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Interview With Vivian Walt

Aired November 27, 2003 - 16:03   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: So except for about a dozen members of the pool reporters who are with the President on Air Force One as he engaged in this 30-hour Odyssey from Crawford, Texas all the way over to Baghdad and now on his way back, no reporters really knew about it, including our people in Baghdad.
Seen is Walter Rodgers, he's live now from Baghdad where folks were notified really after the President's plane was wheels up as they say, all of this in the name of security and for good reason, right Walt?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's true, Miles. We could say not too facetiously, but the President's visit here was the second best-kept secret in Iraq, the best-kept secret remaining, where is Saddam Hussein, but indeed no one here in Iraq in the journalism corps and for that matter, most of the soldiers in Iraq, had any idea that the President was here until after the bulletin on the Associated Press cross and that, of course, broke the news.

The White House confirmed it soon afterwards. But the soldiers who were in the hangar or at the dining hall with the President were told if they wanted, they could enter a lottery and they would have Thanksgiving dinner with the chief U.S. administrator in Iraq, Ambassador Paul Bremer, so they said, what the heck? Let's do it.

And then the next thing you know, the president of the United States pops out from behind the curtain. There was explosive euphoric reaction here. These soldiers, men and women, are extraordinarily homesick, so any familiar face from home would have been welcome.

And of course, the president, their commander in chief, all the more so. I spoke with more than a few soldiers about all of this and they said they were especially touched because he came to show how he really felt of us, about us. Another soldier said that it was very important for the President to come and share the hazards of the war zone with the soldiers.

Still, off the record, other soldiers with whom I spoke, that is, not for attribution, other soldiers with whom I spoke still had their doubts about being here. One soldier, even after the President was here, and he spoke highly of the President's visit, went on to say, all I care about now is getting out of here alive. Another soldier, praising the President, also said, he thinks the troops have been here too long. He thinks they should go home and another soldier, again, all praising the President's courage and his - and his commitment to being here, this other soldier said the danger now is worse than it was several months ago when he came. Again, very important statement made by the President, he made a commitment. It was a bold and intrepid visit by the President.

Having said that, very doubtful it's going to change a very bad situation on the ground here -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: And even as the president was flying in, that bad situation continued, more mortars flying and more explosions to report.

RODGERS: That's true. I was here in this very same camera position when you were rolling tape of the President's visit. Now he had been airborne for several minutes after that, but having said that, I could hear explosions behind me down here, central Baghdad, not a particularly loud night.

There are many nights when there are many more explosions, shellings, mortars and so forth, but again, tonight I can hear the AK47, you know, automatic rifle fire, in the background. That's a daily event here. Again, the Iraqi people with whom we spoke were greatly surprised that he came and I think many of them greatly pleased that he came.

Others said when the President made the commitment to stay until the job is finished. When he says that in Washington, it's one thing; when he says it here in Baghdad, it has more meaning. That does not do much to advance the situation here, which remains very, very difficult -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Walt Rodgers in Baghdad. Thanks very much. One of the people who was in the room when President Bush made that shocker appearance and that moving speech, "Time" magazine's Vivian Walt.

Vivian, good to have you with us. OK. Vivian is there on tape. Let's listen to her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VIVIAN WALT, TIME MAGAZINE: I think that the mixture of euphoria and surprise just made it kind of an unforgettable moment. The room simply erupted. I think, you know, for a second or two, no one could quite believe that it was actually President Bush walking into the room. The moment the penny dropped, of course, the whole place just fell apart.

RODGERS: Now we understand that both the president and the U.S. administrator here, Ambassador Paul Bremer, were crying. You saw tears coming down their cheeks?

WALT: Absolutely. Look at the footage closely. You'll see those tears running down one cheek of President Bush and one cheek of Ambassador Bremer. These are not men that are given to bursting into tears very easily.

RODGERS: What did that tell you about President Bush's commitment to Iraq?

