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CNN Live Saturday
Red Cross Visits Saddam Hussein
Aired February 21, 2004 - 12:01 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.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We start now in Iraq. Members of the International Red Cross have visited captured ex-leader Saddam Hussein. It was the first such meeting since his capture near Tikrit, on December 13. CNN's Jane Arraf is in the Iraqi capital -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Fredricka, they've been lobbying for this visit since Saddam was captured. Now, it's in line with the Geneva Convention in which they get to visit prisoners of war and detainees to make sure that they're being treated properly and they said they were allowed access today.
Now, two representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, one of them a physician, visited Saddam and were given, they said, as much time as they needed, and part of the time they needed was for a physical examination and a mental one, as well, to make sure that there weren't any problems that needed to be treated, that he wasn't being treated for. Now, the International Red Cross has spent decades working in many countries by being very discrete, and they won't tell anyone what it was they found, but they do say, if there are problems, they will raise them directly with the U.S. occupying authorities. They asked him if he wanted to write a letter to his family, and he did so, they said. That will be delivered by the International Red Cross.
Now, all of this against a backdrop over when exactly the United States might hand power back to the Iraqis. Elections will now be delayed past June 30, that date when the U.S. says it will hand power. But, they're trying to figure out what comes next. Lots of ideas being floated about what form of transitional government will take over, and lots of debate about how long elections might take to Arrange -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Jane Arraf from Baghdad. Thanks very much.
Well so, just what happens when the Red Cross visits a high profile captive like the former president of Iraq? Someone who knows is Christophe Girod. He's with the International Red Cross. He joins us from Washington.
Thanks very much. Good to see you.
CHRITOPHE GIROD, ICRC: Good afternoon.
WHITFIELD: All right, confidentiality is key here in these kinds of meetings between the International Red Cross and any war criminals, but can you give us a sense of what sort of things take place during the mental and physical exam? GIROD: When we do visit the prisoners of war, we do expect their material condition of detention, meaning: clothing, hygiene items, square meals, all the sorts of things which make their physical life. And also their treatment, relation with the guards, how many times they can go out a week and so on, and this is -- all of this, plus an interview, private, with the prisoners, which gives us a sense of how it is, how he is feeling, whether he is -- you know, in good health and in good condition.
WHITFIELD: Well apparently, the International Red Cross, you all have been lobbying for this type of meeting with Saddam Hussein for almost three months, now. Why is it so important for the Red Cross to be involved and to take great lengths in which to get these sorts of meetings, in concrete, to take place?
GIROD: This is very important for us to see all the detainees held by the occupying power in Iraq. Saddam Hussein has been designated as a prisoner of war by the United States. Therefore, it was very important for us to gain access to him, and we're glad we eventually did.
WHITFIELD: And you've done this before, this is not the first time. You've one it with war criminals from World War I, World War II. Why has this become a tradition for the International Red Cross? That's been a successful one at that?
GIROD: We've been actually mandated by the international community to carry out such visits to any prisoners, irrespective of whether they are a criminal of war, as you said, or whether they're just -- you know, soldiers fighting for their country. This is of no importance for us. We do visit all the ones captured and held as prisoners of war in the world.
WHITFIELD: You say you've been mandated by the international community. Does this mean you also work in concert with other non- governmental support agencies throughout the world in order to commandeer meetings like this?
GIROD: Actually, we don't. We've been mandated by the states, and the Geneva Convention gives us the mandate to carry out such visits to prisoners of war worldwide.
WHITFIELD: So in this case, Saddam Hussein apparently sent a message to his family via the International Red Cross. Will that message be delivered?
GIROD: Yes, it will, after, however, it will be -- it would have been censored by the detaining power -- in this case, by the U.S. -- which has the right to read it and censor it. And then it will be delivered to the addressee by us.
WHITFIELD: And, do you know what phase this might be in right now?
GIROD: No, I have no idea to whom he wrote and how long it will take for the censorship to take place, and I have no details. WHITFIELD: All right. Christophe Girod in Washington, D.C. with the International Red Cross. Thanks very much.
