in Iraq?
Con Coughlin is live in Baghdad. He is the author of "Saddam: King of Terror" and executive editor of "The London Sunday Telegraph."
Good to see you.
CON COUGHLIN, AUTHOR, "SADDAM: KING OF TERROR": Good morning.
WHITFIELD: Well, these threats of interrogating those Iraqis into submission, who do you suppose is giving the orders?
COUGHLIN: Well, I think Saddam or either his sons. They're still around in the country, as far as I can ascertain. And the Baathists are very active. And as you said in your introduction, there have been attacks carried out on the house of Ahmed Chalabi, the head of the INC and on the house of Iyad Allawi, who is the head of the rival Iraqi National Accord. And both men believe these attacks were orchestrated by Baathists and, of course, they only take their orders from one man, Saddam Hussein.
WHITFIELD: Why do 8u feel confident that these orders are coming from Saddam Hussein and within the country of Iraq?
COUGHLIN: Well, it's just I've been here over 10 days now and everybody I've spoken to believes Saddam is alive. We know from the past that Saddam only acts -- sorry, the Baath Party only acts on Saddam's orders. And, yes, Saddam is lying low somewhere here. So are his sons. And they are seeking to exploit the situation.
Now, what Paul Bremer said is very welcome news, indeed. But in my view, it's a bit late coming. This should have happened immediately after the liberation of Iraq. I'm glad it's starting now. But they need to get cracking on this, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: So as long as you feel or you're sensing from the majority of the Iraqi people there that there is this great belief that Saddam Hussein is certainly still present within the country, is it your feeling from the Iraqi people there that there's no way they are going to have much confidence in this interim government or any U.S. efforts because they feel that they are intimidated and if they speak out publicly about their support for this new regime change, that they will likely be punished?
COUGHLIN: I think that's one part of it, Fredricka. The other part is that they're not very happy with the way the coalition has run Iraq since the liberation. There's still a lot of looting here, still a lot of lawlessness. A lot of government ministers are still burning today. I mean this is nearly six week after the liberation.
WHITFIELD: And, in fact, Paul Bremer is blaming the old regime. He said that emphatically just yesterday. He's blaming the old regime for that kind of mayhem, for the looting. He says it has nothing to do with this interim government or the U.S. efforts.
COUGHLIN: Well, yes, it's because the U.S. interim government has done so little that this looting can take place and the Baathists can exploit the lawlessness. And this is what has upset a lot of Iraqis who welcomed American forces here five or six weeks ago when they liberated Baghdad. And as I said, the good will is starting to turn sour.
So it's very good news that Paul Bremer has said he's going to act and we look forward to seeing the fruits of that action being reaped.
WHITFIELD: All right, Con Coughlin, author of "Saddam: King of Terror."
The U.S. is boasting that it has arrested as many as 300 Iraqis just within the past 48 hours. But obviously, according to Con, still not making much of a difference.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
