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CNN Live Today

Interview With Pierre Gassmann

Aired October 27, 2003 - 10:52   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: It has been a deadly day in Iraq. Four separate suicide bomber attacks including one attack on the headquarters for the International Red Cross. We have with us right now the head of the organization in Baghdad, Pierre Gassmann. Mr. Gassmann, thank you for being with us.
PIERRE GASSMANN, INTL. RED CROSS, BAGHDAD: Thank you.

KAGAN: Were you at the headquarters when the attack took place?

GASSMANN: Well, I mean, are you asking me why it was attacked or when or I didn't get that?

KAGAN: Were you there at the headquarters when it was attacked?

GASSMANN: Yes, I was sitting in my office when it was attacked.

KAGAN: And can you describe what happened?

GASSMANN: Well, it was a big bang then the floor -- sort of the artificial floor fell on top of me. And some of the window -- some of the windows -- flying shards and all that sort of thing. And a loud bang and I found myself on the floor.

And then I picked myself up and went to see what happened to the people, to our people, and found that we had two guards dead and that outside it was havoc and that ten people had died and a number of cars were burning. It was a real terrible site.

KAGAN: According to our numbers at least 12 people have died including at least nine Iraqis and the suicide bomber. As I under it, the bomber used an ambulance to drive up to your building or get as close as possible?

GASSMANN: Yes, I'm positive this is also what we have heard. Apparently the ambulance stopped in front of the protections that we had set out to protect the building and keep away the cars and one of the guards that has died approached the ambulance to ask him to move on. And that's when it exploded. And that's how he died.

KAGAN: And what does this do to your operations in Baghdad, which I understand already has a reduced staff?

GASSMANN: We have now 35 ex-pats in Iraq. We have ex-pats in (UNINTELLIGIBLE), we have some north of the country and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and in Erbil which is in the Kurdish parts of Iraq. We are now thinking about what we can do in order to protect ourselves and see how we can continue working. We have over 700 Iraqi staff. We are quite convinced now that we have been targeted as an institution our Iraqi staff is as many targeted and threatened by these kinds of attacks as ex-patriot are.

So we have to think about all the implication has this attack will have and I guess that by Saturday this week we'll have taken decisions. At this time I cannot really tell you what kind of conclusions we can draw. We're still debating this and we'll see what the implications are.

KAGAN: Is one option or is it not an option to accept the offer of the U.S. military to help protect your headquarters?

GASSMANN: That is not an option as far as I'm concerned, that's not an option because if you do militarize the Red Cross and the access to the Red Cross it will be extremely difficult for the people that are seeking our help and the people that we're supposed to seven to get access to the Red Cross. We want to avoid that.

The idea is basically to distinguish precisely the Red Cross from the coalition forces, from the United Nations, from all those organizations, that are militarized and could be assimilated to the coalition forces.

KAGAN: It is a very difficult position that you and your organization are in. We wish you well with the important work you're trying to do in Baghdad and clear across Iraq.

GASSMANN: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: Thank you. Pierre Gassmann. He is the head of the International Committee for the Red Cross 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 October 27, 2003 - 10:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It has been a deadly day in Iraq. Four separate suicide bomber attacks including one attack on the headquarters for the International Red Cross. We have with us right now the head of the organization in Baghdad, Pierre Gassmann. Mr. Gassmann, thank you for being with us.
PIERRE GASSMANN, INTL. RED CROSS, BAGHDAD: Thank you.

KAGAN: Were you at the headquarters when the attack took place?

GASSMANN: Well, I mean, are you asking me why it was attacked or when or I didn't get that?

KAGAN: Were you there at the headquarters when it was attacked?

GASSMANN: Yes, I was sitting in my office when it was attacked.

KAGAN: And can you describe what happened?

GASSMANN: Well, it was a big bang then the floor -- sort of the artificial floor fell on top of me. And some of the window -- some of the windows -- flying shards and all that sort of thing. And a loud bang and I found myself on the floor.

And then I picked myself up and went to see what happened to the people, to our people, and found that we had two guards dead and that outside it was havoc and that ten people had died and a number of cars were burning. It was a real terrible site.

KAGAN: According to our numbers at least 12 people have died including at least nine Iraqis and the suicide bomber. As I under it, the bomber used an ambulance to drive up to your building or get as close as possible?

GASSMANN: Yes, I'm positive this is also what we have heard. Apparently the ambulance stopped in front of the protections that we had set out to protect the building and keep away the cars and one of the guards that has died approached the ambulance to ask him to move on. And that's when it exploded. And that's how he died.

KAGAN: And what does this do to your operations in Baghdad, which I understand already has a reduced staff?

GASSMANN: We have now 35 ex-pats in Iraq. We have ex-pats in (UNINTELLIGIBLE), we have some north of the country and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and in Erbil which is in the Kurdish parts of Iraq. We are now thinking about what we can do in order to protect ourselves and see how we can continue working. We have over 700 Iraqi staff. We are quite convinced now that we have been targeted as an institution our Iraqi staff is as many targeted and threatened by these kinds of attacks as ex-patriot are.

So we have to think about all the implication has this attack will have and I guess that by Saturday this week we'll have taken decisions. At this time I cannot really tell you what kind of conclusions we can draw. We're still debating this and we'll see what the implications are.

KAGAN: Is one option or is it not an option to accept the offer of the U.S. military to help protect your headquarters?

GASSMANN: That is not an option as far as I'm concerned, that's not an option because if you do militarize the Red Cross and the access to the Red Cross it will be extremely difficult for the people that are seeking our help and the people that we're supposed to seven to get access to the Red Cross. We want to avoid that.

The idea is basically to distinguish precisely the Red Cross from the coalition forces, from the United Nations, from all those organizations, that are militarized and could be assimilated to the coalition forces.

KAGAN: It is a very difficult position that you and your organization are in. We wish you well with the important work you're trying to do in Baghdad and clear across Iraq.

GASSMANN: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: Thank you. Pierre Gassmann. He is the head of the International Committee for the Red Cross 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