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American Morning

How Significant is Deaths of Saddam's Sons?

Aired July 23, 2003 - 08:03   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We're also watching that picture in Baghdad, Soledad, getting the indication right now perhaps three minutes away before that briefing begins. We'll watch it for you, though. As soon as it gets under way, we do anticipate to learn more from the raid of yesterday. Saddam Hussein's two sons were targets two and three for the military in Iraq. Uday and Qusay Hussein played major roles in their father's regime.
How significant, then, are the deaths for the Iraqis, and for the U.S., for that matter?

Simon Henderson, author of "Instant Empire: Saddam Hussein's Ambition for Iraq," is now our guest live in Las Vegas.

Good to have you, Simon.

Good morning to you there.

SIMON HENDERSON, AUTHOR, "INSTANT EMPIRE": Good morning.

HEMMER: You say two of three are now gone, so therefore the motivation is gone on behalf of the Iraqis who still want to carry out the attacks on the U.S. military. Knowing what we know now, two more dead soldiers earlier today, is that still true, do you believe?

HENDERSON: Yes. To say the motivation of the resistance is gone is perhaps too drastic a term, but it's being undermined. And I think the morale boost to the American forces and the setback to the Iraqi resistance, the remnants of Saddam's regime, is an important part of the equation.

I think, you know, just to view it on a day by day basis is perhaps too drastic. But if the American forces press on with looking for Saddam and with some success or with some success against the other 18 residual members of the 50, pack of 55, then I think there's a good chance that the resistance will begin to peter out.

HEMMER: Simon, a few moments ago Soledad and Jack and I were discussing the possibility if you don't get the power working to full capacity, if you don't get electricity, a sense of normalcy for the Iraqi people -- you believe, in fact, that the equation right now might change again.

How so?

HENDERSON: Well, I -- it's a dangerous situation. It's -- and there are many factors into it. And just the role of Saddam is just one factor. And, you know, it is incredibly hot out there. The services, in terms of electricity, water and sewerage, are something that we ourselves wouldn't tolerate here. The Iraqis have had to put up with them for too long.

There's the danger that although American forces will be able to make progress against Saddam's remnants, there's a danger that other sources of discontent will emerge and they will not be covered properly. Of course, the water, electricity, as you mentioned, is just one of those things. It's, there are many factors into this. But I don't think we ought to say oh my goodness, oh my goodness, it's a very complicated situation, we shouldn't be there at all.

It is a complicated situation but you should get on and do the job and encourage the people who are there to do the job, to finish it.

HEMMER: Progress a day at a time. We're still watching the picture here in Baghdad. I'm not sure if you can see it, either. So if I have to interrupt you, I apologize in advance. But let's talk about the location for this home in Mosul. Two hundred and forty miles north of Baghdad, right on the edge of Kurdish country, much closer to the northeastern border of Syria than the location in Tikrit or in Baghdad.

What does that tell you, if anything?

HENDERSON: Well, my sense is that -- there was a report many weeks ago that Saddam's sons, Uday and Qusay, had tried fleeing to Syria, perhaps had actually been given sanctuary there for a few days before being pushed back in the direction of Iraq. Mosul is much closer to the Syrian border than many other parts, many other cities and towns in Iraq. And so it's, from that point of view, it's fairly obvious they might have gone to Mosul.

It's also counterintuitive in the sense that if everybody thought that Saddam and his sons would be in the Sunni Triangle, that sector to the northwest of Baghdad and to the immediate northwest of Baghdad, then they wouldn't look so hard elsewhere.

It occurs to me, and I'm sure it's occurred to American forces in Baghdad, that maybe Saddam is in Mosul or close to Mosul, as well.

HEMMER: OK. All right...

HENDERSON: I can't really imagine that he would be far from his sons.

HEMMER: Simeon Henderson, thank you.

I apologize for the interruption.

Here we are live in Baghdad.

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 July 23, 2003 - 08:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We're also watching that picture in Baghdad, Soledad, getting the indication right now perhaps three minutes away before that briefing begins. We'll watch it for you, though. As soon as it gets under way, we do anticipate to learn more from the raid of yesterday. Saddam Hussein's two sons were targets two and three for the military in Iraq. Uday and Qusay Hussein played major roles in their father's regime.
How significant, then, are the deaths for the Iraqis, and for the U.S., for that matter?

Simon Henderson, author of "Instant Empire: Saddam Hussein's Ambition for Iraq," is now our guest live in Las Vegas.

Good to have you, Simon.

Good morning to you there.

SIMON HENDERSON, AUTHOR, "INSTANT EMPIRE": Good morning.

HEMMER: You say two of three are now gone, so therefore the motivation is gone on behalf of the Iraqis who still want to carry out the attacks on the U.S. military. Knowing what we know now, two more dead soldiers earlier today, is that still true, do you believe?

HENDERSON: Yes. To say the motivation of the resistance is gone is perhaps too drastic a term, but it's being undermined. And I think the morale boost to the American forces and the setback to the Iraqi resistance, the remnants of Saddam's regime, is an important part of the equation.

I think, you know, just to view it on a day by day basis is perhaps too drastic. But if the American forces press on with looking for Saddam and with some success or with some success against the other 18 residual members of the 50, pack of 55, then I think there's a good chance that the resistance will begin to peter out.

HEMMER: Simon, a few moments ago Soledad and Jack and I were discussing the possibility if you don't get the power working to full capacity, if you don't get electricity, a sense of normalcy for the Iraqi people -- you believe, in fact, that the equation right now might change again.

How so?

HENDERSON: Well, I -- it's a dangerous situation. It's -- and there are many factors into it. And just the role of Saddam is just one factor. And, you know, it is incredibly hot out there. The services, in terms of electricity, water and sewerage, are something that we ourselves wouldn't tolerate here. The Iraqis have had to put up with them for too long.

There's the danger that although American forces will be able to make progress against Saddam's remnants, there's a danger that other sources of discontent will emerge and they will not be covered properly. Of course, the water, electricity, as you mentioned, is just one of those things. It's, there are many factors into this. But I don't think we ought to say oh my goodness, oh my goodness, it's a very complicated situation, we shouldn't be there at all.

It is a complicated situation but you should get on and do the job and encourage the people who are there to do the job, to finish it.

HEMMER: Progress a day at a time. We're still watching the picture here in Baghdad. I'm not sure if you can see it, either. So if I have to interrupt you, I apologize in advance. But let's talk about the location for this home in Mosul. Two hundred and forty miles north of Baghdad, right on the edge of Kurdish country, much closer to the northeastern border of Syria than the location in Tikrit or in Baghdad.

What does that tell you, if anything?

HENDERSON: Well, my sense is that -- there was a report many weeks ago that Saddam's sons, Uday and Qusay, had tried fleeing to Syria, perhaps had actually been given sanctuary there for a few days before being pushed back in the direction of Iraq. Mosul is much closer to the Syrian border than many other parts, many other cities and towns in Iraq. And so it's, from that point of view, it's fairly obvious they might have gone to Mosul.

It's also counterintuitive in the sense that if everybody thought that Saddam and his sons would be in the Sunni Triangle, that sector to the northwest of Baghdad and to the immediate northwest of Baghdad, then they wouldn't look so hard elsewhere.

It occurs to me, and I'm sure it's occurred to American forces in Baghdad, that maybe Saddam is in Mosul or close to Mosul, as well.

HEMMER: OK. All right...

HENDERSON: I can't really imagine that he would be far from his sons.

HEMMER: Simeon Henderson, thank you.

I apologize for the interruption.

Here we are live in Baghdad.

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