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Baghdad Bob Alive and Kicking on Arab TV

Aired June 27, 2003 - 14:10   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: Well he's one of the most enduring faces of the Iraq war. Saddam Hussein's Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the man whose outlandish denials of the obvious spun comic parody, a website and a doll.
Sahaf finally surrendered two months after the war ended only to discover that he wasn't among the most wanted.

Exactly what was Sahaf thinking while ignoring coalition tanks? Well the minister apparently still spinning in an interview with Abu Dhabi TV says he believed what he was told.

Here's part of that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED SAEED AL-SAHAF, FORMER IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER (through translator): I knew exactly where were a few tanks and military sources were saying that there was an infiltration but yes it was under control.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): From where did you get your information? The Defense Minster usually gives these statements.

AL-SAHAF: Not necessarily; every country has got it's own procedures. The information was accurate but maybe the interpretation was inaccurate. The interpretation was that maybe this was under control, and this is the main -- this is not the main war front. This mission is under control.

No, I'm not in the leadership but I was a minister of information and I carried out my duty to the last minute. The last two days I could only manage to contact whoever -- whomever I found in the military leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Sahaf was questioned and released by U.S. forces and says he hopes to write a book. His interviewers say he seems a little disappointed.

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







KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well he's one of the most enduring faces of the Iraq war. Saddam Hussein's Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the man whose outlandish denials of the obvious spun comic parody, a website and a doll.

Sahaf finally surrendered two months after the war ended only to discover that he wasn't among the most wanted.

Exactly what was Sahaf thinking while ignoring coalition tanks? Well the minister apparently still spinning in an interview with Abu Dhabi TV says he believed what he was told.

Here's part of that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED SAEED AL-SAHAF, FORMER IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER (through translator): I knew exactly where were a few tanks and military sources were saying that there was an infiltration but yes it was under control.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): From where did you get your information? The Defense Minster usually gives these statements.

AL-SAHAF: Not necessarily; every country has got it's own procedures. The information was accurate but maybe the interpretation was inaccurate. The interpretation was that maybe this was under control, and this is the main -- this is not the main war front. This mission is under control.

No, I'm not in the leadership but I was a minister of information and I carried out my duty to the last minute. The last two days I could only manage to contact whoever -- whomever I found in the military leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Sahaf was questioned and released by U.S. forces and says he hopes to write a book. His interviewers say he seems a little disappointed.

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 June 27, 2003 - 14:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well he's one of the most enduring faces of the Iraq war. Saddam Hussein's Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the man whose outlandish denials of the obvious spun comic parody, a website and a doll.
Sahaf finally surrendered two months after the war ended only to discover that he wasn't among the most wanted.

Exactly what was Sahaf thinking while ignoring coalition tanks? Well the minister apparently still spinning in an interview with Abu Dhabi TV says he believed what he was told.

Here's part of that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED SAEED AL-SAHAF, FORMER IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER (through translator): I knew exactly where were a few tanks and military sources were saying that there was an infiltration but yes it was under control.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): From where did you get your information? The Defense Minster usually gives these statements.

AL-SAHAF: Not necessarily; every country has got it's own procedures. The information was accurate but maybe the interpretation was inaccurate. The interpretation was that maybe this was under control, and this is the main -- this is not the main war front. This mission is under control.

No, I'm not in the leadership but I was a minister of information and I carried out my duty to the last minute. The last two days I could only manage to contact whoever -- whomever I found in the military leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Sahaf was questioned and released by U.S. forces and says he hopes to write a book. His interviewers say he seems a little disappointed.

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







KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well he's one of the most enduring faces of the Iraq war. Saddam Hussein's Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the man whose outlandish denials of the obvious spun comic parody, a website and a doll.

Sahaf finally surrendered two months after the war ended only to discover that he wasn't among the most wanted.

Exactly what was Sahaf thinking while ignoring coalition tanks? Well the minister apparently still spinning in an interview with Abu Dhabi TV says he believed what he was told.

Here's part of that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED SAEED AL-SAHAF, FORMER IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER (through translator): I knew exactly where were a few tanks and military sources were saying that there was an infiltration but yes it was under control.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): From where did you get your information? The Defense Minster usually gives these statements.

AL-SAHAF: Not necessarily; every country has got it's own procedures. The information was accurate but maybe the interpretation was inaccurate. The interpretation was that maybe this was under control, and this is the main -- this is not the main war front. This mission is under control.

No, I'm not in the leadership but I was a minister of information and I carried out my duty to the last minute. The last two days I could only manage to contact whoever -- whomever I found in the military leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Sahaf was questioned and released by U.S. forces and says he hopes to write a book. His interviewers say he seems a little disappointed.

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