Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Iraq's Governing Council Names 25 Ministers
Aired September 01, 2003 - 05:32 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: We're following two stories out of Iraq. The FBI will join the investigation into that mock bombing last week. But first, we just got word overnight that the Iraqi Governing Council has named some new governing ministers.
Live to Baghdad and Rym Brahimi.
Good morning -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well it's a temporary government, but it is Iraq's first postwar government. Twenty-five ministers have been appointed by the Governing Council. There are 25 members in the governing body itself and they -- the list of new ministers would probably have been approved by Paul Bremer the U.S. administrator.
It's important that there is a government, because that's something the Governing Council has said they could act on more things, take a more hand's approach and gradually take responsibilities in the country once they had this government. So let's see what that cabinet will be able to do from now on.
Of course one of the main issues that they would like to take over is security, especially after the bomb blast on Friday that killed so many people in the holy city of Najaf. It's the second day of mourning, Carol, for this terrible explosion in Najaf, the second day of mourning for the death of Ayatollah Mohammed Bakir al-Hakim, a political and religious leader here in Iraq. But not everybody would have followed Ayatollah al-Hakim and not everybody liked him.
The hundreds of -- the tens of thousands of people that are mourning, the thousands of people that are flowing through to Najaf and that are in the procession, in this funeral procession are also angry and frustrated at an attack, which many believe was directed at Shiite Muslims more than anything else. The procession began here in Baghdad and they stopped in the second holiest site in Iraq, in the city of Karbala. They'll be going to Najaf tomorrow for the final burial ceremony -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, Rym, everyone has this question, that cabinet, what can it do to make a difference to the security situation in Iraq?
BRAHIMI: Well a lot will hinge, Carol, on what happens with the Interior Ministry, how it's going to be run, how much power it really will have to make decisions with regard to security. The Interior Ministry is held by someone from the Iraqi National Accord. Now that means that they will probably be working very closely with the U.S., as the Iraqi National Accord was one of the groups that was, in a way, brought in. One of these exile groups that was a constant dialog with Washington before the war and brought in right after the fall of the previous regime.
That said, there are other issues that need to be handled with regard to security and how much of that security can really be handed over into Iraqi hands. Iraqis say we know the situation better, we know Iraqis better, we know the culture, the society, let us do that job. And that's something that's probably going to be debated in the next few weeks -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right. Rym Brahimi reporting live from Baghdad this morning.
For a complete look at the situation in Iraq, just click on to our Web site. You know the address, CNN.com. AOL keyword, CNN.
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 September 1, 2003 - 05:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We're following two stories out of Iraq. The FBI will join the investigation into that mock bombing last week. But first, we just got word overnight that the Iraqi Governing Council has named some new governing ministers.
Live to Baghdad and Rym Brahimi.
Good morning -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well it's a temporary government, but it is Iraq's first postwar government. Twenty-five ministers have been appointed by the Governing Council. There are 25 members in the governing body itself and they -- the list of new ministers would probably have been approved by Paul Bremer the U.S. administrator.
It's important that there is a government, because that's something the Governing Council has said they could act on more things, take a more hand's approach and gradually take responsibilities in the country once they had this government. So let's see what that cabinet will be able to do from now on.
Of course one of the main issues that they would like to take over is security, especially after the bomb blast on Friday that killed so many people in the holy city of Najaf. It's the second day of mourning, Carol, for this terrible explosion in Najaf, the second day of mourning for the death of Ayatollah Mohammed Bakir al-Hakim, a political and religious leader here in Iraq. But not everybody would have followed Ayatollah al-Hakim and not everybody liked him.
The hundreds of -- the tens of thousands of people that are mourning, the thousands of people that are flowing through to Najaf and that are in the procession, in this funeral procession are also angry and frustrated at an attack, which many believe was directed at Shiite Muslims more than anything else. The procession began here in Baghdad and they stopped in the second holiest site in Iraq, in the city of Karbala. They'll be going to Najaf tomorrow for the final burial ceremony -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, Rym, everyone has this question, that cabinet, what can it do to make a difference to the security situation in Iraq?
BRAHIMI: Well a lot will hinge, Carol, on what happens with the Interior Ministry, how it's going to be run, how much power it really will have to make decisions with regard to security. The Interior Ministry is held by someone from the Iraqi National Accord. Now that means that they will probably be working very closely with the U.S., as the Iraqi National Accord was one of the groups that was, in a way, brought in. One of these exile groups that was a constant dialog with Washington before the war and brought in right after the fall of the previous regime.
That said, there are other issues that need to be handled with regard to security and how much of that security can really be handed over into Iraqi hands. Iraqis say we know the situation better, we know Iraqis better, we know the culture, the society, let us do that job. And that's something that's probably going to be debated in the next few weeks -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right. Rym Brahimi reporting live from Baghdad this morning.
For a complete look at the situation in Iraq, just click on to our Web site. You know the address, CNN.com. AOL keyword, CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
