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American Morning
Baghdad Residents Stocking up on Essentials
Aired March 18, 2003 - 07:06 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Time to head back to Kuwait City, where Bill Hemmer is standing by.
Good morning again -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Paula.
Getting words of defiance already from the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
And earlier today, the first planeload of U.N. weapons inspectors said to be anywhere between 130 and 150 right now on the ground working throughout Baghdad, already the first plane left hours ago.
Let's get more now from Rym Brahimi, where she is once again positioned there, as she has been for months now, reporting live now.
Rym -- good afternoon.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill. Indeed, that departure.
But before we go there, there has just been a statement, maybe the first semi-official reaction to President Bush's statement during the night -- that came during the night here.
Uday Saddam Hussein, the eldest son of President Saddam Hussein, issued a statement that was broadcast on the television station he runs here, known as Shebab TV, or Youth TV. Uday Saddam Hussein saying if the Americans attack Iraq, they will repent; also suggesting in response to President Bush's ultimatum that President Bush should be the one to go.
Now, of course, the departure of the international staff here, not only of the U.N. weapons inspectors, but as you know, Bill, the international staff, the essential staff that was remaining about 40 or 50 people here from the United Nations, they're leaving as well. That's bound to trigger some sort of panic among Iraqis who have seen them here, and that the Iraqis have been down that road before, Bill, and when they see the United Nations personnel withdrawing, well, they know what's happening -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym, we're hearing this tone of defiance from the Iraqi leadership. What are you hearing from the Iraqi people? Do they give you the impression that they are willing now to fight in battle, if it comes to that? BRAHIMI: That's a very, very difficult question, Bill, because it's still extremely hard to tell what people really, really think. Of course, they say that they are prepared to fight to defend, first of all, their homes, and then, of course, their country and their leader. A lot of people will say that.
A lot of people do have weapons at home, Bill, and we understood -- we heard from the trade minister yesterday. He said he would make sure -- the government would make sure that every Iraqi family has ammunition, food, petrol and water.
Now, Iraqis have been able to prepare for this, those who can afford it at any rate. They say they're a little better prepared, they feel, than in '91, where they didn't expect what was going to happen. They've stocked up water and things like that. Some people have been leaving as well as soon as they saw the U.N. withdrawal. But of course, a lot of humanitarian agencies believe that the Iraqi people are now much more vulnerable to an attack than they were 12 years ago -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym Brahimi in the Iraqi capital. We will check in with much more throughout the day here.
In the meantime, though, from Kuwait City, let's go back to New York and more with Paula. See you in a couple of minutes, Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Bill.
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 March 18, 2003 - 07:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Time to head back to Kuwait City, where Bill Hemmer is standing by.
Good morning again -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Paula.
Getting words of defiance already from the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
And earlier today, the first planeload of U.N. weapons inspectors said to be anywhere between 130 and 150 right now on the ground working throughout Baghdad, already the first plane left hours ago.
Let's get more now from Rym Brahimi, where she is once again positioned there, as she has been for months now, reporting live now.
Rym -- good afternoon.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill. Indeed, that departure.
But before we go there, there has just been a statement, maybe the first semi-official reaction to President Bush's statement during the night -- that came during the night here.
Uday Saddam Hussein, the eldest son of President Saddam Hussein, issued a statement that was broadcast on the television station he runs here, known as Shebab TV, or Youth TV. Uday Saddam Hussein saying if the Americans attack Iraq, they will repent; also suggesting in response to President Bush's ultimatum that President Bush should be the one to go.
Now, of course, the departure of the international staff here, not only of the U.N. weapons inspectors, but as you know, Bill, the international staff, the essential staff that was remaining about 40 or 50 people here from the United Nations, they're leaving as well. That's bound to trigger some sort of panic among Iraqis who have seen them here, and that the Iraqis have been down that road before, Bill, and when they see the United Nations personnel withdrawing, well, they know what's happening -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym, we're hearing this tone of defiance from the Iraqi leadership. What are you hearing from the Iraqi people? Do they give you the impression that they are willing now to fight in battle, if it comes to that? BRAHIMI: That's a very, very difficult question, Bill, because it's still extremely hard to tell what people really, really think. Of course, they say that they are prepared to fight to defend, first of all, their homes, and then, of course, their country and their leader. A lot of people will say that.
A lot of people do have weapons at home, Bill, and we understood -- we heard from the trade minister yesterday. He said he would make sure -- the government would make sure that every Iraqi family has ammunition, food, petrol and water.
Now, Iraqis have been able to prepare for this, those who can afford it at any rate. They say they're a little better prepared, they feel, than in '91, where they didn't expect what was going to happen. They've stocked up water and things like that. Some people have been leaving as well as soon as they saw the U.N. withdrawal. But of course, a lot of humanitarian agencies believe that the Iraqi people are now much more vulnerable to an attack than they were 12 years ago -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym Brahimi in the Iraqi capital. We will check in with much more throughout the day here.
In the meantime, though, from Kuwait City, let's go back to New York and more with Paula. See you in a couple of minutes, Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Bill.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
