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CNN Live Sunday
Iraqi Security Forces Apprehend "4 of Spades" Razaq
Aired February 15, 2004 - 18:39 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Iraqi police achieved a significant victory today; just 24 hours after several members of their force were killed in a devastating raid. They managed to reel in another man on the coalition's most wanted list. Brent Sadler has more details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It is the four of spades on the U.S. deck of cards that was apprehended in the southern suburbs of Baghdad. This is the number 41 out of the 55. His name Muhammad Zimam Abdul Razaq. And he was an important Ba'ath party official in one of the northern provinces of Nineveh and Tamim (ph).
In terms of the former regime, he's not the top of the ranking figures that used to serve Saddam Hussein, but he's still nevertheless, important, not the least to the Iraqi security forces, though apprehended Razzoq, not the coalition forces on the ground here in Iraq.
He was caught at the house of his wife. Apparently police here, the Iraqis had been working on a tip, following him for about ten days. They managed to pin him down, and arrested him without any fight, without any violence that was reported. When taken away by Iraqi police officers, Razzoq is reported to have said, "I have done nothing wrong".
In another development, U.S. military officials say they are investigating reports that non-Iraqis may have been involved in a sophisticated and brazen attack on two security compounds on the outside of the Iraqi capital at Fallujah, west of the city about 30 miles away, a very well-known danger area, and hot zone for attacks on coalition and security forces in Iraq.
Civil administrator Paul Bremer was asked about whether or not there might have been non-Iraqis involved. He said it was too early to tell.
PAUL BRENER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: The second kind of attack which we apparently saw yesterday is attacks by people related to the former regime who may now be linking up with some foreign fighters. We're not sure yet.
And those people, those attacks are the ones that have been directed mostly against the coalition. Though the one yesterday was against the police.
SADLER: Twenty-two policemen were killed when these attackers managed to overrun the station and release dozens of prisoners locked up inside. It was sophisticated, coordinated, involving the pinning down of reinforcements in a second relocation. This is something new.
It also follows two massive car bombings this past week on the security forces involving the police and the newly emerging Iraqi army. So, really what we're seeing is an increase, a stepping up of attacks on key elements of the emerging security apparatus which is being built under the umbrella of the United States as we move towards that critical June 30 deadline, attacks being stepped up. This has been one of the deadliest months in Iraq since the end of the war. Brent Sadler, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 15, 2004 - 18:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Iraqi police achieved a significant victory today; just 24 hours after several members of their force were killed in a devastating raid. They managed to reel in another man on the coalition's most wanted list. Brent Sadler has more details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It is the four of spades on the U.S. deck of cards that was apprehended in the southern suburbs of Baghdad. This is the number 41 out of the 55. His name Muhammad Zimam Abdul Razaq. And he was an important Ba'ath party official in one of the northern provinces of Nineveh and Tamim (ph).
In terms of the former regime, he's not the top of the ranking figures that used to serve Saddam Hussein, but he's still nevertheless, important, not the least to the Iraqi security forces, though apprehended Razzoq, not the coalition forces on the ground here in Iraq.
He was caught at the house of his wife. Apparently police here, the Iraqis had been working on a tip, following him for about ten days. They managed to pin him down, and arrested him without any fight, without any violence that was reported. When taken away by Iraqi police officers, Razzoq is reported to have said, "I have done nothing wrong".
In another development, U.S. military officials say they are investigating reports that non-Iraqis may have been involved in a sophisticated and brazen attack on two security compounds on the outside of the Iraqi capital at Fallujah, west of the city about 30 miles away, a very well-known danger area, and hot zone for attacks on coalition and security forces in Iraq.
Civil administrator Paul Bremer was asked about whether or not there might have been non-Iraqis involved. He said it was too early to tell.
PAUL BRENER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: The second kind of attack which we apparently saw yesterday is attacks by people related to the former regime who may now be linking up with some foreign fighters. We're not sure yet.
And those people, those attacks are the ones that have been directed mostly against the coalition. Though the one yesterday was against the police.
SADLER: Twenty-two policemen were killed when these attackers managed to overrun the station and release dozens of prisoners locked up inside. It was sophisticated, coordinated, involving the pinning down of reinforcements in a second relocation. This is something new.
It also follows two massive car bombings this past week on the security forces involving the police and the newly emerging Iraqi army. So, really what we're seeing is an increase, a stepping up of attacks on key elements of the emerging security apparatus which is being built under the umbrella of the United States as we move towards that critical June 30 deadline, attacks being stepped up. This has been one of the deadliest months in Iraq since the end of the war. Brent Sadler, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
