Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Iraqis Head to Polls Today
Aired October 15, 2002 - 07:10 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: Let's get to Baghdad quickly here. The people of Iraq heading to the polls today -- if you can call it that anyway -- voting. They're highly unlikely to bring the regime change the White House would like to see. President Saddam Hussein running unopposed.
Jane Arraf live now from the Iraqi capital with more on what is considered "election day."
Jane -- hello.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Bill.
Well, it's not so much a vote, as an organized demonstration of loyalty to the Iraqi president on a huge scale, as well as an indication that the government is still strong enough to put on something like this.
Now, what all the fuss is about is this ballot, which asks Iraqis, "Do you agree that Saddam Hussein should assume the presidency of the Republic of Iraq?" And to help people out, the official "Jumhuriyya" newspaper has reprinted the ballot with the right answer, which, of course, is "yes."
Now, we've gone to some of the polling stations this morning, and we wanted to show you the one at the entrance to Saddam City, one of the more interesting neighborhoods in Baghdad. It's home to about 4 million Shiites, who came here from the south as migrant laborers, and it has in the past been an area where there have been riots, very quickly put down.
Now, at this polling station, officials say 7,000 out of 10,000 expected voters turned out, chanting, waving, signing their names in blood, some of them. Even children got into the act. The point, Iraqi officials say, is not just to demonstrate loyalty, but to show defiance of the United States -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jane, thanks. Jane will be following that from Baghdad. Jane Arraf, many thanks to 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 October 15, 2002 - 07:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to Baghdad quickly here. The people of Iraq heading to the polls today -- if you can call it that anyway -- voting. They're highly unlikely to bring the regime change the White House would like to see. President Saddam Hussein running unopposed.
Jane Arraf live now from the Iraqi capital with more on what is considered "election day."
Jane -- hello.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Bill.
Well, it's not so much a vote, as an organized demonstration of loyalty to the Iraqi president on a huge scale, as well as an indication that the government is still strong enough to put on something like this.
Now, what all the fuss is about is this ballot, which asks Iraqis, "Do you agree that Saddam Hussein should assume the presidency of the Republic of Iraq?" And to help people out, the official "Jumhuriyya" newspaper has reprinted the ballot with the right answer, which, of course, is "yes."
Now, we've gone to some of the polling stations this morning, and we wanted to show you the one at the entrance to Saddam City, one of the more interesting neighborhoods in Baghdad. It's home to about 4 million Shiites, who came here from the south as migrant laborers, and it has in the past been an area where there have been riots, very quickly put down.
Now, at this polling station, officials say 7,000 out of 10,000 expected voters turned out, chanting, waving, signing their names in blood, some of them. Even children got into the act. The point, Iraqi officials say, is not just to demonstrate loyalty, but to show defiance of the United States -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jane, thanks. Jane will be following that from Baghdad. Jane Arraf, many thanks to 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.
