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Saddam's Absence Celebrated in Baghdad
Aired April 28, 2003 - 15:37 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.
HEIDI COLLINS: U.S. officials aren't the only ones wondering about the fate of Saddam Hussein. So are the people of Baghdad. And that is where we find CNN's Jim Clancy today. Hi, Jim.
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.
Well, being Saddam Hussein's birthday, I think it came, probably, as a shock to some people in the capital as they looked around and saw there was no hundreds of dancing children, singers, where every other word in the song was Saddam.
There wasn't cakes the size of minivans or military parades, people on horseback. No fireworks. Saddam Hussein's birthday, in a new reality, as one man on the streets of Baghdad put it, now he can see -- now he knows all of these years -- nobody wanted to celebrate. Everybody hated him.
That a reflection of the way things have changed. Although there are some people in Tikrit who are relatives of Saddam Hussein -- they did try to celebrate this day. U.S. troops broke that up. They say they will continue to mark this day because they believe Saddam Hussein was a great man.
If there's any complaints right now about the U.S. troops -- about the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein -- it would probably be the security situation in the capital, the lack of some utilities. Iraqis very, very impatient and growing even more so as the days drag on -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Jim, I wonder, do the people there really feel like Saddam Hussein is gone for good? There's been talk about living underneath the Iraqi regime and the iron fist for as long as they have. They'd actually have to see a dead body to really believe it. What are your thoughts on that?
CLANCY: Well -- and believe me, there's a lot of people I've talked to in the last 48 hours who would like to see a dead body -- the problem here is one of perception and fear. They didn't call this the "republic of fear" for nothing.
People are intimidated in the backs of their minds. They think there's a possibility that he could come back. They refer to, today, at the meeting to plan their future. They said the orphans of Saddam are still out there and they fear it, many of them. The town was rife with rumors over the last few days that something big was going to happen on this, his birthday -- he'd make a comeback, he'd make an appearance, there would be a terrible attack against the people who celebrated his demise.
A lot of people were very, very nervous. None of it came to pass. People may be just a little bit more convinced. The party's over for Saddam Hussein.
COLLINS: All right. CNN's Jim Clancy, live from Baghdad. 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
Aired April 28, 2003 - 15:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS: U.S. officials aren't the only ones wondering about the fate of Saddam Hussein. So are the people of Baghdad. And that is where we find CNN's Jim Clancy today. Hi, Jim.
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.
Well, being Saddam Hussein's birthday, I think it came, probably, as a shock to some people in the capital as they looked around and saw there was no hundreds of dancing children, singers, where every other word in the song was Saddam.
There wasn't cakes the size of minivans or military parades, people on horseback. No fireworks. Saddam Hussein's birthday, in a new reality, as one man on the streets of Baghdad put it, now he can see -- now he knows all of these years -- nobody wanted to celebrate. Everybody hated him.
That a reflection of the way things have changed. Although there are some people in Tikrit who are relatives of Saddam Hussein -- they did try to celebrate this day. U.S. troops broke that up. They say they will continue to mark this day because they believe Saddam Hussein was a great man.
If there's any complaints right now about the U.S. troops -- about the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein -- it would probably be the security situation in the capital, the lack of some utilities. Iraqis very, very impatient and growing even more so as the days drag on -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Jim, I wonder, do the people there really feel like Saddam Hussein is gone for good? There's been talk about living underneath the Iraqi regime and the iron fist for as long as they have. They'd actually have to see a dead body to really believe it. What are your thoughts on that?
CLANCY: Well -- and believe me, there's a lot of people I've talked to in the last 48 hours who would like to see a dead body -- the problem here is one of perception and fear. They didn't call this the "republic of fear" for nothing.
People are intimidated in the backs of their minds. They think there's a possibility that he could come back. They refer to, today, at the meeting to plan their future. They said the orphans of Saddam are still out there and they fear it, many of them. The town was rife with rumors over the last few days that something big was going to happen on this, his birthday -- he'd make a comeback, he'd make an appearance, there would be a terrible attack against the people who celebrated his demise.
A lot of people were very, very nervous. None of it came to pass. People may be just a little bit more convinced. The party's over for Saddam Hussein.
COLLINS: All right. CNN's Jim Clancy, live from Baghdad. 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
