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Growing Opposition to U.S. Forces From Iraqi Shiites

Aired April 23, 2003 - 14:37   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: An estimated one million Shiites are crushed into Iraq's holy city of Karbala on this final day of a religious pilgrimage long suppressed under the rule of Saddam Hussein.
CNN Senior International Nic Robertson -- correspondent, rather, Nic Robertson is there. It's been a long couple of days for Nic. He has been bringing us amazing pictures from that area -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the celebrations here beginning to wind down now. The road along here that was thronged with people earlier on now open for traffic for the first time. It would have been completely impossible for cars to come down here. Even a few hours ago, earlier on, we were seeing tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people here. Shi'a Muslims marching through the city, some of them beating themselves, some of them even cutting themselves, smacking themselves with swords as a mark of atonement and guilt that their ancestors didn't come to the aid of one of their most important religious figures back in the 7th century, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

But all of this was banned under Saddam Hussein. People have told us here that they just could not have come to Karbala in these numbers, and could not have performed these religious rituals in this way with Saddam Hussein and his forces around. They say they would have been arrested, even put in jail, maybe even killed, they say.

But what has perhaps been surprising is that people have been coming to us and saying -- saying thank you to President Bush, say thank you to British Prime Minister Tony Blair for getting rid of Saddam Hussein, for bringing us this freedom. But at the same time they are saying, thank you very much, we've had enough of the coalition forces now. They can now leave Iraq.

There is deep suspicion here among the Shi'a community, not only among the religious leaders who are already calling for political powers to intertwine religious leadership with political leadership in Iraq. They're already calling for Shi'a unity to get a powerful voice here. They're already calling for the rebuilding of Iraq to be done on religious lines. There's a deep distrust between the religious leaders towards the United States. They think the United States wants to divide them so that they don't have a strong political voice. And the people here, the Shi'a Muslims, also suspicious of United States' intentions in Iraq at this time -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Our Nic Robertson live from Karbala as that pilgrimage moves into its final day.

Well, a Shiite mullah -- Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Kyra. A Shiite mullah has already staked his claim at Iraq's eastern city of Kut. He has declared himself king -- or at least mayor, or head of something. But as CNN's John Vause reports, he wears kind of a shaky crown.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's a new king in Kut, and his name is Sayed Abbas. This self-described spiritual father marched into town hall about two weeks ago, just as the city fell to U.S. forces. He declared himself mayor, and now holds court with tribal and other community leaders. Abbas says he was elected, but admits there wasn't really an election, at least not in the traditional sense, with ballot boxes and people actually voting.

SAYED ABBAS, CLERIC (through translator): Every house here said we go to Sayed Abbas. We go to Sayed Abbas. They came to my house and they picked me and they asked me to come here and sit in this chair and sit behind this desk and take control of everything.

VAUSE: In the grounds outside, his followers have set up camp. They come with their support and their problems, like Faris Makamer. He's been waiting for an audience for a week.

FARIS MAKAMER, ABBAS SUPPORTER (through translator): I'm here to support Sayed Abbas in an Islamic way because Islam calls for justice and for freedom.

VAUSE: This city of 300,000 on the Tigris River is close to Iran both in geography and religion. The Shi'a Muslims are the majority here, and there's growing concern in the United States that Tehran is backing men like Abbas to try and establish an Islamic republic friendly to Iran.

ABBAS: There is no harm if we get help from Iran, because they are also Muslims. They are brothers. Because that country is our neighbor, they can support our people.

VAUSE: He denies that he has direct links with Tehran, but some of his supporters told me that Abbas receives his orders from Haza Allimiyah (ph), a Shi'a sect with close ties to Iran.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): He reopened most of the offices in Kut, and all those jobs are because of the orders he receives from Haza Allimiyah (ph).

VAUSE: Whoever is giving the orders, this city appears to be better off than many others.

(on camera): Compared to other cities like Basra and Baghdad, here in Kut there was virtually no looting, no violence in the days after the war. Even now, some basic services have been restored, like water and power. Even the city streets are clean. And according to Sayed Abbas, the reason why, it was all because of him. He made the difference. (voice-over): The Americans who now patrol in force have a different view. Abbas and his followers, they say, are just one of many influential groups.

CAPT. JOHN MOORE, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I wouldn't say that they're in charge, but we are working with all local authorities and putting together the best government for the area.

VAUSE: Clearly, there are some here who see an Islamic government as good, and a future without the U.S. as even better.

