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Looting Abating in Baghdad
Aired April 17, 2003 - 15:02 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.
PHILLIPS: More than a week after the fall of Baghdad, coalition forces say they still are relentlessly pursuing leaders of Saddam Hussein's regime, and they have a new prisoner to prove it, the capture of another of Saddam's half brothers is one of the headlines today from Baghdad.
CNN's Nic Robertson live from the Iraqi capital. Tell us more, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, that particular brother, Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti will likely be able to provide coalition forces with a lot of intelligence, a lot of information about Saddam Hussein, maybe even information about his whereabouts.
Likely be able to provide some good information and intelligence on his financial disposition at this time. Barzan was Iraq's and Saddam Hussein's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva from 1988 until the late 1990s.
During that time, he was widely believed to be managing Saddam Hussein's personal international bank accounts in Geneva. He also looked after Uday Saddam Hussein, the president's elder son, when he left Iraq for a little time, a very trusted member of the leadership's family here in Iraq.
He was also the head of intelligence from 1979 to 1983. Likely be able to pass on some of that key information to coalition forces. And only a few days ago his brother, Watban, another half-brother of the former Iraqi leader, was also arrested. So between them, likely a lot of information, potentially, to be passed to the coalition. Also another find, potentially another trove of useful and perhaps very timely information for the coalition forces. Al-Jazeera, the Arab news network, say they have discovered a hiding place in Baghdad where Saddam Hussein was, they believe, spending the last few days of the war. They say that at that location they found -- discovered a room. The room that matches a description -- or matches the pictures of those images we saw of Saddam Hussein in the last few days of the war, meeting with his cabinet ministers, meeting with his military commanders. Also at that house has been discovered a presidential seal, cologne of the type used by the former president, and a uniform that has the insignia on it that perhaps belongs to the former Iraqi leader as well.
Now, according to Al-Jazeera, this building was being used, perhaps, right up until the last days of the war. So potentially this hideaway of the former Iraqi leader, will also prove very useful to coalition forces -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Nic, what about the looting situation? For days, we saw some just horrific pictures of businesses being just torn apart by the Iraqi people. What's the latest? Is there still looting going on? How is business -- if there is any business at all that is picking up?
ROBERTSON: Some business is picking up. Some small stores are opening, nothing big. The situation in downtown Baghdad is still somewhat chaotic. The widespread looting that we saw over the last week has pretty much died down. I saw another bank, though, in the center of Baghdad burning today, but it's nothing in comparison to the last week or so.
Indeed, we've seen over the last couple of days looters turning in or handing back over to the sort of emerging local authorities, if you will, equipment that's been looted, goods that have been looted. Indeed, the Red Crescent, a medical aid organization here in Baghdad, have had turned back into them some medical supplies, some vaccines and a whole hodgepodge of other medical equipment, medical goods that apparently had been looted from hospitals. So some of it being turned back in.
But you know, out on the streets in Baghdad, the looters are still out there, low level, looking for opportunities, and there are still men with weapons roaming the streets just looking for the chance to steal something. But the opportunities really don't seem to be there, and the overall picture is looting on the decrease at this time -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our Nic Robertson, live from Baghdad. Thanks so much, Nic.
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 17, 2003 - 15:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PHILLIPS: More than a week after the fall of Baghdad, coalition forces say they still are relentlessly pursuing leaders of Saddam Hussein's regime, and they have a new prisoner to prove it, the capture of another of Saddam's half brothers is one of the headlines today from Baghdad.
CNN's Nic Robertson live from the Iraqi capital. Tell us more, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, that particular brother, Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti will likely be able to provide coalition forces with a lot of intelligence, a lot of information about Saddam Hussein, maybe even information about his whereabouts.
Likely be able to provide some good information and intelligence on his financial disposition at this time. Barzan was Iraq's and Saddam Hussein's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva from 1988 until the late 1990s.
During that time, he was widely believed to be managing Saddam Hussein's personal international bank accounts in Geneva. He also looked after Uday Saddam Hussein, the president's elder son, when he left Iraq for a little time, a very trusted member of the leadership's family here in Iraq.
He was also the head of intelligence from 1979 to 1983. Likely be able to pass on some of that key information to coalition forces. And only a few days ago his brother, Watban, another half-brother of the former Iraqi leader, was also arrested. So between them, likely a lot of information, potentially, to be passed to the coalition. Also another find, potentially another trove of useful and perhaps very timely information for the coalition forces. Al-Jazeera, the Arab news network, say they have discovered a hiding place in Baghdad where Saddam Hussein was, they believe, spending the last few days of the war. They say that at that location they found -- discovered a room. The room that matches a description -- or matches the pictures of those images we saw of Saddam Hussein in the last few days of the war, meeting with his cabinet ministers, meeting with his military commanders. Also at that house has been discovered a presidential seal, cologne of the type used by the former president, and a uniform that has the insignia on it that perhaps belongs to the former Iraqi leader as well.
Now, according to Al-Jazeera, this building was being used, perhaps, right up until the last days of the war. So potentially this hideaway of the former Iraqi leader, will also prove very useful to coalition forces -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Nic, what about the looting situation? For days, we saw some just horrific pictures of businesses being just torn apart by the Iraqi people. What's the latest? Is there still looting going on? How is business -- if there is any business at all that is picking up?
ROBERTSON: Some business is picking up. Some small stores are opening, nothing big. The situation in downtown Baghdad is still somewhat chaotic. The widespread looting that we saw over the last week has pretty much died down. I saw another bank, though, in the center of Baghdad burning today, but it's nothing in comparison to the last week or so.
Indeed, we've seen over the last couple of days looters turning in or handing back over to the sort of emerging local authorities, if you will, equipment that's been looted, goods that have been looted. Indeed, the Red Crescent, a medical aid organization here in Baghdad, have had turned back into them some medical supplies, some vaccines and a whole hodgepodge of other medical equipment, medical goods that apparently had been looted from hospitals. So some of it being turned back in.
But you know, out on the streets in Baghdad, the looters are still out there, low level, looking for opportunities, and there are still men with weapons roaming the streets just looking for the chance to steal something. But the opportunities really don't seem to be there, and the overall picture is looting on the decrease at this time -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our Nic Robertson, live from Baghdad. Thanks so much, Nic.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
