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American Morning
Coalition Tanks Move into Tahriya Square
Aired April 09, 2003 - 08:43 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: Jane Arraf, our Baghdad bureau chief, is watching the images as well. She's up in the north in the town of Mosul. And, Jane, I guess from your perspective, military standpoint, why would the U.S. get so close to this part and consider it critical right now?
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, from here on, it's pretty well clear sailing, and we are on McKlub (ph) Mountain, a big mountain this far to Mosul. Iraqi -- American forces with Kurdish Peshmerga have taken it, and we're just in front of a 4th century monastary. It's important right now, because it really is the last big obstacle there was before American troops go into Mosul.
Now It Doesn't look like they're going to do that imminently. They're still bringing in tanks into the Herrea (ph) Airfield, and they're quite lightly armed at the moment. These forays have been led by U.S. special forces.
But where we're looking at now, just 10 miles from there is actually the town of Mosul. We are very, very close, and it could be one of the next towns to have scenes like the ones we've been seeing with people celebrating in the streets -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Jane, listen, can you see the monitor from where you are?
ARRAF: I can, and it's absolutely extraordinary, Bill. It's -- I think as Paula pointed out, Tahiyra Square, Liberation Square, and for once, that name actually has some relevance. It was named that because of the Baath Party revolution that brought President Saddam Hussein and the Baath Party to power.
Now everything in Baghdad is known after the Baath Party, key moments, key dates, or Saddam Hussein. Those colors we were seeing there, each one of them has his name, his initials stamped in them. That statue was put up fairly recently, just late last year with a lot of celebration. I remember that ceremony. Baath Party officials standing around. There was a sleep slaughter, a very different feeling obviously today. There is a fine line between celebration and chaos, and that will be one of the things that Iraqis are worrying about, and certainly despite the people, the few people we're seeing in these pictures in the streets who are absolutely joyous, there will be a lot of people who are still home behind closed doors, Bill, waiting to see what exactly is going to happen -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Jane, thank 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 April 9, 2003 - 08:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Jane Arraf, our Baghdad bureau chief, is watching the images as well. She's up in the north in the town of Mosul. And, Jane, I guess from your perspective, military standpoint, why would the U.S. get so close to this part and consider it critical right now?
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, from here on, it's pretty well clear sailing, and we are on McKlub (ph) Mountain, a big mountain this far to Mosul. Iraqi -- American forces with Kurdish Peshmerga have taken it, and we're just in front of a 4th century monastary. It's important right now, because it really is the last big obstacle there was before American troops go into Mosul.
Now It Doesn't look like they're going to do that imminently. They're still bringing in tanks into the Herrea (ph) Airfield, and they're quite lightly armed at the moment. These forays have been led by U.S. special forces.
But where we're looking at now, just 10 miles from there is actually the town of Mosul. We are very, very close, and it could be one of the next towns to have scenes like the ones we've been seeing with people celebrating in the streets -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Jane, listen, can you see the monitor from where you are?
ARRAF: I can, and it's absolutely extraordinary, Bill. It's -- I think as Paula pointed out, Tahiyra Square, Liberation Square, and for once, that name actually has some relevance. It was named that because of the Baath Party revolution that brought President Saddam Hussein and the Baath Party to power.
Now everything in Baghdad is known after the Baath Party, key moments, key dates, or Saddam Hussein. Those colors we were seeing there, each one of them has his name, his initials stamped in them. That statue was put up fairly recently, just late last year with a lot of celebration. I remember that ceremony. Baath Party officials standing around. There was a sleep slaughter, a very different feeling obviously today. There is a fine line between celebration and chaos, and that will be one of the things that Iraqis are worrying about, and certainly despite the people, the few people we're seeing in these pictures in the streets who are absolutely joyous, there will be a lot of people who are still home behind closed doors, Bill, waiting to see what exactly is going to happen -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Jane, thank 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
