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CNN Live Saturday
Central Command Captures Iraqi Interior Minister: Again
Aired August 09, 2003 - 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.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: Embarrassed Central Command officials report that they have Iraq's former interior minister in custody. Now, they are embarrassed because they announced the capture of the very same official July 9.
Let's find out what gives from CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Plante. Chris, explain, please.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, there was a lot of explaining going on this morning when the Central Command announced that they had taken this man into custody. First, the press release came out, and then there's sort of a procedure that reporters go through after the press release comes out, and the first thing you do as a reporter is go to your list from the deck of cards. Go down the deck of cards, find the person that was taken into custody today, and you note the date, you note that he's been taken into custody.
Well, this morning, when they've made the announcement about this man, at newsrooms all over America, people went to the list and they discovered that, wait a minute, this man was taken into custody a month ago.
So of course the calls like blitzkrieg went to the Central Command in Florida; anxious reporters looking for some explanation as to how this could have taken place. They were being mocked for most of the morning and asked whether they were running a camp over there that's like "Hogan's Heroes" and whether people are checking out at will and then checking back in.
Turns out the explanation wasn't quite that amusing, but that last month on July 9 they had received initial reports that Mr. Mahmoud Diyab Al-Ahmad, who was number 29 on the most wanted lists and the seven of spades on the deck of cards, was taken into custody. Now, these initial reports were never confirmed, yet the press release went out on the Central Command's Web site, went into newsrooms all over America. Everyone went down their lists and crossed off Mr. Al- Ahmad, and assumed that he was captured.
But Central Command was also none the wiser. They didn't realize that a mistake had been made until they put out today's press release, and people from the news media started calling and asking, what was up with this. Turns out there was nothing particularly wacky about it, it was just kind of a bureaucratic bungle, based on someone pulling the trigger on the release of this announcement last month, prematurely, to say the least.
But they assure that he is now in custody. He did turn himself in. And they're hopeful that he'll be able to provide some information and cooperate, as they get a chance to talk to him.
ARENA: Well, Chris, of course, this opens the question, all these other people that are reportedly in custody, are they?
PLANTE: Well, I actually asked the question of them this morning, and they assured me that they are. I asked if just as a precaution, they would go around and take an inventory tomorrow, and ask people to raise their hands as they call out their names, but they insist that they're pretty sure that they have the rest of them in custody.
ARENA: All right, Chris Plante, thanks for clearing it up.
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 August 9, 2003 - 18:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: Embarrassed Central Command officials report that they have Iraq's former interior minister in custody. Now, they are embarrassed because they announced the capture of the very same official July 9.
Let's find out what gives from CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Plante. Chris, explain, please.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, there was a lot of explaining going on this morning when the Central Command announced that they had taken this man into custody. First, the press release came out, and then there's sort of a procedure that reporters go through after the press release comes out, and the first thing you do as a reporter is go to your list from the deck of cards. Go down the deck of cards, find the person that was taken into custody today, and you note the date, you note that he's been taken into custody.
Well, this morning, when they've made the announcement about this man, at newsrooms all over America, people went to the list and they discovered that, wait a minute, this man was taken into custody a month ago.
So of course the calls like blitzkrieg went to the Central Command in Florida; anxious reporters looking for some explanation as to how this could have taken place. They were being mocked for most of the morning and asked whether they were running a camp over there that's like "Hogan's Heroes" and whether people are checking out at will and then checking back in.
Turns out the explanation wasn't quite that amusing, but that last month on July 9 they had received initial reports that Mr. Mahmoud Diyab Al-Ahmad, who was number 29 on the most wanted lists and the seven of spades on the deck of cards, was taken into custody. Now, these initial reports were never confirmed, yet the press release went out on the Central Command's Web site, went into newsrooms all over America. Everyone went down their lists and crossed off Mr. Al- Ahmad, and assumed that he was captured.
But Central Command was also none the wiser. They didn't realize that a mistake had been made until they put out today's press release, and people from the news media started calling and asking, what was up with this. Turns out there was nothing particularly wacky about it, it was just kind of a bureaucratic bungle, based on someone pulling the trigger on the release of this announcement last month, prematurely, to say the least.
But they assure that he is now in custody. He did turn himself in. And they're hopeful that he'll be able to provide some information and cooperate, as they get a chance to talk to him.
ARENA: Well, Chris, of course, this opens the question, all these other people that are reportedly in custody, are they?
PLANTE: Well, I actually asked the question of them this morning, and they assured me that they are. I asked if just as a precaution, they would go around and take an inventory tomorrow, and ask people to raise their hands as they call out their names, but they insist that they're pretty sure that they have the rest of them in custody.
ARENA: All right, Chris Plante, thanks for clearing it up.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
