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Iraq Steps-Up Television, Public Appearances of Regime Members
Aired April 04, 2003 - 15:04 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: From Baghdad today, a warning for American forces. Iraq's information minister says U.S. troops this evening would face, and I'm quoting now, "something that is not traditional." CNN's Rym Brahimi is joining us live from Amman, Jordan to talk about that and the Saddam Hussein videotapes.
First of all, this warning from the Iraqi information minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, Rym, what do you make of this?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, Wolf, it all ties into what we've also seen with the pictures of the crowds cheering for president Saddam Hussein that aired on Iraqi TV.
Let's start by and that then we'll get back to the as the half -- threats, if you will. The crowd basically, the area that this is taking place in is an area in Baghdad that's close to the highway to Jordan. That's not a very populated area. It's not a very crowded area at the best of times. So imagine, when, under the current circumstances, there wouldn't normally such a huge crowd. It's very likely a set-up.
And then you also take of course the smoke in the background. That's quite revealing, but it could mean the smoke is real, that the person that they say is President Saddam Hussein could not be real in that case.
And then, of course, there's a question of timing. It's very critical timing, at a moment when the airport has been taken by coalition forces, and Iraq is making every effort to say that the Iraqi regime is making every effort to say that it is still in place.
Now, Wolf, President Saddam Hussein has not been seen in public in recent years. In fact, since three years ago was the last time he made a public appearance. The rest of the time, all his features were pre-taped, even the major speeches.
And the finally, there's the question it doesn't matter whether it's him or not on those tapes. The question is -- one, the significance of it is they are answering to those reports that are sent out by coalition forces by saying they're still in charge. And, two, they're not even addressing the Iraqi public because as you mentioned, Wolf, there's no electricity in most parts of Baghdad. So they're clearly sending a message to the outside world that the system is functioning. How that system is functioning, again, you don't only see those tapes of president Saddam Hussein, but you see tapes of Naji Sabri. The Iraqi foreign minister was shown on television today attending a mosque service at 1:00 p.m. And then you also had this briefing by Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the information minister, and he threatened the United States coalition forces at the airport saying that this was going to turn into some sort of isolated island,. Literally saying this would be their grave yard and they'd not be able to come out from there alive. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED SAEED AL-SAHAF, IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER: This evening we will carry out something that is untraditional against them. Not conventional.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRAHIMI: Now, there were a lot of questions, as you mentioned, again, Wolf, as to why the coalition forces didn't take out Iraqi TV since the beginning of the campaign. They did try but on the other hand, I understand that some people in Washington have been saying that it's actually quite useful to them to be able to monitor Iraqi air.
Back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Well, did Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf explain in any further detail what he meant by nontraditional or unconventional methods? I understand he did say in response to one question he was not referring to weapons of mass destruction.
BRAHIMI: Absolutely. He seemed to clarify throughout the press conference that he was not referring to chemical weapons or biological weapons or anything of that sort.
But again, he said it would be something not traditional. And he said not traditional military means, but it will be something that will happen tonight.
Again, very threatening, saying that this airport was going to be turned into an island from which nobody would come out alive which is interesting, because, of course, when news first arrived that the coalition forces had taken the airport, there were a lot of questions as to whether or not they'd manage having taken the airport to isolate Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, from the rest of the world -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Rym Brahimi, reporting for us from Amman, Jordan tonight. Rym, thanks very much.
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Aired April 4, 2003 - 15:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: From Baghdad today, a warning for American forces. Iraq's information minister says U.S. troops this evening would face, and I'm quoting now, "something that is not traditional." CNN's Rym Brahimi is joining us live from Amman, Jordan to talk about that and the Saddam Hussein videotapes.
First of all, this warning from the Iraqi information minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, Rym, what do you make of this?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, Wolf, it all ties into what we've also seen with the pictures of the crowds cheering for president Saddam Hussein that aired on Iraqi TV.
Let's start by and that then we'll get back to the as the half -- threats, if you will. The crowd basically, the area that this is taking place in is an area in Baghdad that's close to the highway to Jordan. That's not a very populated area. It's not a very crowded area at the best of times. So imagine, when, under the current circumstances, there wouldn't normally such a huge crowd. It's very likely a set-up.
And then you also take of course the smoke in the background. That's quite revealing, but it could mean the smoke is real, that the person that they say is President Saddam Hussein could not be real in that case.
And then, of course, there's a question of timing. It's very critical timing, at a moment when the airport has been taken by coalition forces, and Iraq is making every effort to say that the Iraqi regime is making every effort to say that it is still in place.
Now, Wolf, President Saddam Hussein has not been seen in public in recent years. In fact, since three years ago was the last time he made a public appearance. The rest of the time, all his features were pre-taped, even the major speeches.
And the finally, there's the question it doesn't matter whether it's him or not on those tapes. The question is -- one, the significance of it is they are answering to those reports that are sent out by coalition forces by saying they're still in charge. And, two, they're not even addressing the Iraqi public because as you mentioned, Wolf, there's no electricity in most parts of Baghdad. So they're clearly sending a message to the outside world that the system is functioning. How that system is functioning, again, you don't only see those tapes of president Saddam Hussein, but you see tapes of Naji Sabri. The Iraqi foreign minister was shown on television today attending a mosque service at 1:00 p.m. And then you also had this briefing by Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the information minister, and he threatened the United States coalition forces at the airport saying that this was going to turn into some sort of isolated island,. Literally saying this would be their grave yard and they'd not be able to come out from there alive. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED SAEED AL-SAHAF, IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER: This evening we will carry out something that is untraditional against them. Not conventional.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRAHIMI: Now, there were a lot of questions, as you mentioned, again, Wolf, as to why the coalition forces didn't take out Iraqi TV since the beginning of the campaign. They did try but on the other hand, I understand that some people in Washington have been saying that it's actually quite useful to them to be able to monitor Iraqi air.
Back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Well, did Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf explain in any further detail what he meant by nontraditional or unconventional methods? I understand he did say in response to one question he was not referring to weapons of mass destruction.
BRAHIMI: Absolutely. He seemed to clarify throughout the press conference that he was not referring to chemical weapons or biological weapons or anything of that sort.
But again, he said it would be something not traditional. And he said not traditional military means, but it will be something that will happen tonight.
Again, very threatening, saying that this airport was going to be turned into an island from which nobody would come out alive which is interesting, because, of course, when news first arrived that the coalition forces had taken the airport, there were a lot of questions as to whether or not they'd manage having taken the airport to isolate Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, from the rest of the world -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Rym Brahimi, reporting for us from Amman, Jordan tonight. Rym, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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