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Saddam Tape Disavows Blast
Aired September 01, 2003 - 14:01 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: We begin this hour with anger and mourning, accusations and denial in Iraq. Iraqi Shiites are preparing for the funeral of the ayatollah killed Friday along with dozens of others at Shiite Islam's holiest shrine. The FBI will help investigate a bombing that some people are blaming on followers of Saddam Hussein. But Saddam, or someone claiming to be him, says he didn't do it.
CNN's Rym Brahimi live from Baghdad now with these and other developments on this busy Monday -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the plot thickens with this latest tape, reportedly the voice of Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi president, denying that he's been involved in the bombing attacks, the deadliest attack in post-war Iraq that killed 83 people in the holy city of Najaf on Friday.
The former Iraqi president says the accusations launched by the occupying invaders, as he calls the U.S. and coalition forces, are baseless because he says they were made without any proof. He also calls on Iraqis not to believe what the occupying forces tell them and says that Saddam Hussein is not only the leader -- is not the leader of the minority of Iraqis but the leader of all Iraqis Kurds, Shiia, Sunnis, Muslims and non-Muslim. He also says that soon, when the occupying invaders will be expelled then a proper investigation will take place.
Now, this, of course, complicates further, if you will, an already complicated investigation. The governor of Najaf says that five people now have been detained. They are all Iraqis. All of them apparently with links to the former Ba'ath party regime. The FBI has been called to help in to assist with the investigation. There was a lot of confusion and previous days, as you know, because Iraqi police were facing arrests of non-Iraqi Arabs and Pakistanis as well.
Meanwhile, as you mentioned, the procession -- the funeral profession so mourn the death of the religious and political leader Ayatollah Mohammed Bakim ak-Hakim, who was one of the 83 people who died at that holy site in Najaf on Friday -- well, this procession continues toward the south of Iraq making its way to the holy sit of Najaf. They plan to be there tomorrow. Meanwhile, they started in Baghdad yesterday and this evening they were in the city of Hillah, just southwest of -- just south of Karbala, which was their second stop -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Rym Brahimi live from Baghdad, 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 September 1, 2003 - 14:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with anger and mourning, accusations and denial in Iraq. Iraqi Shiites are preparing for the funeral of the ayatollah killed Friday along with dozens of others at Shiite Islam's holiest shrine. The FBI will help investigate a bombing that some people are blaming on followers of Saddam Hussein. But Saddam, or someone claiming to be him, says he didn't do it.
CNN's Rym Brahimi live from Baghdad now with these and other developments on this busy Monday -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the plot thickens with this latest tape, reportedly the voice of Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi president, denying that he's been involved in the bombing attacks, the deadliest attack in post-war Iraq that killed 83 people in the holy city of Najaf on Friday.
The former Iraqi president says the accusations launched by the occupying invaders, as he calls the U.S. and coalition forces, are baseless because he says they were made without any proof. He also calls on Iraqis not to believe what the occupying forces tell them and says that Saddam Hussein is not only the leader -- is not the leader of the minority of Iraqis but the leader of all Iraqis Kurds, Shiia, Sunnis, Muslims and non-Muslim. He also says that soon, when the occupying invaders will be expelled then a proper investigation will take place.
Now, this, of course, complicates further, if you will, an already complicated investigation. The governor of Najaf says that five people now have been detained. They are all Iraqis. All of them apparently with links to the former Ba'ath party regime. The FBI has been called to help in to assist with the investigation. There was a lot of confusion and previous days, as you know, because Iraqi police were facing arrests of non-Iraqi Arabs and Pakistanis as well.
Meanwhile, as you mentioned, the procession -- the funeral profession so mourn the death of the religious and political leader Ayatollah Mohammed Bakim ak-Hakim, who was one of the 83 people who died at that holy site in Najaf on Friday -- well, this procession continues toward the south of Iraq making its way to the holy sit of Najaf. They plan to be there tomorrow. Meanwhile, they started in Baghdad yesterday and this evening they were in the city of Hillah, just southwest of -- just south of Karbala, which was their second stop -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Rym Brahimi live from Baghdad, 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
