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CNN Live Sunday
Uncovering A Plot To Undermine Saddam's Government Before The War
Aired August 11, 2003 - 18:24 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.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: Now, to the war in Iraq and emerging details about what was happening to undermine the government of Saddam Hussein long before the war began. Our Chris Plante is at the Pentagon.
Chris, what can you tell us about the new information?
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kelli.
Some more reporting on U.S. military and intelligence agency efforts prior to the war, working hand in hand with Iraqi exiles and ex-patriots in an effort to essentially infiltrate and destabilize the leadership of the Iraqi military.
Now we all saw the images of the U.S. and British forces racing north toward Baghdad from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. And we saw that they met with relatively little resistance, considering the size of the Iraqi army.
It's now become fairly clear that a big part of the reason for that was an effort made primarily by U.S. Special Operations Forces, to reach members, and in particular the leadership of Republican Guard units and other heavy armored units of the Iraqi military, and effectively, threaten them and explain to them their lives would be a lot better if they agreed to not come out and fight.
Now, some of the Iraqi ex-patriots also worked inside of Iraq contacting directly some of these leaders, and explaining to them it would be to their benefit if they didn't come out when the allied forces moved north and fight.
Now, clearly we saw that there was some resistance, particularly in the south, but that was largely coming from irregular forces, such as the Fedayeen, and non-uniformed forces. But armored division, which had taken up positions around Baghdad in particular, while they took heavy aerial bombardment, didn't come out and fight.
The reason, it turns out, in large part is because these Special Operation Forces and intelligence units e-mailed directly the military leaders, and called them directly on the telephone, telling them quite explicitly to not come out and fight. So clearly this has had quite a profound effect and will likely go down in the history books as an innovative means of collapsing your enemy.
Kelli? ARENA: ...some communication, but there are also reports that the military may have paid some of those leaders for their cooperation. Quickly, is that true?
PLANTE: Well, there are reports that payments were made. I'm told that there were a limited number of payments made, but for the most part it was simply explained that if they didn't come out, they would not be killed, and that...
(LAUGHTER)
ARENA: That's a convincing argument.
PLANTE: It generally is. And that, as one official said to me today, is sometimes better than money.
Kelli.
ARENA: All right, Chris. Thanks very much.
Chris Plante at the Pentagon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
The War>
Aired August 11, 2003 - 18:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: Now, to the war in Iraq and emerging details about what was happening to undermine the government of Saddam Hussein long before the war began. Our Chris Plante is at the Pentagon.
Chris, what can you tell us about the new information?
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kelli.
Some more reporting on U.S. military and intelligence agency efforts prior to the war, working hand in hand with Iraqi exiles and ex-patriots in an effort to essentially infiltrate and destabilize the leadership of the Iraqi military.
Now we all saw the images of the U.S. and British forces racing north toward Baghdad from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. And we saw that they met with relatively little resistance, considering the size of the Iraqi army.
It's now become fairly clear that a big part of the reason for that was an effort made primarily by U.S. Special Operations Forces, to reach members, and in particular the leadership of Republican Guard units and other heavy armored units of the Iraqi military, and effectively, threaten them and explain to them their lives would be a lot better if they agreed to not come out and fight.
Now, some of the Iraqi ex-patriots also worked inside of Iraq contacting directly some of these leaders, and explaining to them it would be to their benefit if they didn't come out when the allied forces moved north and fight.
Now, clearly we saw that there was some resistance, particularly in the south, but that was largely coming from irregular forces, such as the Fedayeen, and non-uniformed forces. But armored division, which had taken up positions around Baghdad in particular, while they took heavy aerial bombardment, didn't come out and fight.
The reason, it turns out, in large part is because these Special Operation Forces and intelligence units e-mailed directly the military leaders, and called them directly on the telephone, telling them quite explicitly to not come out and fight. So clearly this has had quite a profound effect and will likely go down in the history books as an innovative means of collapsing your enemy.
Kelli? ARENA: ...some communication, but there are also reports that the military may have paid some of those leaders for their cooperation. Quickly, is that true?
PLANTE: Well, there are reports that payments were made. I'm told that there were a limited number of payments made, but for the most part it was simply explained that if they didn't come out, they would not be killed, and that...
(LAUGHTER)
ARENA: That's a convincing argument.
PLANTE: It generally is. And that, as one official said to me today, is sometimes better than money.
Kelli.
ARENA: All right, Chris. Thanks very much.
Chris Plante at the Pentagon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
The War>
