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Providing Proof
Aired July 25, 2003 - 14:06 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: You may have seen the gruesome video, more evidence that U.S. officials say proves Saddam Hussein's once feared sons are truly dead, but are Iraqis convinced?
CNN's Nic Robertson gauging reaction now in Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it seems that some people are. People have told us that compared to the pictures they've seen on the previous day, these still photographs where Uday and Qusay both had big beards, people are saying, yes, they can better recognize who they were, yes, they do accept that it is Saddam Hussein's two sons. So there is a level of acceptance.
There is a varying number of opinions about the video. Some people thought it was too gruesome. Some people said it would have been better that the two were standing trial in a court in Iraq, but there still remains some people here who are still doubtful that this is Uday and Qusay. Possibly, these people may never be convinced. That's certainly the opinion of some in the coalition here, that there is an element in the population in Iraq, that whatever pictures and images the United States government releases through the coalition here, that people won't be convinced. Some people said to us today that this is all a fabrication, that Uday and Qusay are living somewhere on an island. Some people saying there is some sort of trickery being done here, perhaps a reference to the fact the morticians have done work on the bodies.
But the majority of people that we are talking to, at least, accept this new evidence and accept it as being fact that Uday and Qusay are dead -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Nic, Barbara Starr from the Pentagon saying that, well, we asked the question what will happen with these bodies, and she said, well, the Hussein family has to come claim the bodies. What is the likelihood of that happening?
ROBERTSON: Well, as far as we know at this time, and there are -- no details been made public. As far as we know, no claim, no member of the family has come forward. Certainly the Hussein family is a large, extended family. There may be some elements who feel they would want to come forward. That's not clear.
We did ask a religious leader here today what he thought about how the bodies were being treat so far. He said he didn't have any problems or issues with the way that they were being kept. He didn't have any problems or issues with the way the bodies had been dressed by morticians. The only thing he said that was important is that the bodies weren't burned, that they should be respected and get a proper burial of whatever the appropriate time was -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Nic Robertson, thank you.
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 July 25, 2003 - 14:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: You may have seen the gruesome video, more evidence that U.S. officials say proves Saddam Hussein's once feared sons are truly dead, but are Iraqis convinced?
CNN's Nic Robertson gauging reaction now in Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it seems that some people are. People have told us that compared to the pictures they've seen on the previous day, these still photographs where Uday and Qusay both had big beards, people are saying, yes, they can better recognize who they were, yes, they do accept that it is Saddam Hussein's two sons. So there is a level of acceptance.
There is a varying number of opinions about the video. Some people thought it was too gruesome. Some people said it would have been better that the two were standing trial in a court in Iraq, but there still remains some people here who are still doubtful that this is Uday and Qusay. Possibly, these people may never be convinced. That's certainly the opinion of some in the coalition here, that there is an element in the population in Iraq, that whatever pictures and images the United States government releases through the coalition here, that people won't be convinced. Some people said to us today that this is all a fabrication, that Uday and Qusay are living somewhere on an island. Some people saying there is some sort of trickery being done here, perhaps a reference to the fact the morticians have done work on the bodies.
But the majority of people that we are talking to, at least, accept this new evidence and accept it as being fact that Uday and Qusay are dead -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Nic, Barbara Starr from the Pentagon saying that, well, we asked the question what will happen with these bodies, and she said, well, the Hussein family has to come claim the bodies. What is the likelihood of that happening?
ROBERTSON: Well, as far as we know at this time, and there are -- no details been made public. As far as we know, no claim, no member of the family has come forward. Certainly the Hussein family is a large, extended family. There may be some elements who feel they would want to come forward. That's not clear.
We did ask a religious leader here today what he thought about how the bodies were being treat so far. He said he didn't have any problems or issues with the way that they were being kept. He didn't have any problems or issues with the way the bodies had been dressed by morticians. The only thing he said that was important is that the bodies weren't burned, that they should be respected and get a proper burial of whatever the appropriate time was -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Nic Robertson, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
