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American Morning

The New Iraq: Pentagon Update

Aired April 17, 2003 - 07:31   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: But first, want to get to the Pentagon and Barbara Starr to pick up what's happening and what's on the radar there today.
Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Bill.

A piece of unexpected news, of course, from that Central Command briefing, the half-brother of Saddam Hussein, Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al- Tikriti, apparently picked up overnight in an operation in Baghdad, a joint operation by U.S. Special Forces and Marines.

Now Brigadier General Vincent Brooks offered few details about this snatch operation. But he said that they had information that this half-brother was in Baghdad, they acted on that information, went to the location they believed he was at and took him into custody.

This half-brother is now undergoing questioning. You see here his picture. He is the five of clubs in that infamous deck of cards of the 55 most wanted. General Brooks described him as No. 38 in the deck of 55. Described him as not just a presidential advisor, but an insider, someone very close to the regime.

And clearly what they hope to get from questioning this man is a better understanding of the inside workings of the regime of Saddam Hussein, who did what, how the regime worked, how things were decided, chain of command, power structure, all of that. So they've picked up another individual in this effort -- Bill.

HEMMER: Barbara, also on the weapons of mass destruction, it's a question that comes every day. We know that some scientists have been apprehended by coalition forces. Is there any indication at the Pentagon that they're getting any answers from these men?

STARR: We don't know that yet. The only real thing we have seen is their results in the field, which have, so far, not yielded any weapons of mass destruction. They have gone to any number of sites. They're still investigating a number of sites. And each and every one of them so far has proven not to hold chemical or biological weapons material.

The feeling here at the Pentagon now is that they are going to have to get somebody in the regime to lead them to this type of material. That they're -- you know as they describe it here, we're not going to open a door and suddenly find it behind a locked door. That's one of the reasons in the last several days they've gone to this rewards program, essentially offering to pay people for information that will lead them to all of this.

And of course one of their biggest concerns now is that as a result of the looting of government offices and that sort of thing that many of the documents and the records have been destroyed. So their feeling is it's going to be a very tough job ahead.

HEMMER: That it could be, Barbara, thanks. And without that cooperation, perhaps it is not located for some time, if at all. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

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 17, 2003 - 07:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: But first, want to get to the Pentagon and Barbara Starr to pick up what's happening and what's on the radar there today.
Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Bill.

A piece of unexpected news, of course, from that Central Command briefing, the half-brother of Saddam Hussein, Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al- Tikriti, apparently picked up overnight in an operation in Baghdad, a joint operation by U.S. Special Forces and Marines.

Now Brigadier General Vincent Brooks offered few details about this snatch operation. But he said that they had information that this half-brother was in Baghdad, they acted on that information, went to the location they believed he was at and took him into custody.

This half-brother is now undergoing questioning. You see here his picture. He is the five of clubs in that infamous deck of cards of the 55 most wanted. General Brooks described him as No. 38 in the deck of 55. Described him as not just a presidential advisor, but an insider, someone very close to the regime.

And clearly what they hope to get from questioning this man is a better understanding of the inside workings of the regime of Saddam Hussein, who did what, how the regime worked, how things were decided, chain of command, power structure, all of that. So they've picked up another individual in this effort -- Bill.

HEMMER: Barbara, also on the weapons of mass destruction, it's a question that comes every day. We know that some scientists have been apprehended by coalition forces. Is there any indication at the Pentagon that they're getting any answers from these men?

STARR: We don't know that yet. The only real thing we have seen is their results in the field, which have, so far, not yielded any weapons of mass destruction. They have gone to any number of sites. They're still investigating a number of sites. And each and every one of them so far has proven not to hold chemical or biological weapons material.

The feeling here at the Pentagon now is that they are going to have to get somebody in the regime to lead them to this type of material. That they're -- you know as they describe it here, we're not going to open a door and suddenly find it behind a locked door. That's one of the reasons in the last several days they've gone to this rewards program, essentially offering to pay people for information that will lead them to all of this.

And of course one of their biggest concerns now is that as a result of the looting of government offices and that sort of thing that many of the documents and the records have been destroyed. So their feeling is it's going to be a very tough job ahead.

HEMMER: That it could be, Barbara, thanks. And without that cooperation, perhaps it is not located for some time, if at all. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

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