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American Morning
Interview With Former Navy Intelligence Officer
Aired March 31, 2003 - 9:25 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: Twelve years ago, early hours of the first Persian Gulf War, Captain Scott Speicher was shot down over Iraq. And the Navy pilot declared killed in action at the time. But after reports that he had been seen alive, the Pentagon changed his status to missing in action, rather in capture.
Amy Waters Yarsinske is a former U.S. Navy intelligence officer and the author of a book about Captain Speicher called "No One Left Behind." Amy is our guest live today in Norfolk, Virginia. Welcome back here to AMERICAN MORNING.
AMY WATERS YARSINSKE, FMR. INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: Thanks, Bill.
HEMMER: I know you know what Senator Bill Nelson said over the weekend -- the senator from Florida -- about some new intelligence information. Listen quickly and we'll talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: Things have happened in the last month. And, in fact, additional intelligence has been received according to published reports that suggests that he is alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Amy, what are the reports? What are the reports? What's the intelligence? What has happened over the past month?
WATERS YARSINSKE: Well, the intelligence coming out of the region out of Iraq with our embedded Special Forces and are indigenous contact over there is suggesting highly that he was seen the first week of this month, which means that we have good, reliable eyes-on sort of intelligence come out that of country. Assets had been devoted trying to locate him during the time the war was being fought, as they would for any other POW who may be taken during this conflict. But if we don't get him, the eventuality is we would have to put an extraction team in and look for him in that respect.
HEMMER: Seen by whom, though? Special Forces by the U.S., Special Forces British, or Iraqi members of the military?
WATERS YARSINSKE: Well, they would be Special Forces from our -- a group our American Special Forces, at this point. And they would be working of course with their British counterparts in country. But, we have -- don't forget we have Deltas, we have CIA, we have any number of other specially trained people inside the country right now that have been embedded for quite some time who are able to help us out, including indigenous population Iraqis we have turned over and who are helping us out inside Baghdad. So he has a good chance of being spotted again, obviously.
HEMMER: Amy, what about this, though -- explain this to me. What do the Iraqis win? What do they gain by holding him this long?
WATERS YARSINSKE: Well, Saddam has always gained -- he gained a tremendous insurance policy when he took Scott into custody. And as Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri has said, that they are abiding by the laws of Islam here in the treatment of our current-level POWs, but also Scott.
Scott was taken at a time when he felt he could capitalize on a tremendous day of payback with the United States at some point in the future. And as Richard Butler had mentioned to me many times over, he said, "You know, he's not doing this for a rainy day. He is doing it for a tremendous thunderstorm. A great insurance policy. A great price is on Scott's head."
So we have to look at this current backing into Baghdad, his last stand, so to speak, as being that great day of payback. And Scott is, of course, been known to have been in the custody of Uday Hussein, his oldest son. So we don't know at this point, you know, what they will do with him in that last-stance scenario. But it sure would be to their advantage to show him at some time.
HEMMER: All right. I know you are hopeful. I'm sure -- certain that his family is hopeful as well. Whether any of this information can be verified is something that is simply out of our reach at this point.
Nonetheless, thanks for coming back. Amy Waters Yarsinske, live today in Norfolk, Virginia there.
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 31, 2003 - 9:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Twelve years ago, early hours of the first Persian Gulf War, Captain Scott Speicher was shot down over Iraq. And the Navy pilot declared killed in action at the time. But after reports that he had been seen alive, the Pentagon changed his status to missing in action, rather in capture.
Amy Waters Yarsinske is a former U.S. Navy intelligence officer and the author of a book about Captain Speicher called "No One Left Behind." Amy is our guest live today in Norfolk, Virginia. Welcome back here to AMERICAN MORNING.
AMY WATERS YARSINSKE, FMR. INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: Thanks, Bill.
HEMMER: I know you know what Senator Bill Nelson said over the weekend -- the senator from Florida -- about some new intelligence information. Listen quickly and we'll talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: Things have happened in the last month. And, in fact, additional intelligence has been received according to published reports that suggests that he is alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Amy, what are the reports? What are the reports? What's the intelligence? What has happened over the past month?
WATERS YARSINSKE: Well, the intelligence coming out of the region out of Iraq with our embedded Special Forces and are indigenous contact over there is suggesting highly that he was seen the first week of this month, which means that we have good, reliable eyes-on sort of intelligence come out that of country. Assets had been devoted trying to locate him during the time the war was being fought, as they would for any other POW who may be taken during this conflict. But if we don't get him, the eventuality is we would have to put an extraction team in and look for him in that respect.
HEMMER: Seen by whom, though? Special Forces by the U.S., Special Forces British, or Iraqi members of the military?
WATERS YARSINSKE: Well, they would be Special Forces from our -- a group our American Special Forces, at this point. And they would be working of course with their British counterparts in country. But, we have -- don't forget we have Deltas, we have CIA, we have any number of other specially trained people inside the country right now that have been embedded for quite some time who are able to help us out, including indigenous population Iraqis we have turned over and who are helping us out inside Baghdad. So he has a good chance of being spotted again, obviously.
HEMMER: Amy, what about this, though -- explain this to me. What do the Iraqis win? What do they gain by holding him this long?
WATERS YARSINSKE: Well, Saddam has always gained -- he gained a tremendous insurance policy when he took Scott into custody. And as Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri has said, that they are abiding by the laws of Islam here in the treatment of our current-level POWs, but also Scott.
Scott was taken at a time when he felt he could capitalize on a tremendous day of payback with the United States at some point in the future. And as Richard Butler had mentioned to me many times over, he said, "You know, he's not doing this for a rainy day. He is doing it for a tremendous thunderstorm. A great insurance policy. A great price is on Scott's head."
So we have to look at this current backing into Baghdad, his last stand, so to speak, as being that great day of payback. And Scott is, of course, been known to have been in the custody of Uday Hussein, his oldest son. So we don't know at this point, you know, what they will do with him in that last-stance scenario. But it sure would be to their advantage to show him at some time.
HEMMER: All right. I know you are hopeful. I'm sure -- certain that his family is hopeful as well. Whether any of this information can be verified is something that is simply out of our reach at this point.
Nonetheless, thanks for coming back. Amy Waters Yarsinske, live today in Norfolk, Virginia there.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
