Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Extended Duty for Reservists Angers Wives
Aired September 09, 2003 - 06:03 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A breakdown now of those National Guard and Army Reservists whose duties in Iraq are being extended to a year, according to "The Washington Post." Right now in Iraq, there are 3,000 National Guard troops and 5,000 Army Reservists. Another 5,000 National Guard troops are stationed in Kuwait, along with 7,000 Army Reservists.
Well, two National Guard units in Iraq have been ordered to stay in Iraq through next April, three months longer than their original orders. And the extension of their stay has angered, apparently, some of the wives of the North Dakota reservists. Two wives are speaking out about what they feel is an injustice and hoping to put some pressure on the Bush administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE RUSTAD, RESERVIST'S WIFE: And to my friends who have husbands and family members who are soldiers it makes a difference, and to my husband it will make a difference. It shows him I'm fighting for him.
ERICA STEWART, RESERVIST'S WIFE: If his administration and his people are going to treat our soldiers unfairly, then it's my job as an American to say he needs to come to task. And there are going to be wives who are angry with me for coming out and saying this. How can they treat people like this? I have friends in other services who were there in February, and they're already home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota also notes the National Guard troops would be in Iraq longer than regular Army troops, and Dorgan says he's very frustrated with the Pentagon over that.
Well, let's try to get some reaction now out of Iraq. Ben Wedeman is there.
Ben -- any idea when some of the troops there might be informed directly?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Not yet. In fact, we spoke with the military authorities here, and they say this announcement has not been made yet. But the assumption is that these are professional soldiers and their reaction will be as professionals. But at the same time, having spoke with many soldiers on the ground, I must say one of their main thoughts these days is that they just want to go home. They came here thinking their tours would be brief once their mission was accomplished. They came here thinking that they would be treated as liberators. Now, their tours are being extended, and they've also discovered that some Iraqis aren't treating them as liberators, but rather as occupiers.
Many of these units are getting shot at in one form or another every day, and also they've been saddled with many duties they never imagined they would have as professional soldiers. And many complain that they came here thinking that they would be soldiers, but they've become -- they say they are bearing the burden of the occupation of Iraq, some of them doing the most mundane duties -- working as civil servants, policeman, municipal workers, trying to settle disputes between political factions.
It's a very difficult, difficult place to work, and many of them would just like to know when they're going to leave and go home -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ben Wedeman 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 September 9, 2003 - 06:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A breakdown now of those National Guard and Army Reservists whose duties in Iraq are being extended to a year, according to "The Washington Post." Right now in Iraq, there are 3,000 National Guard troops and 5,000 Army Reservists. Another 5,000 National Guard troops are stationed in Kuwait, along with 7,000 Army Reservists.
Well, two National Guard units in Iraq have been ordered to stay in Iraq through next April, three months longer than their original orders. And the extension of their stay has angered, apparently, some of the wives of the North Dakota reservists. Two wives are speaking out about what they feel is an injustice and hoping to put some pressure on the Bush administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE RUSTAD, RESERVIST'S WIFE: And to my friends who have husbands and family members who are soldiers it makes a difference, and to my husband it will make a difference. It shows him I'm fighting for him.
ERICA STEWART, RESERVIST'S WIFE: If his administration and his people are going to treat our soldiers unfairly, then it's my job as an American to say he needs to come to task. And there are going to be wives who are angry with me for coming out and saying this. How can they treat people like this? I have friends in other services who were there in February, and they're already home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota also notes the National Guard troops would be in Iraq longer than regular Army troops, and Dorgan says he's very frustrated with the Pentagon over that.
Well, let's try to get some reaction now out of Iraq. Ben Wedeman is there.
Ben -- any idea when some of the troops there might be informed directly?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Not yet. In fact, we spoke with the military authorities here, and they say this announcement has not been made yet. But the assumption is that these are professional soldiers and their reaction will be as professionals. But at the same time, having spoke with many soldiers on the ground, I must say one of their main thoughts these days is that they just want to go home. They came here thinking their tours would be brief once their mission was accomplished. They came here thinking that they would be treated as liberators. Now, their tours are being extended, and they've also discovered that some Iraqis aren't treating them as liberators, but rather as occupiers.
Many of these units are getting shot at in one form or another every day, and also they've been saddled with many duties they never imagined they would have as professional soldiers. And many complain that they came here thinking that they would be soldiers, but they've become -- they say they are bearing the burden of the occupation of Iraq, some of them doing the most mundane duties -- working as civil servants, policeman, municipal workers, trying to settle disputes between political factions.
It's a very difficult, difficult place to work, and many of them would just like to know when they're going to leave and go home -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ben Wedeman 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.
