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New Saddam Tape?

Aired September 17, 2003 - 10:05   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Also this hour, following a developing story coming to us from the Arab world. The El Arabiya television network has aired what it says is an audio tape from ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. This unidentified voice on this tape is issuing a familiar call to the Iraq people to step up attacks on U.S. forces there.
So let's go and get the latest from Baghdad, and CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is there.

Nic, what are you hearing there about this tape?

NIC ROBERTSON, CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, there are some new elements in this message as well. We've heard several of the tapes before, purporting to come from Saddam Hussein. Many of them, as you say, have been a call to the Iraqi people.

This tape, two different things on this. No. 1, he says that President Bush is lying to the American people, and that President Bush should now announce a defeat of his troops in Iraq, because they've been coming under attack so much, and that he should announce an unconditional withdrawal, an unconditional surrender and removal of coalition forces from Iraq.

Another part of this message as well resonating somewhat with that recent Al Qaeda message we heard. This, Saddam Hussein, or the man purported to be him on the tape, calls on other Arabs in the region here to join the fight with Iraqis to cast out coalition forces.

There is also a message for the U.N. Security Council, telling them that they should not trust American policy in Iraq. There's a message for the Europeans, telling them they should look at Iraq in a balanced and fair way.

But two new messages here, Leon. That is the United States should now surrender and withdraw from Iraq. Indeed, the man on the tape tells President Bush that he should negotiate with some of the captives that he has in -- the coalition has in jails here in Iraq. That is some of the former Iraqi leadership members that are in coalition detention. The man on the tape suggests President Bush should negotiate his surrender with them -- Leon.

HARRIS: Whoever on that tape believes that any of that will happen, they are truly delusional, that's one thing for sure.

But let me ask you about this, Nic. Is there any sign whether or not this tape is actually creating any sort of a ripple there anywhere else in Baghdad or elsewhere around the countryside? Is anybody paying attention to these things when they are now issued out?

ROBERTSON: The coalition certainly isn't taking it seriously. They're saying that all they're seeing on the ground is positive works and that's nothing is going to stop what they're doing. Iraqis grown almost tired of hearing these messages. Initially, there was concern among some people that Saddam Hussein might come back. That doesn't seem to be the case now. What the people have we've talked to have listened to this tape say, No. 1, the man reading the message sounds tired. He sounds old. He pauses several times apparently to take a sip of water, and at one point appears to read the same paragraph twice. That was a paragraph saying he was elected to power on the 15th of October last year, that paragraph read twice -- Leon.

HARRIS: Very interesting. Thanks, Nic. Nic Robertson, reporting live for us from Baghdad. This brings back the question we always ask whenever one of these tapes come in. If the journalists can find these tapes, or whoever has the tapes can find the journalists, how come they can't find Saddam Hussein?

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Aired September 17, 2003 - 10:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Also this hour, following a developing story coming to us from the Arab world. The El Arabiya television network has aired what it says is an audio tape from ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. This unidentified voice on this tape is issuing a familiar call to the Iraq people to step up attacks on U.S. forces there.
So let's go and get the latest from Baghdad, and CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is there.

Nic, what are you hearing there about this tape?

NIC ROBERTSON, CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, there are some new elements in this message as well. We've heard several of the tapes before, purporting to come from Saddam Hussein. Many of them, as you say, have been a call to the Iraqi people.

This tape, two different things on this. No. 1, he says that President Bush is lying to the American people, and that President Bush should now announce a defeat of his troops in Iraq, because they've been coming under attack so much, and that he should announce an unconditional withdrawal, an unconditional surrender and removal of coalition forces from Iraq.

Another part of this message as well resonating somewhat with that recent Al Qaeda message we heard. This, Saddam Hussein, or the man purported to be him on the tape, calls on other Arabs in the region here to join the fight with Iraqis to cast out coalition forces.

There is also a message for the U.N. Security Council, telling them that they should not trust American policy in Iraq. There's a message for the Europeans, telling them they should look at Iraq in a balanced and fair way.

But two new messages here, Leon. That is the United States should now surrender and withdraw from Iraq. Indeed, the man on the tape tells President Bush that he should negotiate with some of the captives that he has in -- the coalition has in jails here in Iraq. That is some of the former Iraqi leadership members that are in coalition detention. The man on the tape suggests President Bush should negotiate his surrender with them -- Leon.

HARRIS: Whoever on that tape believes that any of that will happen, they are truly delusional, that's one thing for sure.

But let me ask you about this, Nic. Is there any sign whether or not this tape is actually creating any sort of a ripple there anywhere else in Baghdad or elsewhere around the countryside? Is anybody paying attention to these things when they are now issued out?

ROBERTSON: The coalition certainly isn't taking it seriously. They're saying that all they're seeing on the ground is positive works and that's nothing is going to stop what they're doing. Iraqis grown almost tired of hearing these messages. Initially, there was concern among some people that Saddam Hussein might come back. That doesn't seem to be the case now. What the people have we've talked to have listened to this tape say, No. 1, the man reading the message sounds tired. He sounds old. He pauses several times apparently to take a sip of water, and at one point appears to read the same paragraph twice. That was a paragraph saying he was elected to power on the 15th of October last year, that paragraph read twice -- Leon.

HARRIS: Very interesting. Thanks, Nic. Nic Robertson, reporting live for us from Baghdad. This brings back the question we always ask whenever one of these tapes come in. If the journalists can find these tapes, or whoever has the tapes can find the journalists, how come they can't find Saddam Hussein?

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