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The Hunt for Saddam Hussein
Aired August 01, 2003 - 13:02 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: To paraphrase the president: Are we closer to capturing Saddam Hussein today than we were yesterday? U.S. forces say they're on his tail. They staged a raid in Tikrit today. It's Hussein's hometown, and a place he might understandably take refuge. Two alleged loyalists were taken in the raid.
Our Harris Whitbeck is in Tikrit right now with more on ongoing attempts to track down one of the most wanted men in the world -- Harris.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.
Something is going on now in the town of Tikrit, which is just to my left across the Tigris River. We have heard sporadic gunfire, heavy gunfire, more than we heard in the last several nights. We do know that the U.S. military has intensified its operations in the area. There was one raid occurred around 4:00 this afternoon.
During that raid on two homes in Tikrit, two individuals were detained. They are being described as either close associates of Saddam Hussein or as Saddam loyalists. They're being questioned. U.S. military trying to get as much information as it can from these raids in order to plan future operations. What they're trying to do is piece together what they call a puzzle that they hope will eventually lead them to Saddam Hussein.
Why is the effort centered around Tikrit? Because this is Saddam Hussein's home town. A lot of people loyal to him here, a lot of and a lot of his fellow tribesmen here, and this is where a lot of the high-ranking Baath Party members have been found in the last several days. Among them, his new chief of security, and that leads some people to believe that with so many high-ranking Saddam loyalists here, that the man himself might be in the area.
Now, as you know, the U.S. released some photographs, photographs that have been released to the soldiers who are on these raids and patrols. Now these photographs are digitally enhanced, and they show what the CIA and others believe Saddam Hussein would look like now, several versions. One of them show him looking rather haggard with snowy white hair, and the other shows him with a full beard, and yet another one shows him wearing a traditional Arab headdress. Again, these photographs are being carried by the troops who go on these raids in the hopes they might recognize the man they're looking for -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Harris Whitbeck, live from Tikrit. Well continue to follow up with you as those raids continue, searching for Saddam Hussein.
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 August 1, 2003 - 13:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: To paraphrase the president: Are we closer to capturing Saddam Hussein today than we were yesterday? U.S. forces say they're on his tail. They staged a raid in Tikrit today. It's Hussein's hometown, and a place he might understandably take refuge. Two alleged loyalists were taken in the raid.
Our Harris Whitbeck is in Tikrit right now with more on ongoing attempts to track down one of the most wanted men in the world -- Harris.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.
Something is going on now in the town of Tikrit, which is just to my left across the Tigris River. We have heard sporadic gunfire, heavy gunfire, more than we heard in the last several nights. We do know that the U.S. military has intensified its operations in the area. There was one raid occurred around 4:00 this afternoon.
During that raid on two homes in Tikrit, two individuals were detained. They are being described as either close associates of Saddam Hussein or as Saddam loyalists. They're being questioned. U.S. military trying to get as much information as it can from these raids in order to plan future operations. What they're trying to do is piece together what they call a puzzle that they hope will eventually lead them to Saddam Hussein.
Why is the effort centered around Tikrit? Because this is Saddam Hussein's home town. A lot of people loyal to him here, a lot of and a lot of his fellow tribesmen here, and this is where a lot of the high-ranking Baath Party members have been found in the last several days. Among them, his new chief of security, and that leads some people to believe that with so many high-ranking Saddam loyalists here, that the man himself might be in the area.
Now, as you know, the U.S. released some photographs, photographs that have been released to the soldiers who are on these raids and patrols. Now these photographs are digitally enhanced, and they show what the CIA and others believe Saddam Hussein would look like now, several versions. One of them show him looking rather haggard with snowy white hair, and the other shows him with a full beard, and yet another one shows him wearing a traditional Arab headdress. Again, these photographs are being carried by the troops who go on these raids in the hopes they might recognize the man they're looking for -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Harris Whitbeck, live from Tikrit. Well continue to follow up with you as those raids continue, searching for Saddam Hussein.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
