Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Hussein Makes Television Appearance as Buildup Continues
Aired January 06, 2003 - 13:10 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein says the U.N. weapons inspectors are spies with hidden agendas. The inspectors deny that. Those inspectors are busy today, though, visiting at least three sites in the Baghdad area.
CNN's Rym Brahimi is live in the Iraqi capital -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra. Well, today is actually a national holiday. It is a national holiday every 6th of January because Iraqis hey celebrate Army Day. It is the 82nd anniversary this year of Iraq's armed forces, and all day on Iraqi TV we were shown pictures of the Iraqi army in its past wars. The war with Iran that lasted eight years between 1980 and 1988, and even some pictures of the 1991 Gulf War. This was, the commentary said, a day of heroism.
Now that's particularly significant this year, Kyra, in light of this huge military buildup in the gulf. Now, that's something that President Saddam Hussein addressed in a televised speech to the nation, saying that he was confident if anything happened, that the Iraqi army would stand firm and protect the nation.
Now, he made a series of other points with regard to those U.S. threats saying, first of all, that the U.S. was not only threatening Iraq, but also the entire region. Here's how he put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SADDAM HUSSEIN, PRESIDENT OF IRAQ (through translator): Iraq is not the only target in this confusion. Even if the noise is meant to intimidate us and to cover the aggression to be cited by the enemy, whatever devil so instructs him. The objective is rather perceptive. The Arab-gulf area to full, complete, and physical occupation through which to achieve many goals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRAHIMI: Now, those goals, Kyra, the president said, were not only to protect U.S. interests, but also to protect Israel's security. The president also said that the U.S. was trying to divert U.S. and international public opinion from what he said were the Bush administration's failures.
Failure, he said, to prevent the September 11 attacks, failure with the economy that he said was in shambles, and failure in Afghanistan. Now, another interesting point that you mentioned earlier on, Kyra, the president also accused the U.N. weapons inspectors of being under intense U.S. pressure going beyond their mandate to just search for weapons and actually gathering intelligence. In essence, he accused them of spying -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Rym Brahimi, live from Baghdad. Thank you.
Time to saddle up and move out. Thousands of American troops are leaving state-side bases for the Persian Gulf, getting into position for a possible war with Iraq. The hospital ship Comfort leaves Baltimore. Combat brigades of the Army's 3rd Division are ready to leave from Savannah, Georgia, and thousands of Marines are embarking today from San Diego. Our Frank Buckley is there -- hi, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra. We're at Pier 13, the USS Tarawa just getting underway. Let me show you what the scene is here dockside. This is a group of people, including 4-year- old Mando (ph). Mando (ph) is waving goodbye to his mother, who is aboard this ship, and we are going to have Demir (ph) pan around and see if we can find her. I see her up there on the rail. She's waving right now down to this group, Mando (ph) and all of the friends down here who have come to see her off. That's Rita Deleone (ph), petty officer second class. As the ship, USS Tarawa and the Tarawa Amphibious Ready Group gets underway now for a six-month deployment. This is a regular six-month deployment, but clearly given the circumstances and given the fact that one of their areas will be the Persian Gulf, this is a different kind of a deployment. Gillian (ph) here, I wanted to talk to you. You're holding Mando (ph). You are a friend of Rita (ph), her cousin.
Tell me what this moment is like for you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we've seen her leave before. The first time, he was younger, he didn't know. And now he knows, and it's harder because we see how she misses him already just being up there...
BUCKLEY: You know, we often think about a father going away like this, but in today's Navy, you have mothers going away as well. Do you think that's different, makes it more difficult in any way?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think so, because he's close with his mother and it's just the bond between them two is a lot stronger, I think.
BUCKLEY: Who's going to look after Mando (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His father or his grandmother, her mother. Everybody, like his whole family. There's a bunch of us. We all take care of him all the time. He loves all of us -- baby?
BUCKLEY: Are you happy -- are you proud of your mama?
Good luck. Thank you very much. Let me talk with some of the other friends over here. We were talking to you earlier. Look at you. You're a U.S. Navy sailor yourself. You're a friend of Rita (ph). You've been at sea with her before, but you're still emotional. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's hard. It's real hard. It is just -- I don't like seeing her go, leaving Mando (ph) and everybody. It's hard.
BUCKLEY: Knowing that -- given the world events right now, that the U.S. appears to be moving closer and closer toward a possible military confrontation in Iraq, does that make it more difficult for all of you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes it a lot more difficult because you never know what's going to happen. Something could happen, even though you don't want it to, something could, and you start to think the worst when they leave.
BUCKLEY: All right, and other friends have come here as well. You were waving vigorously there a moment ago. You've been at sea with her as well.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... as well, and I just hope she has a really safe trip, and I hope she has a great time out there.
BUCKLEY: Tell us what the sailors are experiencing right now and the Marines. Four thousand of them headed out to sea. You know you're going to be gone for six months. Such a long time. What are you thinking right now if you're one of them pushing off?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would stay really motivated, ask for a lot of letters, and stay positive. That's the only thing you can do, stay positive, have a good outlook on everything.
BUCKLEY: Well, thank you all very much for sharing your story. Just one of the 4,000 stories that are taking place here at Pier 13 as 4,000 sailors and Marines head to sea -- Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our Frank Buckley live from San Diego. Thanks, Frank.
