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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iraqi Ex-Defense Minister Surrenders

Aired September 19, 2003 - 06:07   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: Sad news to tell you about. Three more American soldiers dead, and Iraq's former defense minister in U.S. custody this morning.
We want to go live to Baghdad now and Walt Rodgers.

Hello -- Walt. What happened?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, U.S. forces have netted a pretty big fish, Saddam Hussein's former defense minister, Sultan Hashim Ahmad. He was also the same general, who incidentally signed the terms of the cease-fire after the first Gulf War, so he's somewhat known to Americans and to people around the world.

He is, as I say, one of Saddam Hussein's most loyal soldiers. His terms were not so much -- his terms of surrender were not so much the U.S. catching him, but there was a week of negotiations, according to Dawood Bagistani of the Iraq human rights organization. The general did want to give himself up, but he demanded that he be treated by the U.S. forces with -- quote -- "The utmost dignity and respect."

General David Petraeus of the 101st Airborne Division agreed to those terms, and after, as I say, a week of negotiations, the general, Hashim Ahmad, did indeed give himself up. He's in the custody of U.S. forces at this point.

There was much wailing and grieving. He was allowed a final breakfast with his family this morning -- at least final in the short- term sense. We do not know what's going to happen to him. Of course, he'll undergo considerable interrogation.

What the U.S. forces are hoping is that when Sultan Hashim Ahmad gives himself up, it will perhaps send a signal to other Saddam resistance supporters -- that is, loyalists to Saddam Hussein -- that perhaps if their former defense chief has surrendered, it's time to give up and perhaps reduce the attacks on U.S. soldiers here. That's certainly the hope of the U.S. military command here.

There was more U.S. bloodshed overnight. The U.S. forces -- three U.S. soldiers killed in Tikrit, the area of Saddam Hussein's hometown. Two other U.S. soldiers injured.

They were apparently on a night raid, staking out and approaching an area where rocket-propelled grenades had been fired at U.S. forces before. They were suddenly open-fired on. It was lethal fire. Again, three U.S. soldiers killed, two others wounded.

Again, the hope among the U.S. forces is that the capture of the former defense chief might indeed dissuade some of the resistance fighters here -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Walt Rodgers reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

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 19, 2003 - 06:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Sad news to tell you about. Three more American soldiers dead, and Iraq's former defense minister in U.S. custody this morning.
We want to go live to Baghdad now and Walt Rodgers.

Hello -- Walt. What happened?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, U.S. forces have netted a pretty big fish, Saddam Hussein's former defense minister, Sultan Hashim Ahmad. He was also the same general, who incidentally signed the terms of the cease-fire after the first Gulf War, so he's somewhat known to Americans and to people around the world.

He is, as I say, one of Saddam Hussein's most loyal soldiers. His terms were not so much -- his terms of surrender were not so much the U.S. catching him, but there was a week of negotiations, according to Dawood Bagistani of the Iraq human rights organization. The general did want to give himself up, but he demanded that he be treated by the U.S. forces with -- quote -- "The utmost dignity and respect."

General David Petraeus of the 101st Airborne Division agreed to those terms, and after, as I say, a week of negotiations, the general, Hashim Ahmad, did indeed give himself up. He's in the custody of U.S. forces at this point.

There was much wailing and grieving. He was allowed a final breakfast with his family this morning -- at least final in the short- term sense. We do not know what's going to happen to him. Of course, he'll undergo considerable interrogation.

What the U.S. forces are hoping is that when Sultan Hashim Ahmad gives himself up, it will perhaps send a signal to other Saddam resistance supporters -- that is, loyalists to Saddam Hussein -- that perhaps if their former defense chief has surrendered, it's time to give up and perhaps reduce the attacks on U.S. soldiers here. That's certainly the hope of the U.S. military command here.

There was more U.S. bloodshed overnight. The U.S. forces -- three U.S. soldiers killed in Tikrit, the area of Saddam Hussein's hometown. Two other U.S. soldiers injured.

They were apparently on a night raid, staking out and approaching an area where rocket-propelled grenades had been fired at U.S. forces before. They were suddenly open-fired on. It was lethal fire. Again, three U.S. soldiers killed, two others wounded.

Again, the hope among the U.S. forces is that the capture of the former defense chief might indeed dissuade some of the resistance fighters here -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Walt Rodgers reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

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