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CNN Live At Daybreak

International Wrap, Eye on World

Aired August 06, 2003 - 06:37   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: The U.S. military is conducting more raids in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is here with us to explain more about that.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Carol.

Yes, well, as every day really, for the last few weeks at least, there are raids going on around Tikrit, again today, in search of Saddam Hussein or, officially at least, in search of Iraqi leadership, Saddam Hussein regime leadership.

Now, you know, every time one of our correspondents calls us and tells me that he or she is out on one of these raids -- whether it's day or night -- it's always the tantalizing possibility that they're going to ring back later on and say, we got him, you know. And then, of course...

COSTELLO: Yes, how do you figure out what raid to go on? Because there are multiple raids going on at the same time.

CLINCH: Well, that's a good question. Generally speaking, we don't get to choose necessarily. It gets chosen for us in the sense that we and other networks are always looking to go on these raids with the U.S. military. And when we get an opportunity, we go. So, again, maybe perhaps we might get lucky.

Of course, there has been the whole question of what Saddam Hussein will look like or whether there will be violence, as there was obviously with his sons when they were apprehended, or killed when they were surrounded.

So, again, just the tantalizing possibility every time we hear of one of these raids going on that we happen to be on that we'll get a call back and say that this is it.

And, you know, what I also wonder about -- I don't know if you remember -- but months and months ago before the war started, we did a little story about a fellow who was actually Saddam Hussein's cousin. He looked very much like him...

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

CLINCH: ... working at a gas station in Tikrit. And I always worry about where that fellow is now, and, of course, the other poor people who happen to look like Saddam Hussein. But...

COSTELLO: Well, I bet they've all shaved their mustaches off.

CLINCH: They probably have, but then again so has he. So, it's definitely a question of, you know, not wanting to look like Saddam Hussein.

But it's a very serious story, and we are obviously staying on the raids.

And the violence continues. There haven't been significant deaths of U.S. military in Iraq in the last few days, but attacks are continuing in the north and the south, and we're following that every day.

COSTELLO: All right, David Clinch, many thanks.

CLINCH: OK.

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 August 6, 2003 - 06:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. military is conducting more raids in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is here with us to explain more about that.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Carol.

Yes, well, as every day really, for the last few weeks at least, there are raids going on around Tikrit, again today, in search of Saddam Hussein or, officially at least, in search of Iraqi leadership, Saddam Hussein regime leadership.

Now, you know, every time one of our correspondents calls us and tells me that he or she is out on one of these raids -- whether it's day or night -- it's always the tantalizing possibility that they're going to ring back later on and say, we got him, you know. And then, of course...

COSTELLO: Yes, how do you figure out what raid to go on? Because there are multiple raids going on at the same time.

CLINCH: Well, that's a good question. Generally speaking, we don't get to choose necessarily. It gets chosen for us in the sense that we and other networks are always looking to go on these raids with the U.S. military. And when we get an opportunity, we go. So, again, maybe perhaps we might get lucky.

Of course, there has been the whole question of what Saddam Hussein will look like or whether there will be violence, as there was obviously with his sons when they were apprehended, or killed when they were surrounded.

So, again, just the tantalizing possibility every time we hear of one of these raids going on that we happen to be on that we'll get a call back and say that this is it.

And, you know, what I also wonder about -- I don't know if you remember -- but months and months ago before the war started, we did a little story about a fellow who was actually Saddam Hussein's cousin. He looked very much like him...

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

CLINCH: ... working at a gas station in Tikrit. And I always worry about where that fellow is now, and, of course, the other poor people who happen to look like Saddam Hussein. But...

COSTELLO: Well, I bet they've all shaved their mustaches off.

CLINCH: They probably have, but then again so has he. So, it's definitely a question of, you know, not wanting to look like Saddam Hussein.

But it's a very serious story, and we are obviously staying on the raids.

And the violence continues. There haven't been significant deaths of U.S. military in Iraq in the last few days, but attacks are continuing in the north and the south, and we're following that every day.

COSTELLO: All right, David Clinch, many thanks.

CLINCH: OK.

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