John Vause, CNN, Kut, in eastern Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 23, 2003 - 14:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: An estimated one million Shiites are crushed into Iraq's holy city of Karbala on this final day of a religious pilgrimage long suppressed under the rule of Saddam Hussein.
CNN Senior International Nic Robertson -- correspondent, rather, Nic Robertson is there. It's been a long couple of days for Nic. He has been bringing us amazing pictures from that area -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the celebrations here beginning to wind down now. The road along here that was thronged with people earlier on now open for traffic for the first time. It would have been completely impossible for cars to come down here. Even a few hours ago, earlier on, we were seeing tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people here. Shi'a Muslims marching through the city, some of them beating themselves, some of them even cutting themselves, smacking themselves with swords as a mark of atonement and guilt that their ancestors didn't come to the aid of one of their most important religious figures back in the 7th century, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

But all of this was banned under Saddam Hussein. People have told us here that they just could not have come to Karbala in these numbers, and could not have performed these religious rituals in this way with Saddam Hussein and his forces around. They say they would have been arrested, even put in jail, maybe even killed, they say.

But what has perhaps been surprising is that people have been coming to us and saying -- saying thank you to President Bush, say thank you to British Prime Minister Tony Blair for getting rid of Saddam Hussein, for bringing us this freedom. But at the same time they are saying, thank you very much, we've had enough of the coalition forces now. They can now leave Iraq.

There is deep suspicion here among the Shi'a community, not only among the religious leaders who are already calling for political powers to intertwine religious leadership with political leadership in Iraq. They're already calling for Shi'a unity to get a powerful voice here. They're already calling for the rebuilding of Iraq to be done on religious lines. There's a deep distrust between the religious leaders towards the United States. They think the United States wants to divide them so that they don't have a strong political voice. And the people here, the Shi'a Muslims, also suspicious of United States' intentions in Iraq at this time -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Our Nic Robertson live from Karbala as that pilgrimage moves into its final day.

Well, a Shiite mullah -- Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Kyra. A Shiite mullah has already staked his claim at Iraq's eastern city of Kut. He has declared himself king -- or at least mayor, or head of something. But as CNN's John Vause reports, he wears kind of a shaky crown.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's a new king in Kut, and his name is Sayed Abbas. This self-described spiritual father marched into town hall about two weeks ago, just as the city fell to U.S. forces. He declared himself mayor, and now holds court with tribal and other community leaders. Abbas says he was elected, but admits there wasn't really an election, at least not in the traditional sense, with ballot boxes and people actually voting.

SAYED ABBAS, CLERIC (through translator): Every house here said we go to Sayed Abbas. We go to Sayed Abbas. They came to my house and they picked me and they asked me to come here and sit in this chair and sit behind this desk and take control of everything.

VAUSE: In the grounds outside, his followers have set up camp. They come with their support and their problems, like Faris Makamer. He's been waiting for an audience for a week.

FARIS MAKAMER, ABBAS SUPPORTER (through translator): I'm here to support Sayed Abbas in an Islamic way because Islam calls for justice and for freedom.

VAUSE: This city of 300,000 on the Tigris River is close to Iran both in geography and religion. The Shi'a Muslims are the majority here, and there's growing concern in the United States that Tehran is backing men like Abbas to try and establish an Islamic republic friendly to Iran.

ABBAS: There is no harm if we get help from Iran, because they are also Muslims. They are brothers. Because that country is our neighbor, they can support our people.

VAUSE: He denies that he has direct links with Tehran, but some of his supporters told me that Abbas receives his orders from Haza Allimiyah (ph), a Shi'a sect with close ties to Iran.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): He reopened most of the offices in Kut, and all those jobs are because of the orders he receives from Haza Allimiyah (ph).

VAUSE: Whoever is giving the orders, this city appears to be better off than many others.

(on camera): Compared to other cities like Basra and Baghdad, here in Kut there was virtually no looting, no violence in the days after the war. Even now, some basic services have been restored, like water and power. Even the city streets are clean. And according to Sayed Abbas, the reason why, it was all because of him. He made the difference. (voice-over): The Americans who now patrol in force have a different view. Abbas and his followers, they say, are just one of many influential groups.

CAPT. JOHN MOORE, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I wouldn't say that they're in charge, but we are working with all local authorities and putting together the best government for the area.

VAUSE: Clearly, there are some here who see an Islamic government as good, and a future without the U.S. as even better.

John Vause, CNN, Kut, in eastern Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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