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U.S. Marines, Former Iraqi Policemen Patrolling Streets of Baghdad Trying to Bring Law and Order Back to Iraq

Aired April 14, 2003 - 14:17   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: There are developments unfolding of course in the streets of Baghdad right now, the Iraqi capital. That's where we find CNN's Rula Amin, our eyes and our ears for us right now. Rula, what's the latest in Baghdad?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the latest is that U.S. Marines along with former Iraqi policemen were patrolling the streets of Baghdad today, trying to bring law and order back to Iraq. But still, no sense of security among residents of the Iraqi capital.

The looters have ransacked almost every government building. And today they went to one of Baghdad's major libraries. They looted the place. They broke the furniture. They took away some of the furniture, some of the books. And then they set the library on fire. Many Iraqis were outraged at the scene. This is something very symbolic for Iraqis are very proud of themselves as people who read a lot. They read. They print books.

And they consider this as a big blow to their heritage and the future of Iraq. They say this was a bad scene. They calling on the Marines to take an active role and the Marines have been doing that in the past two days.

Today at one neighborhood in Baghdad, some men tried to rob a bank. They went in with Rocket Propelled Grenade to force themselves -- to force their way into the bank. They managed to do that but the Marines came in very quickly. They arrested the men and they pushed the people who were waiting outside in order to go to the bank after the robbers, they pushed them aside and they made it very clear that the message from this move is that looting is not and will not be tolerated in Baghdad anymore -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Rula, we had heard earlier that there are some major efforts under way to try to recover some of the stolen artwork, the treasures that were looted that were stolen from some of the museums in Baghdad. That the U.S. military has now been tasked to help relocate, to help find some of these priceless artifacts, archaeological gems, remnants of Iraq's history. Have you seen any indication that that effort is now under way?

AMIN: We have seen efforts on part of civilians, Iraqi civilians and Iraqi residents. Just regular people, who have been trying to stop the looters. We did go to a few places. Today we went to one and the other day we went to a mosque where residents have taken up guns. They were stopping cars they suspected of being loaded with spoils from the looting. They were taking all these goodies and they were taking them to -- most of the time to mosques, where they were gathering all the stuff.

Today we were actually at a parking spot. And there the people were stopping the cars, putting them inside the parking lot and they were telling us that some of it -- there were some generators in among the goodies or something. They intend to use it in order to provide electricity and power to some of the poor neighborhoods.

But no word yet that some of these valuable items have been recovered yet -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Rula Amin in Baghdad for us. Rula, 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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Aired April 14, 2003 - 14:17   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: There are developments unfolding of course in the streets of Baghdad right now, the Iraqi capital. That's where we find CNN's Rula Amin, our eyes and our ears for us right now. Rula, what's the latest in Baghdad?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the latest is that U.S. Marines along with former Iraqi policemen were patrolling the streets of Baghdad today, trying to bring law and order back to Iraq. But still, no sense of security among residents of the Iraqi capital.

The looters have ransacked almost every government building. And today they went to one of Baghdad's major libraries. They looted the place. They broke the furniture. They took away some of the furniture, some of the books. And then they set the library on fire. Many Iraqis were outraged at the scene. This is something very symbolic for Iraqis are very proud of themselves as people who read a lot. They read. They print books.

And they consider this as a big blow to their heritage and the future of Iraq. They say this was a bad scene. They calling on the Marines to take an active role and the Marines have been doing that in the past two days.

Today at one neighborhood in Baghdad, some men tried to rob a bank. They went in with Rocket Propelled Grenade to force themselves -- to force their way into the bank. They managed to do that but the Marines came in very quickly. They arrested the men and they pushed the people who were waiting outside in order to go to the bank after the robbers, they pushed them aside and they made it very clear that the message from this move is that looting is not and will not be tolerated in Baghdad anymore -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Rula, we had heard earlier that there are some major efforts under way to try to recover some of the stolen artwork, the treasures that were looted that were stolen from some of the museums in Baghdad. That the U.S. military has now been tasked to help relocate, to help find some of these priceless artifacts, archaeological gems, remnants of Iraq's history. Have you seen any indication that that effort is now under way?

AMIN: We have seen efforts on part of civilians, Iraqi civilians and Iraqi residents. Just regular people, who have been trying to stop the looters. We did go to a few places. Today we went to one and the other day we went to a mosque where residents have taken up guns. They were stopping cars they suspected of being loaded with spoils from the looting. They were taking all these goodies and they were taking them to -- most of the time to mosques, where they were gathering all the stuff.

Today we were actually at a parking spot. And there the people were stopping the cars, putting them inside the parking lot and they were telling us that some of it -- there were some generators in among the goodies or something. They intend to use it in order to provide electricity and power to some of the poor neighborhoods.

But no word yet that some of these valuable items have been recovered yet -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Rula Amin in Baghdad for us. Rula, 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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