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Analysis With Nic Robertson of New Saddam Hussein Video
Aired April 04, 2003 - 14:14 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well, getting back now to those pictures, those pictures we've been looking at very closely of Saddam Hussein today in two different settings, it's been, by some accounts, three years since the last plausible public appearance of Saddam Hussein.
So these pictures that we saw today, and especially the pictures of what appears to be Saddam Hussein walking around Baghdad, would be big news even without the war.
Joining us now with his own impressions and information, CNN's Nic Robertson. He's in Ruwaishad, Jordan.
Nic, I know you've had a chance to look at the pictures. What do you make of them?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, I think there are some things in this that we can be sure of. Number one, it is in Baghdad.
There's a monument there that's on the western outskirts of the city, that is -- that I know and many people that would travel the western highway from Amman, Jordan, into Baghdad, would recognize that monument. When you see that, you know you've arrived in the city. It's a unique monument. So I think that's clear, it is in Baghdad.
Judging from the smoke that was drifting up in some of the shots, it would seem to be during this period of bombing over the city.
What is unclear is whether or not this is President Saddam Hussein or not. There's certainly a lot of jubilation from the people around him, and even in that -- you can even see an element of surprise on their faces.
But there are some things here that are perhaps uncharacteristic about the Iraqi leader. The very fact that he would stand up and expose himself high above the people, that would put him in danger.
The fact that he would even touch people, shake their hands, slap them on the hand, that's uncharacteristic in two ways, one, because we know from people that have met with him, they have to go through extremely tight security, and, indeed, washing and disinfecting before they can touch him, because of, apparently, his concerns about catching diseases.
And when we -- when people have met him, they said he deports himself in a very presidential manner. What we saw today was somebody slapping hands and being very relaxed and jolly, if you will. This is not the President Saddam Hussein that we normally see on Iraqi television.
So very difficult to tell, from that point of view, whether it's the Iraqi leader.
It is certainly a morale booster for the Iraqi people that have seen him. and it will certainly boost their spirits. But this type of mixing with the people, it's not only that President Saddam Hussein hasn't been seen in public for almost three years, but the last time that he really did this type of thing in any substantial manner was back in 1982. Up until that time, during his leadership, he would appear on the streets, he would pop into people's houses and suchlike.
But following two assassination attempts, he stopped doing that. So it's untypical, in that view.
His speech today on Iraqi television, essentially calling on people to defend the city, again, very much Iraq -- the Iraqi leadership pulling out all its stops, trying, by using quotes about recent events, to lay to rest any concerns that he may be dead at this time.
But his bottom-line message to the people and the message coming through loud and clear that even a lookalike would be out on the streets today, that is, stand firm, and what he told the Iraqi people today is, If you stand firm, then you will be able to defeat the coalition forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SADDAM HUSSEIN, PRESIDENT OF IRAQ (through translator): The enemy is trying very desperately to confuse your steadfastness and your bravery and your confrontation. And, therefore, they are bypassing the defensive lines around Baghdad, just like around other Iraqi cities in general, and avoid to confront those lines.
Or they would test those lines, and if they find it strong, then they will avoid engaging, and instead, they will skirt these lines, and they will airdrop here and there, just like we expected before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Judy, in the last half an hour, I talked with a source in Baghdad and learned a number of details of things that are happening in the city. We know from our pictures that there's been bombing this evening, again, perhaps not as heavy as some of the past nights, but still significant amount of bombing going on in the city.
My source also tells me that electricity is being restored to some areas of the city. From where he's located, the west of the city and some of the north of the city seems to have had electricity restored. Lights are back on in those areas.
Also, he understands that a number of the Republican Guard and militia forces are gathering close to the -- close to Saddam International Airport. That has been happening throughout the day.
He also understands that a number of artillery -- antiaircraft guns have been moved back into the city. Those have been seen on the road coming back into Baghdad today.
And certainly from what the information minister has had to say today about a response to the arrival of coalition forces at Saddam International Airport, there will be an untraditional attack on that airport, perhaps involving, the information minister said, martyrdom operations, suicide missions.
Certainly out -- my source telling me that there are a large number of troops gathering quite close to the airport there in Baghdad tonight, Judy.
