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CNN Live Saturday
Hussein Bodyguard Sheds Light On Regime's Final Days
Aired July 26, 2003 - 12:17 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.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: A man who says he was a bodyguard for Saddam Hussein's son, Uday, is shedding new details on the regime's final days. The bodyguard, Abu Tiba, told New York's "Newsday" that Saddam and his sons were shocked by their defeat. Tiba says they held meetings to plan a guerrilla resistance, just hours after the fall of Baghdad. Tiba says both decapitation strikes targeting Saddam failed badly and Saddam remained in Baghdad even as coalition forces rolled in.
Uday, he says, drove around Baghdad even passing a column of U.S. military vehicles undetected. All this begs the question: Where is Saddam? Here's CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amidst the rubble of the Tuesday attack in Mosul that killed Uday and Qusay Hussein, is there an answer to the question: Where is Saddam? From Baghdad, a video press conference with tantalizing hints.
MAJ. GEN. RAY ODIERNO, 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION: As we continue to tighten the noose and I believe that we continue to gain more and more information about where he might be.
STARR: General Odierno confirmed, the U.S. has talked to one of Saddam's wives about where he might be hiding. Late Thursday, a potential new lead. A tip from an Iraqi about a house near Tikrit, and an overnight raid that may bring the U.S. closer to Saddam Hussein.
ODIERNO: Based on the informant, South of Tikrit, we detained 13 individuals. Somewhere between five and ten of those we're still sorting through, are believed to be Saddam Hussein's personal security detachment.
STARR: There is new concern, however about more attacks against U.S. forces and other Iraqis.
ODIERNO: One thing we've talked about the last few days is maybe an increase in car bombing, suicide bombers, et cetera. We've had that discussion with all our soldiers and commanders.
STARR: Officials warn the attacks are getting more sophisticated, with more ingenious use of remotely detonated explosives. The U.S. now, believes there may be just a handful of expert bomb makers in Iraq who move around the country. (on camera): U.S. troops led by Special Forces, are stepping up the hunt for Saddam Hussein. And, while they haven't found him yet, they believe they have him on the run and that fewer Iraqis will now be willing to protect him. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(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 July 26, 2003 - 12:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: A man who says he was a bodyguard for Saddam Hussein's son, Uday, is shedding new details on the regime's final days. The bodyguard, Abu Tiba, told New York's "Newsday" that Saddam and his sons were shocked by their defeat. Tiba says they held meetings to plan a guerrilla resistance, just hours after the fall of Baghdad. Tiba says both decapitation strikes targeting Saddam failed badly and Saddam remained in Baghdad even as coalition forces rolled in.
Uday, he says, drove around Baghdad even passing a column of U.S. military vehicles undetected. All this begs the question: Where is Saddam? Here's CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amidst the rubble of the Tuesday attack in Mosul that killed Uday and Qusay Hussein, is there an answer to the question: Where is Saddam? From Baghdad, a video press conference with tantalizing hints.
MAJ. GEN. RAY ODIERNO, 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION: As we continue to tighten the noose and I believe that we continue to gain more and more information about where he might be.
STARR: General Odierno confirmed, the U.S. has talked to one of Saddam's wives about where he might be hiding. Late Thursday, a potential new lead. A tip from an Iraqi about a house near Tikrit, and an overnight raid that may bring the U.S. closer to Saddam Hussein.
ODIERNO: Based on the informant, South of Tikrit, we detained 13 individuals. Somewhere between five and ten of those we're still sorting through, are believed to be Saddam Hussein's personal security detachment.
STARR: There is new concern, however about more attacks against U.S. forces and other Iraqis.
ODIERNO: One thing we've talked about the last few days is maybe an increase in car bombing, suicide bombers, et cetera. We've had that discussion with all our soldiers and commanders.
STARR: Officials warn the attacks are getting more sophisticated, with more ingenious use of remotely detonated explosives. The U.S. now, believes there may be just a handful of expert bomb makers in Iraq who move around the country. (on camera): U.S. troops led by Special Forces, are stepping up the hunt for Saddam Hussein. And, while they haven't found him yet, they believe they have him on the run and that fewer Iraqis will now be willing to protect him. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(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