WALT: I think this really was his moment. It was his moment of glory, it really was the closest thing he's had to a kind of victory lap. I mean, of course, they're not nearly there yet, but I think it was a rare moment in which he could work a room full of adoring fans, all in uniforms, and he just seemed to be reveling in it. He got behind the serving counters and dished up turkey and mashed potatoes to the boys and he was just in seventh heaven.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 - 16:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: So except for about a dozen members of the pool reporters who are with the President on Air Force One as he engaged in this 30-hour Odyssey from Crawford, Texas all the way over to Baghdad and now on his way back, no reporters really knew about it, including our people in Baghdad.
Seen is Walter Rodgers, he's live now from Baghdad where folks were notified really after the President's plane was wheels up as they say, all of this in the name of security and for good reason, right Walt?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's true, Miles. We could say not too facetiously, but the President's visit here was the second best-kept secret in Iraq, the best-kept secret remaining, where is Saddam Hussein, but indeed no one here in Iraq in the journalism corps and for that matter, most of the soldiers in Iraq, had any idea that the President was here until after the bulletin on the Associated Press cross and that, of course, broke the news.

The White House confirmed it soon afterwards. But the soldiers who were in the hangar or at the dining hall with the President were told if they wanted, they could enter a lottery and they would have Thanksgiving dinner with the chief U.S. administrator in Iraq, Ambassador Paul Bremer, so they said, what the heck? Let's do it.

And then the next thing you know, the president of the United States pops out from behind the curtain. There was explosive euphoric reaction here. These soldiers, men and women, are extraordinarily homesick, so any familiar face from home would have been welcome.

And of course, the president, their commander in chief, all the more so. I spoke with more than a few soldiers about all of this and they said they were especially touched because he came to show how he really felt of us, about us. Another soldier said that it was very important for the President to come and share the hazards of the war zone with the soldiers.

Still, off the record, other soldiers with whom I spoke, that is, not for attribution, other soldiers with whom I spoke still had their doubts about being here. One soldier, even after the President was here, and he spoke highly of the President's visit, went on to say, all I care about now is getting out of here alive. Another soldier, praising the President, also said, he thinks the troops have been here too long. He thinks they should go home and another soldier, again, all praising the President's courage and his - and his commitment to being here, this other soldier said the danger now is worse than it was several months ago when he came. Again, very important statement made by the President, he made a commitment. It was a bold and intrepid visit by the President.

Having said that, very doubtful it's going to change a very bad situation on the ground here -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: And even as the president was flying in, that bad situation continued, more mortars flying and more explosions to report.

RODGERS: That's true. I was here in this very same camera position when you were rolling tape of the President's visit. Now he had been airborne for several minutes after that, but having said that, I could hear explosions behind me down here, central Baghdad, not a particularly loud night.

There are many nights when there are many more explosions, shellings, mortars and so forth, but again, tonight I can hear the AK47, you know, automatic rifle fire, in the background. That's a daily event here. Again, the Iraqi people with whom we spoke were greatly surprised that he came and I think many of them greatly pleased that he came.

Others said when the President made the commitment to stay until the job is finished. When he says that in Washington, it's one thing; when he says it here in Baghdad, it has more meaning. That does not do much to advance the situation here, which remains very, very difficult -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Walt Rodgers in Baghdad. Thanks very much. One of the people who was in the room when President Bush made that shocker appearance and that moving speech, "Time" magazine's Vivian Walt.

Vivian, good to have you with us. OK. Vivian is there on tape. Let's listen to her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VIVIAN WALT, TIME MAGAZINE: I think that the mixture of euphoria and surprise just made it kind of an unforgettable moment. The room simply erupted. I think, you know, for a second or two, no one could quite believe that it was actually President Bush walking into the room. The moment the penny dropped, of course, the whole place just fell apart.

RODGERS: Now we understand that both the president and the U.S. administrator here, Ambassador Paul Bremer, were crying. You saw tears coming down their cheeks?

WALT: Absolutely. Look at the footage closely. You'll see those tears running down one cheek of President Bush and one cheek of Ambassador Bremer. These are not men that are given to bursting into tears very easily.

RODGERS: What did that tell you about President Bush's commitment to Iraq?

WALT: I think this really was his moment. It was his moment of glory, it really was the closest thing he's had to a kind of victory lap. I mean, of course, they're not nearly there yet, but I think it was a rare moment in which he could work a room full of adoring fans, all in uniforms, and he just seemed to be reveling in it. He got behind the serving counters and dished up turkey and mashed potatoes to the boys and he was just in seventh heaven.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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