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American Morning

Kuwaitis Becoming More Concerned War May be on Horizon

Aired January 15, 2003 - 08:07   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: The rhetoric between Iraq and Kuwait and the U.S. continues to heat up right now. Kuwaitis are becoming more and more concerned that yet another war may be on the horizon.
On the scene for us in Kuwait City, here's Marty Savidge taking the pulse in Kuwait City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are worrisome days in Kuwait. And though the latest words from President Bush haven't exactly triggered alarm bells that the war is imminent, for Kuwaitis, they are another sign that things are moving in that direction.

For these three Kuwaiti sisters, the fear of war joined them at the breakfast table.

SANNA (PH): We count every few months, OK, here, there is war, there is no war, Saddam is coming, Saddam is leaving. So that's, we want to raise up our kids and get a better life.

SAVIDGE: Sanna (ph) is still hoping that war can be avoided. But at a city taxi stand, the talk is tougher. The drivers agree with President Bush, Saddam Hussein is not to be trusted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In every way we've tried to deal with Saddam, and he has never changed. This has been his way for 12 years.

SAVIDGE (on camera): There are a lot of ways you could try to gauge what the Kuwaiti people are thinking. You can watch Kuwaiti television. You can read the newspapers. And, of course, you can come out here on the street. But there's even a better way. Come on, I'll show you.

(voice-over): You sit down for tea. In a courtyard of the Mubarakeha Market (ph), I joined three men who have been meeting like this for decades. They also hadn't heard President Bush. But his words reflected their feelings to a T.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Bush is a man. He's great. He understands the world situation. We support the attack, God willing, today, before tomorrow.

SAVIDGE: They don't take the prospect of war lightly. They remember the last one. One said Iraqi troops murdered his grandson in front of his home. Another has a son-in-law among hundreds of Kuwaiti prisoners of war still unaccounted for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This has to happen, because he's a danger, not only to Kuwait, he's a danger to the entire Gulf region and to the world.

SAVIDGE: The truth is Kuwaitis don't need to hear President Bush to know that time is running out. They feel it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: Kuwaitis not only supportive of President Bush, the tough stance he's taken. They also say they support the arrival of a beefed up presence of U.S. military forces. They've heard about it. They haven't seen it. The reason for that is that when military forces from the U.S. arrive here in Kuwait, they immediately are dispatched to bases far away from Kuwait City, outside of major population areas, in the desert. And, for the most part, due to security, remain there. Still, the soldiers may be out of sight. They're not out of mind. One woman said she is appreciative to the parents of the young men and women that have come here to protect their nation. Another man said that the United States is a greater ally to Kuwait than many Arab nations -- Bill.

HEMMER: Martin Savidge on the scene in Kuwait City.

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 January 15, 2003 - 08:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The rhetoric between Iraq and Kuwait and the U.S. continues to heat up right now. Kuwaitis are becoming more and more concerned that yet another war may be on the horizon.
On the scene for us in Kuwait City, here's Marty Savidge taking the pulse in Kuwait City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are worrisome days in Kuwait. And though the latest words from President Bush haven't exactly triggered alarm bells that the war is imminent, for Kuwaitis, they are another sign that things are moving in that direction.

For these three Kuwaiti sisters, the fear of war joined them at the breakfast table.

SANNA (PH): We count every few months, OK, here, there is war, there is no war, Saddam is coming, Saddam is leaving. So that's, we want to raise up our kids and get a better life.

SAVIDGE: Sanna (ph) is still hoping that war can be avoided. But at a city taxi stand, the talk is tougher. The drivers agree with President Bush, Saddam Hussein is not to be trusted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In every way we've tried to deal with Saddam, and he has never changed. This has been his way for 12 years.

SAVIDGE (on camera): There are a lot of ways you could try to gauge what the Kuwaiti people are thinking. You can watch Kuwaiti television. You can read the newspapers. And, of course, you can come out here on the street. But there's even a better way. Come on, I'll show you.

(voice-over): You sit down for tea. In a courtyard of the Mubarakeha Market (ph), I joined three men who have been meeting like this for decades. They also hadn't heard President Bush. But his words reflected their feelings to a T.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Bush is a man. He's great. He understands the world situation. We support the attack, God willing, today, before tomorrow.

SAVIDGE: They don't take the prospect of war lightly. They remember the last one. One said Iraqi troops murdered his grandson in front of his home. Another has a son-in-law among hundreds of Kuwaiti prisoners of war still unaccounted for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This has to happen, because he's a danger, not only to Kuwait, he's a danger to the entire Gulf region and to the world.

SAVIDGE: The truth is Kuwaitis don't need to hear President Bush to know that time is running out. They feel it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: Kuwaitis not only supportive of President Bush, the tough stance he's taken. They also say they support the arrival of a beefed up presence of U.S. military forces. They've heard about it. They haven't seen it. The reason for that is that when military forces from the U.S. arrive here in Kuwait, they immediately are dispatched to bases far away from Kuwait City, outside of major population areas, in the desert. And, for the most part, due to security, remain there. Still, the soldiers may be out of sight. They're not out of mind. One woman said she is appreciative to the parents of the young men and women that have come here to protect their nation. Another man said that the United States is a greater ally to Kuwait than many Arab nations -- Bill.

HEMMER: Martin Savidge on the scene in Kuwait City.

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