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CNN Live Saturday

Iraqi Policemen Arrest Former Finance Minister

Aired April 19, 2003 - 15:00   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.


JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: The new Iraqi police force in Baghdad has made its first major arrest, taking out the eight of diamonds. That's the designation in the 55 most wanted deck of Hikmat al-Azzawi, a former finance minister and former deputy prime minister in the Saddam Hussein regime. CNN's Jim Clancy has the latest from Baghdad -- Jim.
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, if it's all about security, there's some good news and some bad news. I guess we better look at the bad news first. There are 52 trucks, about 150 kilometers or 100 miles west of Baghdad right now; they're sitting in the middle of the desert. They are waiting for security to lead them in to Baghdad. The problem is that security simply isn't there. The truck drivers are threatening to turn around and head back to Amman, Jordan. It contains, all 52 trucks contain sacks of wheat flour from the World Food Program warehouses in Amman that were destined for Baghdad. The drivers say they ran into gunfire along the way. They were supposed to run in to security, but it just wasn't there.

On a better note, U.S. officials are allowing the Baghdad police department to be issued AK-47 rifles. Those guns, the police say are going to help them to enforce security in the capital. Also it will add credibility they say, to the fledgling police force being reconstituted. Now the force has already scored a bit of a coup; that was the early morning arrest of Hikmat al-Azzawi. He was the former finance minister as well as a former deputy prime minister for the regime of President Saddam Hussein. His arrest is important because he may be able to pinpoint where President Saddam Hussein is believed to have stashed away, billions of dollars in cash for the regime, for his family, for himself. His arrest being hailed as a sign that the police, who were acting on a tip are capable of cooperating well, and bringing security to the capital, pursuing the same goals as the coalition that came here, to topple the regime.

Meantime, some signs of a changing mission; from a combat role to one of a police role. That meant that the U.S. Marines that were in parts of eastern Baghdad, east of the Tigris River, were removed; they pulled out and elements of the 3rd Infantry Division moved into those areas. They are taking up duties even on the streets with mounted and unmounted patrols. And at sometimes, even directing traffic. There's a need for that today as the traffic seemed to swell into traffic jams on the streets, as thousands of Iraqis got out to get a first-hand look for themselves what the situation was in downtown Baghdad, and perhaps visit other neighborhoods, visit relatives and loved ones that they haven't seen. Back to you, John. KARL: So Jim, on those trucks that are tragically out there in the desert, 100 miles outside of Baghdad waiting to bring in food, any idea on who would have been shooting on, shooting at them?

CLANCY: Well one would assume that it was elements of the Fedayeen Saddam or someone like that, that would be shooting at them. Of course, aid shipments here in Baghdad even; the ICRC has been saying it wasn't safe to try to deliver those aid shipments. There's no way that you can move valuable commodities like that, any kind of a distance here without heavy security or at least substantial security. The problem could have been elements of the regime, it could have been criminal elements as well, because the looters and a lot of the locals are telling us this, are really made up of ex-convicts that were released from prison shortly before the fall of Baghdad -- Jon.

KARL: Yes, we saw those incredible pictures before the war, of Saddam Hussein opening the doors to his prisons. Thank you very much, Jim Clancy.

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 April 19, 2003 - 15:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: The new Iraqi police force in Baghdad has made its first major arrest, taking out the eight of diamonds. That's the designation in the 55 most wanted deck of Hikmat al-Azzawi, a former finance minister and former deputy prime minister in the Saddam Hussein regime. CNN's Jim Clancy has the latest from Baghdad -- Jim.
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, if it's all about security, there's some good news and some bad news. I guess we better look at the bad news first. There are 52 trucks, about 150 kilometers or 100 miles west of Baghdad right now; they're sitting in the middle of the desert. They are waiting for security to lead them in to Baghdad. The problem is that security simply isn't there. The truck drivers are threatening to turn around and head back to Amman, Jordan. It contains, all 52 trucks contain sacks of wheat flour from the World Food Program warehouses in Amman that were destined for Baghdad. The drivers say they ran into gunfire along the way. They were supposed to run in to security, but it just wasn't there.

On a better note, U.S. officials are allowing the Baghdad police department to be issued AK-47 rifles. Those guns, the police say are going to help them to enforce security in the capital. Also it will add credibility they say, to the fledgling police force being reconstituted. Now the force has already scored a bit of a coup; that was the early morning arrest of Hikmat al-Azzawi. He was the former finance minister as well as a former deputy prime minister for the regime of President Saddam Hussein. His arrest is important because he may be able to pinpoint where President Saddam Hussein is believed to have stashed away, billions of dollars in cash for the regime, for his family, for himself. His arrest being hailed as a sign that the police, who were acting on a tip are capable of cooperating well, and bringing security to the capital, pursuing the same goals as the coalition that came here, to topple the regime.

Meantime, some signs of a changing mission; from a combat role to one of a police role. That meant that the U.S. Marines that were in parts of eastern Baghdad, east of the Tigris River, were removed; they pulled out and elements of the 3rd Infantry Division moved into those areas. They are taking up duties even on the streets with mounted and unmounted patrols. And at sometimes, even directing traffic. There's a need for that today as the traffic seemed to swell into traffic jams on the streets, as thousands of Iraqis got out to get a first-hand look for themselves what the situation was in downtown Baghdad, and perhaps visit other neighborhoods, visit relatives and loved ones that they haven't seen. Back to you, John. KARL: So Jim, on those trucks that are tragically out there in the desert, 100 miles outside of Baghdad waiting to bring in food, any idea on who would have been shooting on, shooting at them?

CLANCY: Well one would assume that it was elements of the Fedayeen Saddam or someone like that, that would be shooting at them. Of course, aid shipments here in Baghdad even; the ICRC has been saying it wasn't safe to try to deliver those aid shipments. There's no way that you can move valuable commodities like that, any kind of a distance here without heavy security or at least substantial security. The problem could have been elements of the regime, it could have been criminal elements as well, because the looters and a lot of the locals are telling us this, are really made up of ex-convicts that were released from prison shortly before the fall of Baghdad -- Jon.

KARL: Yes, we saw those incredible pictures before the war, of Saddam Hussein opening the doors to his prisons. Thank you very much, Jim Clancy.

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