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Interview With Bargesse Al-Bargesse

Aired March 27, 2003 - 13:46   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.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go to "New York Times" reporter Steven Myers. He is one of those embedded journalists. Steven, if you can hear me. I hear you're somewhere in central Iraq. I don't know if you can give us a specific location. From your vantage point what can you see? What can you tell us about this war?
STEVEN MYERS, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": I'm with the 3rd Infantry Division, which is located, we can say, north of Najaf in central Iraq. What's happened here is they've -- units of the division have basically encircled the city and are trying to cut it off, cut off reinforcements coming from the north, from Baghdad. What we're seeing now over the last two days is fairly intense fighting with the irregular troops, as well as today, the first elements of the Republican Guard troops, trying to get back to Najaf and reinforce it. I was in a little village called Kiffal (ph), about 25 kilometers north of Najaf today, and the fighting was continuing there now for a third day. With elements, armored tanks and other units from the division, basically trying to block a road and keeping Iraqi troops from getting to the city.

Wolf Blitzer: Do the Iraqi Republican Guard soldiers that are encountering the 3rd Infantry, the troops you're covering right now, do the Iraqi's seem well trained, motivated? Are they ready to fight and die?

MYERS: One of the things that have seemed to surprise a lot of officers here is that they are quite determined. It's not clear how -- well organized they are, but they do seem -- some of them at least -- to be fairly well equipped. The night before last, the one of the -- divisions of the cavalry troops lost two tanks that were damaged and a Bradley that was damaged by missile fire. Today there were -- there were still more of these assaults coming from the Saddam Fedayeen group, and as I said, some of the -- what they say were the first Republican Guard soldiers that they had encountered. One prisoner who was wounded and being treated by the Americans was, told an interpreter, a military interpreter, that he went -- belonged to the Republican Guard first division and he and 450 members of his brigade had been sent south. They do seem quite determined to challenge them, though, not very effectively. It's, so far from what I've seen been a fairly one-sided battle around here.

BLITZER: Steven Myers of the "New York Times" take care of yourself over there. We'll be checking back with you. Thanks for calling in and we'll continue to monitor what's happening around Najaf, a key location south of Baghdad. Looks like a serious battle is heating up there. I want to bring in now, on the phone, the President of the Red Crescent which is the international -- the local version of the Red Cross -- to discuss humanitarian aid supplies that are beginning, beginning, to get through to some Iraqi civilians in the southern part of Iraq.

Mr. Al-Bargesse, thank you so much for joining us. There has been a report on the BBC, I don't know if you're familiar with it, suggesting that there's disarray, that the humanitarian shipments from the Kuwaiti branch of the Red Crescent are simply being looted not being distributed, not getting to the people in southern Iraq who really need it but are getting into the wrong hand. I wonder if you can tell us what you're hearing.

BARGESSE AL-BARGESSE, PRESIDENT, RED CRESCENT: Well, thank you very much. But I heard this news that they hijacked a car (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that's not true. Absolutely, it's all the cars came yesterday to the headquarters of the Red Crescent in Kuwait. Nothing, but one of the cars really but all the children around south of Iraq, they are all hungry, and very happy and they jumped inside the car and they want to take all aid, the cartons, the food, they want to collect it as soon as possible. That's all. And nothing happened at all. And I heard this evening that BBC that, and I don't know who, they said this hijacking, the car, that's not true, absolutely not. You can quote me, that's absolutely not true.

BLITZER: I was going to say, this is the second day that humanitarian shipments have come into this town in the southern part of Iraq, along the border with Kuwait Safwan and if we have a map we can put it up, show our viewers where Safwan is. What you're saying is the Kuwaiti Red Crescent shipments are getting through to the people who really need it and that this hijacking of one truck as widely described now, on the BBC and elsewhere, simply didn't happen? Is that what you're saying, sir?

AL-BARGESSE: Well what we said really to the people at home who badly in need in Safwan. And nothing happened at all, and we are ready to, anybody to come to recheck everything.

BLITZER: What is the expectation in the next day or two or three for getting food and essential supplies to civilians to needy Iraqis in the southern part Iraq?

AL-BARGESSE: Yes, of course, we are going, we may, tomorrow morning, we may go there and we are preparing to go tomorrow and after tomorrow, and you know we will continue as well as -- as much as we need us, we are happy to give anybody -- any zone is a free.

BLITZER: Is there people beyond Safwan is there any other places in southern Iraq where it's safe enough for the Red Crescent to come in with food and supplies?

AL-BARGESSE: Well, right across, no it isn't. As of now, I have no idea, but we are expecting more area will be free and secure and certainly we'll move, even Basra, if it's secure, we're going to move, especially when as they are badly in need for water, even. BLITZER: Mr. Al-Bargesse, I know these are important days. Thank you so much for joining us. The president of the Red Crescent here in Kuwait, the Red Crescent trying to deal with a humanitarian, a potential crisis.

