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CNN Live At Daybreak
Plans for an Iraqi Interim Government
Aired June 02, 2003 - 06:08 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to Iraq and plan B. Instead of Iraqi leaders planning to choose an interim government, the U.S.- led coalition will appoint a political council.
We take you live to Baghdad and Jane Arraf.
Jane -- why the change?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Carol, it's a tradeoff, U.S. officials say, a tradeoff perhaps between the idea that they could get quite quickly into an interim government that's chosen more directly by Iraqis, by Iraqi officials here and Iraqi leaders that are emerging, to a U.S.-led appointed council, which would allow it to become more efficient and get these ministries up sooner again.
But, of course, in the streets, people are understandably suspicious of this. We were asking people about this plan in the streets today, and they were essentially saying that they believe this is what the U.S. had intended all along.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They are here to seize the Iraqi oil, loot Iraqi money and humiliate Iraqis with subordination. Iraqis shall never be subject to someone else, and Iraqi civilians, military, children and elderly shall never be subordinates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): America is a country that occupied Iraq and obtained a one-year authorization for that purpose from the U.N. That's why it would do anything it wants throughout this year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, there are indisputably problems that have to be sorted out by getting these ministries up and running.
Just outside the palace gates today, this palace occupied by the U.S.-led coalition, there was another of a series of protests. Now, these are army officers who have been protesting on a regular basis, because essentially their jobs have disappeared and they're not likely to get them back. The U.S. has disbanded the Iraqi army, putting 400,000 people out of work, including about 10,000 officers.
Now, these officers tell us that they have not been paid any money, not been given any severance. They have families to feed, and more importantly, they're worried about their future. There are generals among them, and they were all saying that they want to know what's going to happen, that Iraq needs an army. They want to participate in the new army. But, according to these rules by the U.S.-led coalition, they won't be allowed to. They will be disbanded and barred from entering any new army if they're above a certain rank -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. Jane Arraf 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 June 2, 2003 - 06:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to Iraq and plan B. Instead of Iraqi leaders planning to choose an interim government, the U.S.- led coalition will appoint a political council.
We take you live to Baghdad and Jane Arraf.
Jane -- why the change?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Carol, it's a tradeoff, U.S. officials say, a tradeoff perhaps between the idea that they could get quite quickly into an interim government that's chosen more directly by Iraqis, by Iraqi officials here and Iraqi leaders that are emerging, to a U.S.-led appointed council, which would allow it to become more efficient and get these ministries up sooner again.
But, of course, in the streets, people are understandably suspicious of this. We were asking people about this plan in the streets today, and they were essentially saying that they believe this is what the U.S. had intended all along.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They are here to seize the Iraqi oil, loot Iraqi money and humiliate Iraqis with subordination. Iraqis shall never be subject to someone else, and Iraqi civilians, military, children and elderly shall never be subordinates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): America is a country that occupied Iraq and obtained a one-year authorization for that purpose from the U.N. That's why it would do anything it wants throughout this year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, there are indisputably problems that have to be sorted out by getting these ministries up and running.
Just outside the palace gates today, this palace occupied by the U.S.-led coalition, there was another of a series of protests. Now, these are army officers who have been protesting on a regular basis, because essentially their jobs have disappeared and they're not likely to get them back. The U.S. has disbanded the Iraqi army, putting 400,000 people out of work, including about 10,000 officers.
Now, these officers tell us that they have not been paid any money, not been given any severance. They have families to feed, and more importantly, they're worried about their future. There are generals among them, and they were all saying that they want to know what's going to happen, that Iraq needs an army. They want to participate in the new army. But, according to these rules by the U.S.-led coalition, they won't be allowed to. They will be disbanded and barred from entering any new army if they're above a certain rank -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. Jane Arraf 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.