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 January 6, 2003 - 13:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein says the U.N. weapons inspectors are spies with hidden agendas. The inspectors deny that. Those inspectors are busy today, though, visiting at least three sites in the Baghdad area.
CNN's Rym Brahimi is live in the Iraqi capital -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra. Well, today is actually a national holiday. It is a national holiday every 6th of January because Iraqis hey celebrate Army Day. It is the 82nd anniversary this year of Iraq's armed forces, and all day on Iraqi TV we were shown pictures of the Iraqi army in its past wars. The war with Iran that lasted eight years between 1980 and 1988, and even some pictures of the 1991 Gulf War. This was, the commentary said, a day of heroism.
Now that's particularly significant this year, Kyra, in light of this huge military buildup in the gulf. Now, that's something that President Saddam Hussein addressed in a televised speech to the nation, saying that he was confident if anything happened, that the Iraqi army would stand firm and protect the nation.
Now, he made a series of other points with regard to those U.S. threats saying, first of all, that the U.S. was not only threatening Iraq, but also the entire region. Here's how he put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SADDAM HUSSEIN, PRESIDENT OF IRAQ (through translator): Iraq is not the only target in this confusion. Even if the noise is meant to intimidate us and to cover the aggression to be cited by the enemy, whatever devil so instructs him. The objective is rather perceptive. The Arab-gulf area to full, complete, and physical occupation through which to achieve many goals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRAHIMI: Now, those goals, Kyra, the president said, were not only to protect U.S. interests, but also to protect Israel's security. The president also said that the U.S. was trying to divert U.S. and international public opinion from what he said were the Bush administration's failures.
Failure, he said, to prevent the September 11 attacks, failure with the economy that he said was in shambles, and failure in Afghanistan. Now, another interesting point that you mentioned earlier on, Kyra, the president also accused the U.N. weapons inspectors of being under intense U.S. pressure going beyond their mandate to just search for weapons and actually gathering intelligence. In essence, he accused them of spying -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Rym Brahimi, live from Baghdad. Thank you.
Time to saddle up and move out. Thousands of American troops are leaving state-side bases for the Persian Gulf, getting into position for a possible war with Iraq. The hospital ship Comfort leaves Baltimore. Combat brigades of the Army's 3rd Division are ready to leave from Savannah, Georgia, and thousands of Marines are embarking today from San Diego. Our Frank Buckley is there -- hi, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra. We're at Pier 13, the USS Tarawa just getting underway. Let me show you what the scene is here dockside. This is a group of people, including 4-year- old Mando (ph). Mando (ph) is waving goodbye to his mother, who is aboard this ship, and we are going to have Demir (ph) pan around and see if we can find her. I see her up there on the rail. She's waving right now down to this group, Mando (ph) and all of the friends down here who have come to see her off. That's Rita Deleone (ph), petty officer second class. As the ship, USS Tarawa and the Tarawa Amphibious Ready Group gets underway now for a six-month deployment. This is a regular six-month deployment, but clearly given the circumstances and given the fact that one of their areas will be the Persian Gulf, this is a different kind of a deployment. Gillian (ph) here, I wanted to talk to you. You're holding Mando (ph). You are a friend of Rita (ph), her cousin.
Tell me what this moment is like for you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we've seen her leave before. The first time, he was younger, he didn't know. And now he knows, and it's harder because we see how she misses him already just being up there...
BUCKLEY: You know, we often think about a father going away like this, but in today's Navy, you have mothers going away as well. Do you think that's different, makes it more difficult in any way?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think so, because he's close with his mother and it's just the bond between them two is a lot stronger, I think.
BUCKLEY: Who's going to look after Mando (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His father or his grandmother, her mother. Everybody, like his whole family. There's a bunch of us. We all take care of him all the time. He loves all of us -- baby?
BUCKLEY: Are you happy -- are you proud of your mama?
Good luck. Thank you very much. Let me talk with some of the other friends over here. We were talking to you earlier. Look at you. You're a U.S. Navy sailor yourself. You're a friend of Rita (ph). You've been at sea with her before, but you're still emotional. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's hard. It's real hard. It is just -- I don't like seeing her go, leaving Mando (ph) and everybody. It's hard.
BUCKLEY: Knowing that -- given the world events right now, that the U.S. appears to be moving closer and closer toward a possible military confrontation in Iraq, does that make it more difficult for all of you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes it a lot more difficult because you never know what's going to happen. Something could happen, even though you don't want it to, something could, and you start to think the worst when they leave.
BUCKLEY: All right, and other friends have come here as well. You were waving vigorously there a moment ago. You've been at sea with her as well.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... as well, and I just hope she has a really safe trip, and I hope she has a great time out there.
BUCKLEY: Tell us what the sailors are experiencing right now and the Marines. Four thousand of them headed out to sea. You know you're going to be gone for six months. Such a long time. What are you thinking right now if you're one of them pushing off?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would stay really motivated, ask for a lot of letters, and stay positive. That's the only thing you can do, stay positive, have a good outlook on everything.
BUCKLEY: Well, thank you all very much for sharing your story. Just one of the 4,000 stories that are taking place here at Pier 13 as 4,000 sailors and Marines head to sea -- Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our Frank Buckley live from San Diego. Thanks, Frank.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
