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Saddam Hussein Alive, Claims Tariq Aziz

Aired April 28, 2003 - 15:33   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush speaking today to Arab Americans in Dearborn, Michigan. Mr. Bush said all Iraqis will have a voice in Iraq's new government. He said this country, the U.S., will not impose its system or its culture on Iraq.
Mr. Bush's speech took place on Saddam Hussein's 66th birthday. This is him celebrating -- it's not him, but that's part of the celebration from last year. The question is, this year, is he even alive to celebrate? His former deputy prime minister told "USA Today" he believes the deposed dictator is alive.

CNN national security correspondent, David Ensor, is at the Pentagon -- this time with more on that.

Hello, David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. Actually, what we're hearing from U.S. Intelligence officials is that Tariq Aziz, the former deputy prime minister of Iraq, is talking to his interrogators. As you know, he's now in U.S. hands, and that he's told them that he is sure, he's confident, he saw Saddam Hussein after the first attempt to hit him with an air strike, which was in late March -- March 19, 20, I believe it was.

But he saw him before the second attempt on Saddam's life by the United States, which was the night of April 7-8. He's confirming that Saddam Hussein survived the first attempt on his life, but does not know whether or not he survived the second. There was an error in "USA Today" on that point.

On another point, though, military officials are telling us that Tariq Aziz has also told them -- and this could have significance for the longer term -- that he is aware that the regime was destroying weapons of mass destruction in the period when American forces were assembling in the region preparatory to the war.

So it is possible that the U.S. may be able to get Tariq Aziz at some point to say publicly what he's apparently saying to U.S. officials privately, that he had knowledge that the regime had, and was destroying, weapons of mass destruction in the period just prior to the war.

Now, the officials that we speak to on this stress, at the same time, that they, first, are not absolutely sure that Tariq Aziz knows this information -- that he knows what he's talking about.

Second, they're not yet convinced that he's necessarily telling the truth on the matter. So they are still assessing that. And there are some concerns about it. But this is big new information -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: David, how do you go about assessing such matters? It's a difficult thing. And Tariq Aziz, we should point out, is not in the innermost inner circle of Saddam Hussein's regime -- whether his loyalists exist in some form or another. So perhaps he may not have known as much as he is claiming to. Of course, he would have motivation for pretending to offer useful information.

ENSOR: That's right. This is a very complicated game that is now being played between the interrogators and the interrogated. The U.S. has other officials in its hands as well. It can cross-reference the information given by different officials. It has other sources of Intelligence on some of these matters and can cross-check it with those.

There will be a period of time in which that is all done. They will come to some sort of assessment at some point as to whether Tariq Aziz and some of the other prisoners are telling the truth -- and whether they know what they're talking about. And, if they do, then the information can be very useful. We're not at that point yet -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's David Ensor at the Pentagon for us today. Thank you very much -- Heidi.

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 28, 2003 - 15:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush speaking today to Arab Americans in Dearborn, Michigan. Mr. Bush said all Iraqis will have a voice in Iraq's new government. He said this country, the U.S., will not impose its system or its culture on Iraq.
Mr. Bush's speech took place on Saddam Hussein's 66th birthday. This is him celebrating -- it's not him, but that's part of the celebration from last year. The question is, this year, is he even alive to celebrate? His former deputy prime minister told "USA Today" he believes the deposed dictator is alive.

CNN national security correspondent, David Ensor, is at the Pentagon -- this time with more on that.

Hello, David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. Actually, what we're hearing from U.S. Intelligence officials is that Tariq Aziz, the former deputy prime minister of Iraq, is talking to his interrogators. As you know, he's now in U.S. hands, and that he's told them that he is sure, he's confident, he saw Saddam Hussein after the first attempt to hit him with an air strike, which was in late March -- March 19, 20, I believe it was.

But he saw him before the second attempt on Saddam's life by the United States, which was the night of April 7-8. He's confirming that Saddam Hussein survived the first attempt on his life, but does not know whether or not he survived the second. There was an error in "USA Today" on that point.

On another point, though, military officials are telling us that Tariq Aziz has also told them -- and this could have significance for the longer term -- that he is aware that the regime was destroying weapons of mass destruction in the period when American forces were assembling in the region preparatory to the war.

So it is possible that the U.S. may be able to get Tariq Aziz at some point to say publicly what he's apparently saying to U.S. officials privately, that he had knowledge that the regime had, and was destroying, weapons of mass destruction in the period just prior to the war.

Now, the officials that we speak to on this stress, at the same time, that they, first, are not absolutely sure that Tariq Aziz knows this information -- that he knows what he's talking about.

Second, they're not yet convinced that he's necessarily telling the truth on the matter. So they are still assessing that. And there are some concerns about it. But this is big new information -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: David, how do you go about assessing such matters? It's a difficult thing. And Tariq Aziz, we should point out, is not in the innermost inner circle of Saddam Hussein's regime -- whether his loyalists exist in some form or another. So perhaps he may not have known as much as he is claiming to. Of course, he would have motivation for pretending to offer useful information.

ENSOR: That's right. This is a very complicated game that is now being played between the interrogators and the interrogated. The U.S. has other officials in its hands as well. It can cross-reference the information given by different officials. It has other sources of Intelligence on some of these matters and can cross-check it with those.

There will be a period of time in which that is all done. They will come to some sort of assessment at some point as to whether Tariq Aziz and some of the other prisoners are telling the truth -- and whether they know what they're talking about. And, if they do, then the information can be very useful. We're not at that point yet -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's David Ensor at the Pentagon for us today. Thank you very much -- Heidi.

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