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Bush in Baghdad

Aired November 27, 2003 - 15:02   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Our man in Baghdad is senior international correspondent Walt Rodgers, who knew nothing about this in advance and, as a matter of fact, like us, found out after the president was wheels up on his way back.
Walt, it was quite a surprise, wasn't it?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, that's the case. And for the U.S. soldiers, it wasn't quite as good as catching Saddam Hussein might have been, but it was pretty darn good, and it was a very nice surprise for the U.S. soldiers, all 500 or 600 of them who got to see the president and hear their words, saying that we will prevail, and we're not going to cut and run.

At that airport ceremony, when the president was there, was "Time" magazine correspondent Vivian Walt.

Vivian, give us an outlook of what it was like.

VIVIAN WALT, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Well, Walt, it was like an electric shock went through the room. I mean, it's very hard to describe. Really nobody knew that the president was arriving. The whole concept that you can fly President Bush in for -- into Baghdad and out again without anybody knowing, I think people were so stunned, the whole room just exploded.

RODGERS: The president had tears flowing down his cheeks, you said. Ambassador Bremer, the U.S. administrator here. Why were they crying?

WALT: Actually, Bush was also trembling a little bit. I think it was a mixture of things. I think it was, firstly, that this was real lit only taste of victory. It was the only kind of victory left that he's been able to have at all, certainly, for several months since he made his famous mission accomplished speech, which turned out to be a bit of disaster. The other thing is, just the danger of flying Air Force one into Baghdad Airport, which is an airport that is considered the most dangerous in the world in terms of missiles. They flew in under cover of darkness, no lights on the plane at all. And I think it was just an overwhelming moment for the president and everybody else.

RODGERS: What about for the Iraqi people. How do you think they'll respond to all this?

WALT: I think it will have quite an enormous impact, certainly in the next couple of days. Don't forget the Iraqis are also celebrating holiday. They're in the middle of Eid, so everybody is kind of in a festive mood at the moment, and it's really been the first sort of cheery days that we've had in a very long time here. To have the president come in is really quite a big statement here about just how committed he is, personally, to what's going on here.

RODGERS: Tell me, is it going to change anything on the ground here?

WALT: Well, probably not. I mean, this is still a very violent place and some might say it was really unwise for President Bush to come in here. It's quite a risk to take. But I think that generally speaking, you know, the insurgents in this country are really dug in for a long fight. I think they realize the troops are not leaving, and they're prepared to fight on.

RODGERS: Vivian Walt, "Time" magazine, thank you very much.

Incidentally, I spoke with a number of soldiers after they learned the president was here. One of them said he really believes that the president's visit showed how he feels about us. Still, there are nagging doubts among some of the soldiers with whom I spoke. One of them said, it is now more dangerous here than it was when the Army first came six or seven months ago.

Another soldier, even though the president had just come and gone from here, said that he would -- he thinks the U.S. Army should have pulled out of here much sooner than it did, and everyone here seems to suggest that this place is not going to improve, especially the soldiers who daily expose themselves to the dangers of working here in Iraq -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Walt, I don't know if Vivian is still there. Did she have any prior knowledge of the president's visit, or was she there ostensibly to cover the dinner with Paul Bremer?

RODGERS: I'll ask her. I've been asked to ask you, Vivian, did you know he was coming?

WALT: Not a thing. I was absolutely jolted with surprise, and really, everybody was. I mean, the coalition press officials that escorted us out to the airport didn't know he was coming. Almost nobody knew he was coming right up to top generals who were there. It was a very, very small number of people that actually knew that it was him. People thought there might some VIP arriving, certainly not him.

RODGERS: Second best kept secret in Baghdad. First best, is where is Saddam?

WALT: Where is Saddam, indeed. That one we don't know yet.

RODGERS: Vivian Walt, thanks very much.

