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American Morning
U.S. Troops Go to Baghdad Landmarks
Aired April 07, 2003 - 09:33 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: We are going to try and get some reaction now to the latest news from Baghdad. Our Rula Amin joins us from along the Iraqi-Jordanian border -- good morning, Rula.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. Today the U.S. troops went to the major landmarks in Baghdad. They went to the presidential palace, they were near the Rashid Hotel and they went to the parade ground. All are very strong symbols to Saddam Hussein's strong grip on power. I was on the phone with some people in Baghdad, they were telling me they can see U.S. tanks and U.S. soldiers right on the western side of the Tigris River. And they say that many people, residents in Baghdad, are asking where is the Iraqi Army?
Now, this is the message the U.S. is trying to send to the people in Iraq. They want them to know that the regime there is over, that the U.S. troops are capable of overcoming Iraqi security forces resistance and it's futile to fight, not worth their while to put their life at risk to try to save a collapsing regime.
Now, the Iraqi officials are saying this is not the case. They insist that the Iraqi troops have been able to inflict serious damage among the U.S. troops. They say they have killed a number of soldiers, U.S. soldiers and they insist that they were even able to push and force the troops to retreat. Now, Iraqis are very aware that they need to make sure that the people in Baghdad know that they should defend Baghdad and that it's worth their while, that it is possible to put up a fight. But apparently, the residents in Baghdad are wondering, how come the troops have not been able to prevent U.S. troops from coming into the presidential palace, Saddam Hussein's own home -- Paula.
ZAHN: And when you talked with these folks on the phone, what are their perceptions of the American forces in town? Do they perceive them as invaders or liberators given how the Republican Guard seemed to disappear?
AMIN: Well, not all Republican Guards are disappearing because the people I've been speaking to do say there are still Republican Guards on many streets of Baghdad. There are Baath Party militias and Fedayeen Saddam, the loyalists of the Iraqi forces to the Iraqi regime, but people did see pictures of Iraqi soldiers actually jumping into the river, running away from the battle and these are not good or at least not optimistic scenes for those who wish the Iraqi forces would put up a fight. And at the same time, those people, it's not same among Iraqis. Some are actually welcoming U.S. troops. They think that this may end an era in Iraq's life where there was one person controlling everything in Iraq. And at the same time, others are very skeptical, they fear after Saddam Hussein's era there will be an era of U.S. occupation of Iraq and this is something many Iraqis just cannot accept.
ZAHN: Rula Amin thank you. Back to Bill 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 April 7, 2003 - 09:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to try and get some reaction now to the latest news from Baghdad. Our Rula Amin joins us from along the Iraqi-Jordanian border -- good morning, Rula.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. Today the U.S. troops went to the major landmarks in Baghdad. They went to the presidential palace, they were near the Rashid Hotel and they went to the parade ground. All are very strong symbols to Saddam Hussein's strong grip on power. I was on the phone with some people in Baghdad, they were telling me they can see U.S. tanks and U.S. soldiers right on the western side of the Tigris River. And they say that many people, residents in Baghdad, are asking where is the Iraqi Army?
Now, this is the message the U.S. is trying to send to the people in Iraq. They want them to know that the regime there is over, that the U.S. troops are capable of overcoming Iraqi security forces resistance and it's futile to fight, not worth their while to put their life at risk to try to save a collapsing regime.
Now, the Iraqi officials are saying this is not the case. They insist that the Iraqi troops have been able to inflict serious damage among the U.S. troops. They say they have killed a number of soldiers, U.S. soldiers and they insist that they were even able to push and force the troops to retreat. Now, Iraqis are very aware that they need to make sure that the people in Baghdad know that they should defend Baghdad and that it's worth their while, that it is possible to put up a fight. But apparently, the residents in Baghdad are wondering, how come the troops have not been able to prevent U.S. troops from coming into the presidential palace, Saddam Hussein's own home -- Paula.
ZAHN: And when you talked with these folks on the phone, what are their perceptions of the American forces in town? Do they perceive them as invaders or liberators given how the Republican Guard seemed to disappear?
AMIN: Well, not all Republican Guards are disappearing because the people I've been speaking to do say there are still Republican Guards on many streets of Baghdad. There are Baath Party militias and Fedayeen Saddam, the loyalists of the Iraqi forces to the Iraqi regime, but people did see pictures of Iraqi soldiers actually jumping into the river, running away from the battle and these are not good or at least not optimistic scenes for those who wish the Iraqi forces would put up a fight. And at the same time, those people, it's not same among Iraqis. Some are actually welcoming U.S. troops. They think that this may end an era in Iraq's life where there was one person controlling everything in Iraq. And at the same time, others are very skeptical, they fear after Saddam Hussein's era there will be an era of U.S. occupation of Iraq and this is something many Iraqis just cannot accept.
ZAHN: Rula Amin thank you. Back to Bill 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
