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American Morning

Saddam Hussein Holds High Level Meetings

Aired July 31, 2002 - 07:37   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: There's another story brewing today in Washington. It's billed as a national debate. It starts in about two hours on Capitol Hill. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will open up hearings on U.S. policy regarding Iraq. That's the view here in the U.S.

For reaction inside of Iraq, we turn to CNN's Rym Brahimi, who is now live in Baghdad with more -- Rym, hello.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill.

Well, there have been a couple of high level meetings here in Baghdad. A couple of days ago the Iraqi president met with his four top advisers. That included his top military advisers, his two vice presidents and Deputy Vice President Tariq Aziz.

Last night he met with his energy atomic organization members, praising them for their research and development work, but also saying that the suggestions by the Americans that Iraq would be preparing to produce such and such weapons -- he didn't specify which -- was just a joke, all aimed at preventing Arabs and Muslims at developing.

On another level, there have been talks here at the national assembly with the president of the national assembly, in effect, the counterpart to the Congress calling on people to be aware of the U.S. threat. He's been sending the deputies in various towns and villages in Iraq, telling them to make people aware that the U.S. threats are serious.

And also maybe there's another side to this campaign. They've been writing all over the walls in different towns and cities, and very publicly doing that, "Down With USA."

So that's the official side of it -- Bill.

HEMMER: Rym, if that's the message from the government, what's the reaction, then, from the Iraqi people for those messages?

BRAHIMI: Well, the Iraqi people, things are sort of different with them. I think what they're really worried about is that the change of regime, if it happened, would be accompanied by a war. That's their main concern. I mean they look, they're aware of those opposition meetings in Washington. That's not something they take too seriously, Bill. In fact, they usually say well, you know, we don't really take these people seriously because most of the time we know who they are and they don't have any credibility among us.

And certainly they wouldn't have any credibility if they were parachuted into Iraq from Washington.

What really worries them is the war. There's a lot of bravado. They'll say to you openly we're not afraid of the Americans, what can they do to us that they haven't done before? But in private, they are worried. I haven't seen people stocking up yet, but they're very worried.

One person I spoke to not so long ago put it like this. He said we've been here on death row, but we haven't been given the date of our execution -- Bill.

HEMMER: Rym Brahimi live in Baghdad.

Again, back here in this country, hearings start in about two hours in Washington.

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