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Iraqi TV Shows Video of Saddam, Two Sons

Aired March 31, 2003 - 14:28   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: Those six Republican Guard divisions outside of Baghdad, the elite, the special Republican Guard, though, remain in Baghdad itself. That's a separate unit.
Let's bring in Nic Robertson, our former Baghdad correspondent. He was there for a long time. He's now watching what's going on in nearby Jordan along the border with Iraq.

Before we get to the Republican Guard, Nic, update our viewers what's happening as far as you can tell in Baghdad tonight.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's very interesting, the talk about trying to draw the Iraqi leaders out, because that's thing we've seen on Iraqi television today, which is back up on the air after being knocked off briefly.

President Saddam Hussein appeared with his sons, Uday Saddam Hussein seated on his left, the elder son. Now, he is in charge of the Fedayeen forces, these forces are often dressed in black, sometimes in civilian clothes. They've been credited with bolstering the Iraqi forces and really making them not quit, not give in to the coalition.

Also with him at the same table was Qusay Saddam Hussein, the president's younger son. He is in charge of the center of Iraq. And he is also in charge of the Republican Guard, who were taken, as we understand, a lot of -- taking an awful lot of hits from coalition air forces at this time as they stand guard outside the south of Baghdad.

We have -- we have seen also today bombing in Baghdad apparently coming from a presidential compound. This compound was hit a number of times in the recent days. It is a compound where not only President Saddam Hussein has offices, but also his son Qusay and his son Uday both work in that vicinity. Not clear exactly what the target is, but certainly a building being re-hit after -- or certainly in an area that's been hit many, many times recently.

Also, Iraqi officials reporting a number of civilians dead in Baghdad today. Although they won't take journalists to any of the military sites, they did take them to a neighborhood that they say had been hit by coalition aircraft. We have no independent verification of that. But Iraqi officials say four civilians died and seven people were wounded in that particular attack.

We've also heard again from Iraq's minister of information today, who said that their new tactic is not to allow the coalition forces to rest up -- those were his words. We will not give them any sleep. Indeed, he indicated that Iraq's forces -- and when he talked about Iraq's forces it was interesting. He talked about the Fedayeen. He talked about the political party, the ruling Ba'ath Party, about how their volunteers were fighting, about how the tribesmen were fighting. He didn't talk too much about the regular army but very much praising these Fedayeen fighters and saying they were at the front of the resistance the coalition forces and saying that so far they've been able to surround some of the coalition forces insides Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUHAMMED-SAEED AL SAHAF, IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER (through translator): Our people, headed by Fedayeen Saddam, and our fighters and the Ba'ath Party fighters and the tribesmen, they started to find and discover these shelters of refuge or points and now about three to four of these points now are surrounded. So some parts of these neck is being cut off and one of those points was to stop -- was destroyed yesterday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Now, both foreign -- Information Minister Al Sahaf and Foreign Minister Naji Sabri have vowed that more Arab fighters will come into Iraq to help the Iraqi forces, Wolf.

BLITZER: Nic Robertson, we'll be checking back with you soon.

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 31, 2003 - 14:28   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Those six Republican Guard divisions outside of Baghdad, the elite, the special Republican Guard, though, remain in Baghdad itself. That's a separate unit.
Let's bring in Nic Robertson, our former Baghdad correspondent. He was there for a long time. He's now watching what's going on in nearby Jordan along the border with Iraq.

Before we get to the Republican Guard, Nic, update our viewers what's happening as far as you can tell in Baghdad tonight.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's very interesting, the talk about trying to draw the Iraqi leaders out, because that's thing we've seen on Iraqi television today, which is back up on the air after being knocked off briefly.

President Saddam Hussein appeared with his sons, Uday Saddam Hussein seated on his left, the elder son. Now, he is in charge of the Fedayeen forces, these forces are often dressed in black, sometimes in civilian clothes. They've been credited with bolstering the Iraqi forces and really making them not quit, not give in to the coalition.

Also with him at the same table was Qusay Saddam Hussein, the president's younger son. He is in charge of the center of Iraq. And he is also in charge of the Republican Guard, who were taken, as we understand, a lot of -- taking an awful lot of hits from coalition air forces at this time as they stand guard outside the south of Baghdad.

We have -- we have seen also today bombing in Baghdad apparently coming from a presidential compound. This compound was hit a number of times in the recent days. It is a compound where not only President Saddam Hussein has offices, but also his son Qusay and his son Uday both work in that vicinity. Not clear exactly what the target is, but certainly a building being re-hit after -- or certainly in an area that's been hit many, many times recently.

Also, Iraqi officials reporting a number of civilians dead in Baghdad today. Although they won't take journalists to any of the military sites, they did take them to a neighborhood that they say had been hit by coalition aircraft. We have no independent verification of that. But Iraqi officials say four civilians died and seven people were wounded in that particular attack.

We've also heard again from Iraq's minister of information today, who said that their new tactic is not to allow the coalition forces to rest up -- those were his words. We will not give them any sleep. Indeed, he indicated that Iraq's forces -- and when he talked about Iraq's forces it was interesting. He talked about the Fedayeen. He talked about the political party, the ruling Ba'ath Party, about how their volunteers were fighting, about how the tribesmen were fighting. He didn't talk too much about the regular army but very much praising these Fedayeen fighters and saying they were at the front of the resistance the coalition forces and saying that so far they've been able to surround some of the coalition forces insides Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUHAMMED-SAEED AL SAHAF, IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER (through translator): Our people, headed by Fedayeen Saddam, and our fighters and the Ba'ath Party fighters and the tribesmen, they started to find and discover these shelters of refuge or points and now about three to four of these points now are surrounded. So some parts of these neck is being cut off and one of those points was to stop -- was destroyed yesterday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Now, both foreign -- Information Minister Al Sahaf and Foreign Minister Naji Sabri have vowed that more Arab fighters will come into Iraq to help the Iraqi forces, Wolf.

BLITZER: Nic Robertson, we'll be checking back with you soon.

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