GIROD: Thank you.
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 21, 2004 - 12:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We start now in Iraq. Members of the International Red Cross have visited captured ex-leader Saddam Hussein. It was the first such meeting since his capture near Tikrit, on December 13. CNN's Jane Arraf is in the Iraqi capital -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Fredricka, they've been lobbying for this visit since Saddam was captured. Now, it's in line with the Geneva Convention in which they get to visit prisoners of war and detainees to make sure that they're being treated properly and they said they were allowed access today.
Now, two representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, one of them a physician, visited Saddam and were given, they said, as much time as they needed, and part of the time they needed was for a physical examination and a mental one, as well, to make sure that there weren't any problems that needed to be treated, that he wasn't being treated for. Now, the International Red Cross has spent decades working in many countries by being very discrete, and they won't tell anyone what it was they found, but they do say, if there are problems, they will raise them directly with the U.S. occupying authorities. They asked him if he wanted to write a letter to his family, and he did so, they said. That will be delivered by the International Red Cross.
Now, all of this against a backdrop over when exactly the United States might hand power back to the Iraqis. Elections will now be delayed past June 30, that date when the U.S. says it will hand power. But, they're trying to figure out what comes next. Lots of ideas being floated about what form of transitional government will take over, and lots of debate about how long elections might take to Arrange -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Jane Arraf from Baghdad. Thanks very much.
Well so, just what happens when the Red Cross visits a high profile captive like the former president of Iraq? Someone who knows is Christophe Girod. He's with the International Red Cross. He joins us from Washington.
Thanks very much. Good to see you.
CHRITOPHE GIROD, ICRC: Good afternoon.
WHITFIELD: All right, confidentiality is key here in these kinds of meetings between the International Red Cross and any war criminals, but can you give us a sense of what sort of things take place during the mental and physical exam? GIROD: When we do visit the prisoners of war, we do expect their material condition of detention, meaning: clothing, hygiene items, square meals, all the sorts of things which make their physical life. And also their treatment, relation with the guards, how many times they can go out a week and so on, and this is -- all of this, plus an interview, private, with the prisoners, which gives us a sense of how it is, how he is feeling, whether he is -- you know, in good health and in good condition.
WHITFIELD: Well apparently, the International Red Cross, you all have been lobbying for this type of meeting with Saddam Hussein for almost three months, now. Why is it so important for the Red Cross to be involved and to take great lengths in which to get these sorts of meetings, in concrete, to take place?
GIROD: This is very important for us to see all the detainees held by the occupying power in Iraq. Saddam Hussein has been designated as a prisoner of war by the United States. Therefore, it was very important for us to gain access to him, and we're glad we eventually did.
WHITFIELD: And you've done this before, this is not the first time. You've one it with war criminals from World War I, World War II. Why has this become a tradition for the International Red Cross? That's been a successful one at that?
GIROD: We've been actually mandated by the international community to carry out such visits to any prisoners, irrespective of whether they are a criminal of war, as you said, or whether they're just -- you know, soldiers fighting for their country. This is of no importance for us. We do visit all the ones captured and held as prisoners of war in the world.
WHITFIELD: You say you've been mandated by the international community. Does this mean you also work in concert with other non- governmental support agencies throughout the world in order to commandeer meetings like this?
GIROD: Actually, we don't. We've been mandated by the states, and the Geneva Convention gives us the mandate to carry out such visits to prisoners of war worldwide.
WHITFIELD: So in this case, Saddam Hussein apparently sent a message to his family via the International Red Cross. Will that message be delivered?
GIROD: Yes, it will, after, however, it will be -- it would have been censored by the detaining power -- in this case, by the U.S. -- which has the right to read it and censor it. And then it will be delivered to the addressee by us.
WHITFIELD: And, do you know what phase this might be in right now?
GIROD: No, I have no idea to whom he wrote and how long it will take for the censorship to take place, and I have no details. WHITFIELD: All right. Christophe Girod in Washington, D.C. with the International Red Cross. Thanks very much.
GIROD: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