WOODRUFF: Well, Nic, that would be a significant development, if that's the case, because we have the impression from listening to not only the Pentagon, but other military sources, that coalition forces seem to be largely in control of the airport. They are still meeting with resistance, they say. We are learning they are adding reinforcements tonight. They have said that they plan to add hundreds of reinforcements tonight.
But Nic, I also want to ask you about the reports that thousands of Iraqi citizens, the newswire is reporting, leaving Baghdad tonight in vehicles, some of it described as bumper-to-bumper traffic, heading out of the city, much of it in the direction of the east.
How does that square with Saddam Hussein asking his people to stand up and fight for the regime?
ROBERTSON: Well, Judy, I think the best assessment is definitely coming from the embedded reporters who are traveling towards Baghdad and can see those people leaving. The sources that we have and that I talked to are in the city, so they are not able to witness those types of movements.
But it doesn't square at all with President Saddam Hussein calling on people to stand and fight. It squares with the fact, and this is something we've known for some time, that people are exceptionally concerned about how they are going to survive the war.
And now it's come and arrived at Baghdad, essentially on their doorsteps. They are now doing the best thing that they think is safest for them, and that is to leave the city and get out of what they expect is harm's way.
So it doesn't square, and it seems to be that some people moving out of the city, again, it is a city normally of 5 million. It's difficult to assess how many people would be left there. But the city probably has at least several million people left within the metropolitan area of Baghdad. Several hundreds at this time leaving would not yet constitute the mass evacuation of the city. Certainly that would be a much larger -- on a much larger scale.
But the very fact that people are choosing to leave shows just how scared they are about this situation, Judy.
WOODRUFF: No question about it, Nic. And we should point out, those people had the opportunity -- some of them, at least, had the opportunity -- to leave ahead of time. We know that anecdotally, but they decided to stay.
Nic Robertson, reporting for us from right across the border with Iraq in Jordan.
And the most significant thing he was telling us is from talking to sources inside Baghdad. He is hearing that there are a number of Republican Guard and militia forces who are gathering close to the international airport there. That's the airport that coalition forces have surrounded, taken over, still facing some resistance, but they are largely in control of.
So we may be moving closer to some sort of significant event tonight.
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 April 4, 2003 - 14:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well, getting back now to those pictures, those pictures we've been looking at very closely of Saddam Hussein today in two different settings, it's been, by some accounts, three years since the last plausible public appearance of Saddam Hussein.
So these pictures that we saw today, and especially the pictures of what appears to be Saddam Hussein walking around Baghdad, would be big news even without the war.
Joining us now with his own impressions and information, CNN's Nic Robertson. He's in Ruwaishad, Jordan.
Nic, I know you've had a chance to look at the pictures. What do you make of them?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, I think there are some things in this that we can be sure of. Number one, it is in Baghdad.
There's a monument there that's on the western outskirts of the city, that is -- that I know and many people that would travel the western highway from Amman, Jordan, into Baghdad, would recognize that monument. When you see that, you know you've arrived in the city. It's a unique monument. So I think that's clear, it is in Baghdad.
Judging from the smoke that was drifting up in some of the shots, it would seem to be during this period of bombing over the city.
What is unclear is whether or not this is President Saddam Hussein or not. There's certainly a lot of jubilation from the people around him, and even in that -- you can even see an element of surprise on their faces.
But there are some things here that are perhaps uncharacteristic about the Iraqi leader. The very fact that he would stand up and expose himself high above the people, that would put him in danger.
The fact that he would even touch people, shake their hands, slap them on the hand, that's uncharacteristic in two ways, one, because we know from people that have met with him, they have to go through extremely tight security, and, indeed, washing and disinfecting before they can touch him, because of, apparently, his concerns about catching diseases.
And when we -- when people have met him, they said he deports himself in a very presidential manner. What we saw today was somebody slapping hands and being very relaxed and jolly, if you will. This is not the President Saddam Hussein that we normally see on Iraqi television.
So very difficult to tell, from that point of view, whether it's the Iraqi leader.
It is certainly a morale booster for the Iraqi people that have seen him. and it will certainly boost their spirits. But this type of mixing with the people, it's not only that President Saddam Hussein hasn't been seen in public for almost three years, but the last time that he really did this type of thing in any substantial manner was back in 1982. Up until that time, during his leadership, he would appear on the streets, he would pop into people's houses and suchlike.