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 March 27, 2003 - 13:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go to "New York Times" reporter Steven Myers. He is one of those embedded journalists. Steven, if you can hear me. I hear you're somewhere in central Iraq. I don't know if you can give us a specific location. From your vantage point what can you see? What can you tell us about this war?
STEVEN MYERS, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": I'm with the 3rd Infantry Division, which is located, we can say, north of Najaf in central Iraq. What's happened here is they've -- units of the division have basically encircled the city and are trying to cut it off, cut off reinforcements coming from the north, from Baghdad. What we're seeing now over the last two days is fairly intense fighting with the irregular troops, as well as today, the first elements of the Republican Guard troops, trying to get back to Najaf and reinforce it. I was in a little village called Kiffal (ph), about 25 kilometers north of Najaf today, and the fighting was continuing there now for a third day. With elements, armored tanks and other units from the division, basically trying to block a road and keeping Iraqi troops from getting to the city.

Wolf Blitzer: Do the Iraqi Republican Guard soldiers that are encountering the 3rd Infantry, the troops you're covering right now, do the Iraqi's seem well trained, motivated? Are they ready to fight and die?

MYERS: One of the things that have seemed to surprise a lot of officers here is that they are quite determined. It's not clear how -- well organized they are, but they do seem -- some of them at least -- to be fairly well equipped. The night before last, the one of the -- divisions of the cavalry troops lost two tanks that were damaged and a Bradley that was damaged by missile fire. Today there were -- there were still more of these assaults coming from the Saddam Fedayeen group, and as I said, some of the -- what they say were the first Republican Guard soldiers that they had encountered. One prisoner who was wounded and being treated by the Americans was, told an interpreter, a military interpreter, that he went -- belonged to the Republican Guard first division and he and 450 members of his brigade had been sent south. They do seem quite determined to challenge them, though, not very effectively. It's, so far from what I've seen been a fairly one-sided battle around here.

BLITZER: Steven Myers of the "New York Times" take care of yourself over there. We'll be checking back with you. Thanks for calling in and we'll continue to monitor what's happening around Najaf, a key location south of Baghdad. Looks like a serious battle is heating up there. I want to bring in now, on the phone, the President of the Red Crescent which is the international -- the local version of the Red Cross -- to discuss humanitarian aid supplies that are beginning, beginning, to get through to some Iraqi civilians in the southern part of Iraq.

Mr. Al-Bargesse, thank you so much for joining us. There has been a report on the BBC, I don't know if you're familiar with it, suggesting that there's disarray, that the humanitarian shipments from the Kuwaiti branch of the Red Crescent are simply being looted not being distributed, not getting to the people in southern Iraq who really need it but are getting into the wrong hand. I wonder if you can tell us what you're hearing.

BARGESSE AL-BARGESSE, PRESIDENT, RED CRESCENT: Well, thank you very much. But I heard this news that they hijacked a car (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that's not true. Absolutely, it's all the cars came yesterday to the headquarters of the Red Crescent in Kuwait. Nothing, but one of the cars really but all the children around south of Iraq, they are all hungry, and very happy and they jumped inside the car and they want to take all aid, the cartons, the food, they want to collect it as soon as possible. That's all. And nothing happened at all. And I heard this evening that BBC that, and I don't know who, they said this hijacking, the car, that's not true, absolutely not. You can quote me, that's absolutely not true.

BLITZER: I was going to say, this is the second day that humanitarian shipments have come into this town in the southern part of Iraq, along the border with Kuwait Safwan and if we have a map we can put it up, show our viewers where Safwan is. What you're saying is the Kuwaiti Red Crescent shipments are getting through to the people who really need it and that this hijacking of one truck as widely described now, on the BBC and elsewhere, simply didn't happen? Is that what you're saying, sir?

AL-BARGESSE: Well what we said really to the people at home who badly in need in Safwan. And nothing happened at all, and we are ready to, anybody to come to recheck everything.

BLITZER: What is the expectation in the next day or two or three for getting food and essential supplies to civilians to needy Iraqis in the southern part Iraq?

AL-BARGESSE: Yes, of course, we are going, we may, tomorrow morning, we may go there and we are preparing to go tomorrow and after tomorrow, and you know we will continue as well as -- as much as we need us, we are happy to give anybody -- any zone is a free.

BLITZER: Is there people beyond Safwan is there any other places in southern Iraq where it's safe enough for the Red Crescent to come in with food and supplies?

AL-BARGESSE: Well, right across, no it isn't. As of now, I have no idea, but we are expecting more area will be free and secure and certainly we'll move, even Basra, if it's secure, we're going to move, especially when as they are badly in need for water, even. BLITZER: Mr. Al-Bargesse, I know these are important days. Thank you so much for joining us. The president of the Red Crescent here in Kuwait, the Red Crescent trying to deal with a humanitarian, a potential crisis.

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