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CNN Live Today
Possible Saddam Sightings
Aired October 13, 2003 - 11:39 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting some information now about some possible sightings of Saddam Hussein in the areas around Baghdad.
For that, let's go back to Baghdad and our Harris Whitbeck -- Harris.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Officers in the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division, which controls the area north of Baghdad, the area around Tikrit, which is Saddam Hussein's hometown, indicate that in the last several days, there have been credible leads or what they believe credible information, that might indicate that there have been sightings of Saddam Hussein in that area. As you know, the area around Tikrit is his homeland, his home town. Saddam Hussein was born in Al Ujah (ph), which is just south of Tikrit, and these reports would indicate that there have been sightings of Saddam Hussein in that area quite recently.
Now, you must remember, however, that the area of responsibility for the U.S. infantry, the 4th Infantry Division, is roughly about the size of the state of West Virginia. So that is a very large area for them to look in. They have been looking in that entire area, of course, for several months now. And again, there have been so many Alleged sightings of Saddam Hussein, that even some officers within the U.S. Army's Fourth ID will say with their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks, that those are actually Elvis sightings.
So, again, the U.S. spokespeople here in Baghdad are saying that it is not unusual to have reports of sightings of Saddam Hussein, but they do confirm they have had recent credible evidence that Saddam Hussein might, in fact, be in the Tikrit area -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And was it or was it not the fourth ID That tracked down Saddam Hussein's sons back in July?
WHITBECK: That's correct. They tracked Uday and Qusay in the city of Mosul, and in fact, they tracked them down using the same type of human intelligence that they say is helping them find many of Saddam's -- people suspected of being loyal to Saddam Hussein and people suspected of being behind attacks on U.S. forces in the area. Again, they attribute those successes to what they call human intelligence. Usually, after they detain people, they will keep those people there several days and intelligence officers will question them quite thoroughly to see if they have any information that might be useful to them -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Harris Whitbeck, with the latest on that from Baghdad. Thank you for that.
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Aired October 13, 2003 - 11:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting some information now about some possible sightings of Saddam Hussein in the areas around Baghdad.
For that, let's go back to Baghdad and our Harris Whitbeck -- Harris.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Officers in the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division, which controls the area north of Baghdad, the area around Tikrit, which is Saddam Hussein's hometown, indicate that in the last several days, there have been credible leads or what they believe credible information, that might indicate that there have been sightings of Saddam Hussein in that area. As you know, the area around Tikrit is his homeland, his home town. Saddam Hussein was born in Al Ujah (ph), which is just south of Tikrit, and these reports would indicate that there have been sightings of Saddam Hussein in that area quite recently.
Now, you must remember, however, that the area of responsibility for the U.S. infantry, the 4th Infantry Division, is roughly about the size of the state of West Virginia. So that is a very large area for them to look in. They have been looking in that entire area, of course, for several months now. And again, there have been so many Alleged sightings of Saddam Hussein, that even some officers within the U.S. Army's Fourth ID will say with their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks, that those are actually Elvis sightings.
So, again, the U.S. spokespeople here in Baghdad are saying that it is not unusual to have reports of sightings of Saddam Hussein, but they do confirm they have had recent credible evidence that Saddam Hussein might, in fact, be in the Tikrit area -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And was it or was it not the fourth ID That tracked down Saddam Hussein's sons back in July?
WHITBECK: That's correct. They tracked Uday and Qusay in the city of Mosul, and in fact, they tracked them down using the same type of human intelligence that they say is helping them find many of Saddam's -- people suspected of being loyal to Saddam Hussein and people suspected of being behind attacks on U.S. forces in the area. Again, they attribute those successes to what they call human intelligence. Usually, after they detain people, they will keep those people there several days and intelligence officers will question them quite thoroughly to see if they have any information that might be useful to them -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Harris Whitbeck, with the latest on that from Baghdad. Thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