But following two assassination attempts, he stopped doing that. So it's untypical, in that view.
His speech today on Iraqi television, essentially calling on people to defend the city, again, very much Iraq -- the Iraqi leadership pulling out all its stops, trying, by using quotes about recent events, to lay to rest any concerns that he may be dead at this time.
But his bottom-line message to the people and the message coming through loud and clear that even a lookalike would be out on the streets today, that is, stand firm, and what he told the Iraqi people today is, If you stand firm, then you will be able to defeat the coalition forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SADDAM HUSSEIN, PRESIDENT OF IRAQ (through translator): The enemy is trying very desperately to confuse your steadfastness and your bravery and your confrontation. And, therefore, they are bypassing the defensive lines around Baghdad, just like around other Iraqi cities in general, and avoid to confront those lines.
Or they would test those lines, and if they find it strong, then they will avoid engaging, and instead, they will skirt these lines, and they will airdrop here and there, just like we expected before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Judy, in the last half an hour, I talked with a source in Baghdad and learned a number of details of things that are happening in the city. We know from our pictures that there's been bombing this evening, again, perhaps not as heavy as some of the past nights, but still significant amount of bombing going on in the city.
My source also tells me that electricity is being restored to some areas of the city. From where he's located, the west of the city and some of the north of the city seems to have had electricity restored. Lights are back on in those areas.
Also, he understands that a number of the Republican Guard and militia forces are gathering close to the -- close to Saddam International Airport. That has been happening throughout the day.
He also understands that a number of artillery -- antiaircraft guns have been moved back into the city. Those have been seen on the road coming back into Baghdad today.
And certainly from what the information minister has had to say today about a response to the arrival of coalition forces at Saddam International Airport, there will be an untraditional attack on that airport, perhaps involving, the information minister said, martyrdom operations, suicide missions.
Certainly out -- my source telling me that there are a large number of troops gathering quite close to the airport there in Baghdad tonight, Judy.
WOODRUFF: Well, Nic, that would be a significant development, if that's the case, because we have the impression from listening to not only the Pentagon, but other military sources, that coalition forces seem to be largely in control of the airport. They are still meeting with resistance, they say. We are learning they are adding reinforcements tonight. They have said that they plan to add hundreds of reinforcements tonight.
But Nic, I also want to ask you about the reports that thousands of Iraqi citizens, the newswire is reporting, leaving Baghdad tonight in vehicles, some of it described as bumper-to-bumper traffic, heading out of the city, much of it in the direction of the east.
How does that square with Saddam Hussein asking his people to stand up and fight for the regime?
ROBERTSON: Well, Judy, I think the best assessment is definitely coming from the embedded reporters who are traveling towards Baghdad and can see those people leaving. The sources that we have and that I talked to are in the city, so they are not able to witness those types of movements.
But it doesn't square at all with President Saddam Hussein calling on people to stand and fight. It squares with the fact, and this is something we've known for some time, that people are exceptionally concerned about how they are going to survive the war.
And now it's come and arrived at Baghdad, essentially on their doorsteps. They are now doing the best thing that they think is safest for them, and that is to leave the city and get out of what they expect is harm's way.
So it doesn't square, and it seems to be that some people moving out of the city, again, it is a city normally of 5 million. It's difficult to assess how many people would be left there. But the city probably has at least several million people left within the metropolitan area of Baghdad. Several hundreds at this time leaving would not yet constitute the mass evacuation of the city. Certainly that would be a much larger -- on a much larger scale.
But the very fact that people are choosing to leave shows just how scared they are about this situation, Judy.
WOODRUFF: No question about it, Nic. And we should point out, those people had the opportunity -- some of them, at least, had the opportunity -- to leave ahead of time. We know that anecdotally, but they decided to stay.
Nic Robertson, reporting for us from right across the border with Iraq in Jordan.
And the most significant thing he was telling us is from talking to sources inside Baghdad. He is hearing that there are a number of Republican Guard and militia forces who are gathering close to the international airport there. That's the airport that coalition forces have surrounded, taken over, still facing some resistance, but they are largely in control of.
So we may be moving closer to some sort of significant event tonight.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
