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CNN Live At Daybreak
International Wrap, Baghdad Airport Burger King Making Big Bucks
Aired October 21, 2003 - 06:31 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: Those arrests may or may not do something for soldier morale, but I don't think it can equal the effects of the Whopper.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is with us with a different kind of weapon of mass destruction.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Whoppers of mass destruction. Yes, you know, we're often accused of telling only the bad news in Iraq. It's not all bad news. It's not all violence.
There's a story that we've been aware of for a while. A Burger King in Baghdad International Airport -- what used to be called Saddam International Airport -- opened a few months ago. U.S. soldiers have been frequenting it to the point now that it is actually among the top 10 Burger Kings in volume in the world.
COSTELLO: In the world.
CLINCH: Location, location, location. You have a captive audience, a captive clientele of American soldiers, very hungry American soldiers, whose only alternative is MREs or whatever else they can get their hands on.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes.
CLINCH: They are lining up, as you can see here, to get their Whoppers, and they're about $3 each, I think, and pies or whatever else they want. It is big business for Burger King there.
And what was interesting, though...
COSTELLO: But it's more than that, isn't it?
CLINCH: It is. It's a taste of home for them, especially those who had a brief taste of home for a couple of weeks and now they're been shipped back again to Iraq. So, at least there is a taste of home for them.
Whenever they get free time, those that aren't based at the airport, they hop in their trucks and head over there, stock up for the whole unit, and bring it back out to them.
And what was interesting, though, you know, we're accused of not telling the good news, and this is sort of a good news story. But we asked the military for permission to go out there and shoot them, and they said, why do you want to do that? You know, so they're suspicious of why we even want to do it. But we'll bring you that story later today.
COSTELLO: Yes, we'll do a story on the unhealthy effects of Whoppers on the soldiers.
CLINCH: Right. And I've also asked Ben Wedeman, who is heading out there to do the story, to pick up -- I read in the article about this Burger King there, that they also sell T-shirts that say, who is your Baghdaddy (ph), out there at the international airport.
COSTELLO: Why?
CLINCH: Would you like one as well?
COSTELLO: Yes.
CLINCH: I put in an order, so I definitely want Ben to bring me back one of those "who is your Baghdaddy (ph)" T-shirts from the airport today.
COSTELLO: They may become as popular as that deck of cards.
CLINCH: Absolutely. They'll be on the Internet by the end of the day.
COSTELLO: Exactly. David Clinch, many thanks. We appreciate it.
CLINCH: OK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
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Aired October 21, 2003 - 06:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Those arrests may or may not do something for soldier morale, but I don't think it can equal the effects of the Whopper.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is with us with a different kind of weapon of mass destruction.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Whoppers of mass destruction. Yes, you know, we're often accused of telling only the bad news in Iraq. It's not all bad news. It's not all violence.
There's a story that we've been aware of for a while. A Burger King in Baghdad International Airport -- what used to be called Saddam International Airport -- opened a few months ago. U.S. soldiers have been frequenting it to the point now that it is actually among the top 10 Burger Kings in volume in the world.
COSTELLO: In the world.
CLINCH: Location, location, location. You have a captive audience, a captive clientele of American soldiers, very hungry American soldiers, whose only alternative is MREs or whatever else they can get their hands on.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes.
CLINCH: They are lining up, as you can see here, to get their Whoppers, and they're about $3 each, I think, and pies or whatever else they want. It is big business for Burger King there.
And what was interesting, though...
COSTELLO: But it's more than that, isn't it?
CLINCH: It is. It's a taste of home for them, especially those who had a brief taste of home for a couple of weeks and now they're been shipped back again to Iraq. So, at least there is a taste of home for them.
Whenever they get free time, those that aren't based at the airport, they hop in their trucks and head over there, stock up for the whole unit, and bring it back out to them.
And what was interesting, though, you know, we're accused of not telling the good news, and this is sort of a good news story. But we asked the military for permission to go out there and shoot them, and they said, why do you want to do that? You know, so they're suspicious of why we even want to do it. But we'll bring you that story later today.
COSTELLO: Yes, we'll do a story on the unhealthy effects of Whoppers on the soldiers.
CLINCH: Right. And I've also asked Ben Wedeman, who is heading out there to do the story, to pick up -- I read in the article about this Burger King there, that they also sell T-shirts that say, who is your Baghdaddy (ph), out there at the international airport.
COSTELLO: Why?
CLINCH: Would you like one as well?
COSTELLO: Yes.
CLINCH: I put in an order, so I definitely want Ben to bring me back one of those "who is your Baghdaddy (ph)" T-shirts from the airport today.
COSTELLO: They may become as popular as that deck of cards.
CLINCH: Absolutely. They'll be on the Internet by the end of the day.
COSTELLO: Exactly. David Clinch, many thanks. We appreciate it.
CLINCH: OK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
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