Back to you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, wish we could get an answer on that other one quickly. Thank you very much, Walt Rodgers. 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 November 27, 2003 - 15:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Our man in Baghdad is senior international correspondent Walt Rodgers, who knew nothing about this in advance and, as a matter of fact, like us, found out after the president was wheels up on his way back.
Walt, it was quite a surprise, wasn't it?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, that's the case. And for the U.S. soldiers, it wasn't quite as good as catching Saddam Hussein might have been, but it was pretty darn good, and it was a very nice surprise for the U.S. soldiers, all 500 or 600 of them who got to see the president and hear their words, saying that we will prevail, and we're not going to cut and run.

At that airport ceremony, when the president was there, was "Time" magazine correspondent Vivian Walt.

Vivian, give us an outlook of what it was like.

VIVIAN WALT, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Well, Walt, it was like an electric shock went through the room. I mean, it's very hard to describe. Really nobody knew that the president was arriving. The whole concept that you can fly President Bush in for -- into Baghdad and out again without anybody knowing, I think people were so stunned, the whole room just exploded.

RODGERS: The president had tears flowing down his cheeks, you said. Ambassador Bremer, the U.S. administrator here. Why were they crying?

WALT: Actually, Bush was also trembling a little bit. I think it was a mixture of things. I think it was, firstly, that this was real lit only taste of victory. It was the only kind of victory left that he's been able to have at all, certainly, for several months since he made his famous mission accomplished speech, which turned out to be a bit of disaster. The other thing is, just the danger of flying Air Force one into Baghdad Airport, which is an airport that is considered the most dangerous in the world in terms of missiles. They flew in under cover of darkness, no lights on the plane at all. And I think it was just an overwhelming moment for the president and everybody else.

RODGERS: What about for the Iraqi people. How do you think they'll respond to all this?

WALT: I think it will have quite an enormous impact, certainly in the next couple of days. Don't forget the Iraqis are also celebrating holiday. They're in the middle of Eid, so everybody is kind of in a festive mood at the moment, and it's really been the first sort of cheery days that we've had in a very long time here. To have the president come in is really quite a big statement here about just how committed he is, personally, to what's going on here.

RODGERS: Tell me, is it going to change anything on the ground here?

WALT: Well, probably not. I mean, this is still a very violent place and some might say it was really unwise for President Bush to come in here. It's quite a risk to take. But I think that generally speaking, you know, the insurgents in this country are really dug in for a long fight. I think they realize the troops are not leaving, and they're prepared to fight on.

RODGERS: Vivian Walt, "Time" magazine, thank you very much.

Incidentally, I spoke with a number of soldiers after they learned the president was here. One of them said he really believes that the president's visit showed how he feels about us. Still, there are nagging doubts among some of the soldiers with whom I spoke. One of them said, it is now more dangerous here than it was when the Army first came six or seven months ago.

Another soldier, even though the president had just come and gone from here, said that he would -- he thinks the U.S. Army should have pulled out of here much sooner than it did, and everyone here seems to suggest that this place is not going to improve, especially the soldiers who daily expose themselves to the dangers of working here in Iraq -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Walt, I don't know if Vivian is still there. Did she have any prior knowledge of the president's visit, or was she there ostensibly to cover the dinner with Paul Bremer?

RODGERS: I'll ask her. I've been asked to ask you, Vivian, did you know he was coming?

WALT: Not a thing. I was absolutely jolted with surprise, and really, everybody was. I mean, the coalition press officials that escorted us out to the airport didn't know he was coming. Almost nobody knew he was coming right up to top generals who were there. It was a very, very small number of people that actually knew that it was him. People thought there might some VIP arriving, certainly not him.

RODGERS: Second best kept secret in Baghdad. First best, is where is Saddam?

WALT: Where is Saddam, indeed. That one we don't know yet.

RODGERS: Vivian Walt, thanks very much.

Back to you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, wish we could get an answer on that other one quickly. Thank you very much, Walt Rodgers. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com