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CNN Live At Daybreak
Hundreds of Iraqi Prisoners to be Released
Aired January 07, 2004 - 06:01 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: It was billed as a major announcement, and the Americans hope it will make a big difference. Hundreds of Iraqi prisoners will be released soon.
As for the reason why, we take you live to Baghdad and CNN's Karl Penhaul.
Hello -- Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Yes, Ambassador Bremer a few moments ago pushing forward very strongly the message of reconciliation. He says the first Iraqi detainees, a group of about 100, will be released tomorrow, 400 others released this week. And a member of the Iraqi Governing Council says that in the course of the next month, over 2,000 prisoners could be released.
These detainees that are being released were only low-level suspects. They were being held without any charges, as far as we are aware. And certainly evidence of any wrongdoing that they may have committed wasn't made public.
But certainly, Ambassador Bremer has conditioned their release.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BREMER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: I want to assure you this is not a program eligible for those with bloodstained hands. No person involved in the death of or serious bodily injury to any human being -- an Iraqi, a citizen of the coalition or anyone else -- no such people will be released. Nor will we release anyone accused of torture or crimes against humanity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PENHAUL: One should also remember, Carol, that the coalition has an estimated 12,000 detainees and prisoners at this time. Some are prisoners of war from during the invasion phase of the campaign. Many of those have not been released under the terms of the Geneva Convention, which calls for them to be released as soon as feasible after the end of hostilities. Other detainees seized for suspected anti-coalition activities are being held indefinitely and, as I say, no formal charges against them, no evidence against them made public -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And this is sort of seen as a goodwill gesture in the hopes that other Iraqis will come forward with information about the insurgency there.
PENHAUL: This is what Ambassador Bremer is hoping, and he says that it will be seen as a goodwill gesture. It's time for the Iraqis to make common cause and try and rebuild the country.
But in our conversations with ordinary Iraqis, many of them still have very strong anti-coalition sentiments, because many of their friends and relatives have been detained in the course of raids, in dragnets against perceived insurgents. And they say that they have no contact with them, and that these people were wrongfully detained in the first place -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Karl Penhaul 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 January 7, 2004 - 06:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It was billed as a major announcement, and the Americans hope it will make a big difference. Hundreds of Iraqi prisoners will be released soon.
As for the reason why, we take you live to Baghdad and CNN's Karl Penhaul.
Hello -- Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Yes, Ambassador Bremer a few moments ago pushing forward very strongly the message of reconciliation. He says the first Iraqi detainees, a group of about 100, will be released tomorrow, 400 others released this week. And a member of the Iraqi Governing Council says that in the course of the next month, over 2,000 prisoners could be released.
These detainees that are being released were only low-level suspects. They were being held without any charges, as far as we are aware. And certainly evidence of any wrongdoing that they may have committed wasn't made public.
But certainly, Ambassador Bremer has conditioned their release.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BREMER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: I want to assure you this is not a program eligible for those with bloodstained hands. No person involved in the death of or serious bodily injury to any human being -- an Iraqi, a citizen of the coalition or anyone else -- no such people will be released. Nor will we release anyone accused of torture or crimes against humanity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PENHAUL: One should also remember, Carol, that the coalition has an estimated 12,000 detainees and prisoners at this time. Some are prisoners of war from during the invasion phase of the campaign. Many of those have not been released under the terms of the Geneva Convention, which calls for them to be released as soon as feasible after the end of hostilities. Other detainees seized for suspected anti-coalition activities are being held indefinitely and, as I say, no formal charges against them, no evidence against them made public -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And this is sort of seen as a goodwill gesture in the hopes that other Iraqis will come forward with information about the insurgency there.
PENHAUL: This is what Ambassador Bremer is hoping, and he says that it will be seen as a goodwill gesture. It's time for the Iraqis to make common cause and try and rebuild the country.
But in our conversations with ordinary Iraqis, many of them still have very strong anti-coalition sentiments, because many of their friends and relatives have been detained in the course of raids, in dragnets against perceived insurgents. And they say that they have no contact with them, and that these people were wrongfully detained in the first place -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Karl Penhaul 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.
