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CNN Live Saturday

Kuwait Rejects Iraqi Apology

Aired December 07, 2002 - 18:05   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: Kuwait is rejecting the Iraqi apology. Kuwait's information minister says the Iraq leader should first apologize to his own people, for, quote, "dragging them into war."
So, if the United States does go to war with Iraq who in the country will stay loyal to Saddam Hussein, and who will align with the United States? For that we turn to our Middle East analyst, Sandra Mackey in our CNN Map Room.

Sandra, I wish we had a bigger map of Iraq. We're working on one now.

SANDRA MACKEY, CNN MIDDLE EAST ANALYST: We will manage.

LIN: Given our resources here, are there pockets of support for the United States here, in Iraq, or around the region?

MACKEY: Well, certainly there are pockets of support and they maybe quite extensive. It is just so very difficult to judge what's really going on in the minds of the Iraqis, because your access to the individual Iraqi is just so limited by government control.

I think that one area that we have to consider as being a possible stronghold of Saddam Hussein's support will be in this area of Baghdad up to Tikrit, which is his ancestral homeland. These people, in this area, really have a great deal to lose in a collapse of Saddam Hussein's government. Because everything they are, everything they have really comes from him.

And in the military planning -- and I think we've heard some of our military leaders have referred to this-- that you have to be aware that the invasion of Baghdad itself maybe very difficult. Because these people -- you know, it is the last stand, so to speak.

I think that probably there are, in the Kurdish areas, a large number of people who are in support of the United States. And we do have more ability to really find out what's going on there because they have lived under a protected area by the United States, since the end of the Gulf war, and have essentially become an autonomous region. And so, that area we can pretty well monitor.

LIN: What capacity do they have, Sandra, to help us?

MACKEY: Not a lot. But having said that, the Kurds have been just -- their famous as being these very tough mountain fighters. And have essentially been a real threat to Baghdad for many years. Simply through guerrilla operations and actually being able to operate in these very high mountains here. Which means that the Iraqi army really can't get in there with tanks. And even air power is sometimes difficult because there are caves and there are various areas that these troops can hide.

The south, on the other hand, is quite flat and this is the area that, you know, the speculation is that if an invasion comes it will come up through Basra and roll across this area toward Baghdad. Logistically, and as far as having the maneuverability, this would be the easiest area for troops to operate in. The question is, how are the Shiites going to react to this? And are they going to try to assist the invasion or are they going to resist it.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much. I know it is just a snapshot when you talk about the region, but we appreciate it.

MACKEY: Thank you.

LIN: Thank you very much, Sandra Mackey.

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 December 7, 2002 - 18:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Kuwait is rejecting the Iraqi apology. Kuwait's information minister says the Iraq leader should first apologize to his own people, for, quote, "dragging them into war."
So, if the United States does go to war with Iraq who in the country will stay loyal to Saddam Hussein, and who will align with the United States? For that we turn to our Middle East analyst, Sandra Mackey in our CNN Map Room.

Sandra, I wish we had a bigger map of Iraq. We're working on one now.

SANDRA MACKEY, CNN MIDDLE EAST ANALYST: We will manage.

LIN: Given our resources here, are there pockets of support for the United States here, in Iraq, or around the region?

MACKEY: Well, certainly there are pockets of support and they maybe quite extensive. It is just so very difficult to judge what's really going on in the minds of the Iraqis, because your access to the individual Iraqi is just so limited by government control.

I think that one area that we have to consider as being a possible stronghold of Saddam Hussein's support will be in this area of Baghdad up to Tikrit, which is his ancestral homeland. These people, in this area, really have a great deal to lose in a collapse of Saddam Hussein's government. Because everything they are, everything they have really comes from him.

And in the military planning -- and I think we've heard some of our military leaders have referred to this-- that you have to be aware that the invasion of Baghdad itself maybe very difficult. Because these people -- you know, it is the last stand, so to speak.

I think that probably there are, in the Kurdish areas, a large number of people who are in support of the United States. And we do have more ability to really find out what's going on there because they have lived under a protected area by the United States, since the end of the Gulf war, and have essentially become an autonomous region. And so, that area we can pretty well monitor.

LIN: What capacity do they have, Sandra, to help us?

MACKEY: Not a lot. But having said that, the Kurds have been just -- their famous as being these very tough mountain fighters. And have essentially been a real threat to Baghdad for many years. Simply through guerrilla operations and actually being able to operate in these very high mountains here. Which means that the Iraqi army really can't get in there with tanks. And even air power is sometimes difficult because there are caves and there are various areas that these troops can hide.

The south, on the other hand, is quite flat and this is the area that, you know, the speculation is that if an invasion comes it will come up through Basra and roll across this area toward Baghdad. Logistically, and as far as having the maneuverability, this would be the easiest area for troops to operate in. The question is, how are the Shiites going to react to this? And are they going to try to assist the invasion or are they going to resist it.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much. I know it is just a snapshot when you talk about the region, but we appreciate it.

MACKEY: Thank you.

LIN: Thank you very much, Sandra Mackey.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com