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CNN Live At Daybreak
'International Wrap'
Aired February 09, 2004 - 05:36 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: Well, let's talk more about that reported plot to wage a sectarian war in Iraq. That tops our international wrap.
Our senior international editor David Clinch is here to tell us more about that.
Interesting.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Hey, Carol, good morning.
It is. Yes, a little bit of a nightmare for me, of course, because for us working in television, one of the worst things that you want to hear first thing in the morning is what do we have on the "New York Times" story today? Because these stories are always very interesting, but they don't necessarily always translate into television.
This is a very interesting story, though, in the "New York Times." They say that they've been shown by the U.S. authorities in Baghdad a document, a memo, they describe it as, from a leader in the insurgency in Iraq. They have reason to believe it's Zarqawi, but that's one of the first questions we have, why do they believe it's him?
They have reason to believe that this memo is directed to al Qaeda's top leadership, Osama bin Laden and others. We want to know why they believe that since the document doesn't appear to have any names in it.
But what the document itself says is a fascinating insight into the insurgency and the connection, possible connection to al Qaeda. The leader in this memo indicating that the insurgency is running out of recruits, running out of tactics and looking for new ides of how to disrupt the U.S. coalition in its control in Iraq.
And the idea that's being proposed is that attacks on the Shiite community by the insurgents might lead to Sunni reaction or Shiite reaction against the Sunnis and create this sectarian war, which would in turn create...
COSTELLO: So, in other words, they want the Sunnis or the Shiites to believe the Sunnis are attacking them and start this huge war between the two factions?
CLINCH: Precisely. And, of course, we've already seen signs of both sides accusing each other of attacks. It's not clear whether the insurgents are already involved in this process. It's not clear at this point whether this is a valid document. But, again, the fact...
COSTELLO: Did the "New York Times" article say how this document was gotten a hold of by U.S. forces?
CLINCH: The indications are that it was found in a home, a safe house, when a raid went in, an al Qaeda linked suspect, not Zarqawi, but somebody else, was picked up earlier in the year, in January. And, again, we're going to be asking those questions.
One of the primary questions is if it is such a big story, why give it to the "New York Times?" Why not announce these things at these briefings that they have every day?
So we'll be interested to hear the full details on that story.
COSTELLO: Very interesting.
Thank you, David.
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
Aired February 9, 2004 - 05:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, let's talk more about that reported plot to wage a sectarian war in Iraq. That tops our international wrap.
Our senior international editor David Clinch is here to tell us more about that.
Interesting.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Hey, Carol, good morning.
It is. Yes, a little bit of a nightmare for me, of course, because for us working in television, one of the worst things that you want to hear first thing in the morning is what do we have on the "New York Times" story today? Because these stories are always very interesting, but they don't necessarily always translate into television.
This is a very interesting story, though, in the "New York Times." They say that they've been shown by the U.S. authorities in Baghdad a document, a memo, they describe it as, from a leader in the insurgency in Iraq. They have reason to believe it's Zarqawi, but that's one of the first questions we have, why do they believe it's him?
They have reason to believe that this memo is directed to al Qaeda's top leadership, Osama bin Laden and others. We want to know why they believe that since the document doesn't appear to have any names in it.
But what the document itself says is a fascinating insight into the insurgency and the connection, possible connection to al Qaeda. The leader in this memo indicating that the insurgency is running out of recruits, running out of tactics and looking for new ides of how to disrupt the U.S. coalition in its control in Iraq.
And the idea that's being proposed is that attacks on the Shiite community by the insurgents might lead to Sunni reaction or Shiite reaction against the Sunnis and create this sectarian war, which would in turn create...
COSTELLO: So, in other words, they want the Sunnis or the Shiites to believe the Sunnis are attacking them and start this huge war between the two factions?
CLINCH: Precisely. And, of course, we've already seen signs of both sides accusing each other of attacks. It's not clear whether the insurgents are already involved in this process. It's not clear at this point whether this is a valid document. But, again, the fact...
COSTELLO: Did the "New York Times" article say how this document was gotten a hold of by U.S. forces?
CLINCH: The indications are that it was found in a home, a safe house, when a raid went in, an al Qaeda linked suspect, not Zarqawi, but somebody else, was picked up earlier in the year, in January. And, again, we're going to be asking those questions.
One of the primary questions is if it is such a big story, why give it to the "New York Times?" Why not announce these things at these briefings that they have every day?
So we'll be interested to hear the full details on that story.
COSTELLO: Very interesting.
Thank you, David.
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
