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CNN Live At Daybreak
U.S. Trying to Convince Iraqis With Video, Photos
Aired July 25, 2003 - 06:04 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: As we've been telling you all morning long, right now another bold step by the U.S. government. We believe CNN's Rym Brahimi has now left the airport in Baghdad after seeing two pool photographers take videotape of Uday and Qusay Hussein's bodies. Of course, that's according to coalition forces.
Now, the reason, many in the Arab world were skeptical of the photographs that were released, and I should have warned you before these photographs came up, very graphic pictures this morning. Iraqis just didn't believe that these pictures were indeed that of Uday and Qusay Hussein. So, coalition forces decided the best next step would be to take videotape of the entire dead bodies and release it to the public that way.
Let's head live to Baghdad now and check in with Harris Whitbeck.
Where in the process are we -- Harris?
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, we're waiting for the pool to distribute the photographic videotapes of those bodies. That has not yet occurred.
We do know that one of the television cameras inside the morgue that has been set up at Baghdad International Airport belongs to the Al Jazeera television network. The thinking there is that the United States wants to make sure that the Arab world, and particularly those in Iraq who watch Al Jazeera, will have a chance to look at this videotape and come to their own conclusions.
Again, the United States has had trouble convincing people in Iraq that Uday and Qusay were, in fact, killed during that firefight two nights ago in Mosul. People are reacting on the streets saying they don't believe it's true. Others saying that if it is true, these men should become martyrs because they died defending themselves in a -- quote -- "honorable way."
Now, of course, there are many people who have chosen to believe this and are very happy with the fact that these two individuals have been killed. One journalist who belongs to the Journalists Union here said that now, for the first time, the Journalists Union can meet and not have to worry about having one of Saddam Hussein's sons tell them what to write and how to write.
So, again, there is a mix of reactions today, a sense of relief on the part of many, a sense of deep skepticism on the part of others -- Carol. COSTELLO: Harris, the coalition forces also released dental records and x-rays of Uday's damaged leg. Did those things resonate with the Iraqi people?
WHITBECK: I think they have. Just yesterday, I was talking to some members of their tribe, of Saddam Hussein's family's tribe, and they were mentioning that fact that Uday had had a -- he said he had platinum installed in his leg. Obviously, there was some sort of work done to his leg after he suffered an assassination attempt. And he said that that would help him believe that, in fact, Uday had died.
So, that might be another step in the right direction for the U.S. forces -- for the U.S. administration here, which is very keen on the Iraqi people believing that these two men died.
But another person said to me, how can they come out and say that they are, in fact, dead when they still aren't sure? And he said it's a fact -- or his belief that the bodies would be sent back to the United States for DNA testing and such.
So, again, a lot of skepticism on the streets, you know, people having trouble dealing with the fact that these men, who had been in their lives for so long, might no longer be around -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, but the fact is that the U.S. government hasn't decided what to do with the bodies yet after all of the pictures are taken.
WHITBECK: That's correct, that's correct. And one gentleman told us that he felt that that God had already punished Saddam Hussein's sons, and they should at least be allowed, you know, to be buried in Iraq in their homeland -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Harris Whitbeck live from Baghdad. We'll get back to you as soon as that videotape is finally released to us.
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 25, 2003 - 06:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As we've been telling you all morning long, right now another bold step by the U.S. government. We believe CNN's Rym Brahimi has now left the airport in Baghdad after seeing two pool photographers take videotape of Uday and Qusay Hussein's bodies. Of course, that's according to coalition forces.
Now, the reason, many in the Arab world were skeptical of the photographs that were released, and I should have warned you before these photographs came up, very graphic pictures this morning. Iraqis just didn't believe that these pictures were indeed that of Uday and Qusay Hussein. So, coalition forces decided the best next step would be to take videotape of the entire dead bodies and release it to the public that way.
Let's head live to Baghdad now and check in with Harris Whitbeck.
Where in the process are we -- Harris?
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, we're waiting for the pool to distribute the photographic videotapes of those bodies. That has not yet occurred.
We do know that one of the television cameras inside the morgue that has been set up at Baghdad International Airport belongs to the Al Jazeera television network. The thinking there is that the United States wants to make sure that the Arab world, and particularly those in Iraq who watch Al Jazeera, will have a chance to look at this videotape and come to their own conclusions.
Again, the United States has had trouble convincing people in Iraq that Uday and Qusay were, in fact, killed during that firefight two nights ago in Mosul. People are reacting on the streets saying they don't believe it's true. Others saying that if it is true, these men should become martyrs because they died defending themselves in a -- quote -- "honorable way."
Now, of course, there are many people who have chosen to believe this and are very happy with the fact that these two individuals have been killed. One journalist who belongs to the Journalists Union here said that now, for the first time, the Journalists Union can meet and not have to worry about having one of Saddam Hussein's sons tell them what to write and how to write.
So, again, there is a mix of reactions today, a sense of relief on the part of many, a sense of deep skepticism on the part of others -- Carol. COSTELLO: Harris, the coalition forces also released dental records and x-rays of Uday's damaged leg. Did those things resonate with the Iraqi people?
WHITBECK: I think they have. Just yesterday, I was talking to some members of their tribe, of Saddam Hussein's family's tribe, and they were mentioning that fact that Uday had had a -- he said he had platinum installed in his leg. Obviously, there was some sort of work done to his leg after he suffered an assassination attempt. And he said that that would help him believe that, in fact, Uday had died.
So, that might be another step in the right direction for the U.S. forces -- for the U.S. administration here, which is very keen on the Iraqi people believing that these two men died.
But another person said to me, how can they come out and say that they are, in fact, dead when they still aren't sure? And he said it's a fact -- or his belief that the bodies would be sent back to the United States for DNA testing and such.
So, again, a lot of skepticism on the streets, you know, people having trouble dealing with the fact that these men, who had been in their lives for so long, might no longer be around -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, but the fact is that the U.S. government hasn't decided what to do with the bodies yet after all of the pictures are taken.
WHITBECK: That's correct, that's correct. And one gentleman told us that he felt that that God had already punished Saddam Hussein's sons, and they should at least be allowed, you know, to be buried in Iraq in their homeland -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Harris Whitbeck live from Baghdad. We'll get back to you as soon as that videotape is finally released to us.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
