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American Morning
Fate of Pilot
Aired April 24, 2003 - 08:04 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: Rula Amin is tracking down the latest on the fate of Scott Speicher, what more we might be learning there.
Rula, good afternoon there.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.
Bill, Michael Scott Speicher, his plane was shot down in 1991, just at the beginning of the Gulf War, in the southern part of Iraq. In the beginning, in the Pentagon, he was listed as killed. That was the belief. Then there were some information, some clues, that led the Pentagon to believe he may have survived the crash. So he was listed as missing in action. In the fast pew days, U.S. specialists in one of the cells at one of Baghdad's prison, they found the initials MSS, and they have clues to believe that these may be the initials for Michael Scott Speicher.
Now, does that mean that he is still alive? We're not sure. But if these are his initials, it means that he did survive the crash, and then he was moved to Baghdad and maybe to this prison. They are trying hard to decide and determine his fate, at least for his family, and the effort is ongoing -- Bill.
HEMMER: Thanks, Rula, on that topic. We want to talk about the videotape of Saddam Hussein, though. What more can you tell us that will give us some insight as to when the tapes were taken and what it shows us, the private side of this leader?
AMIN: Well, Bill, CNN obtained these tapes in the past couple days. The tapes document the personal side of Saddam Hussein along with his family. It's really a rare glimpse into his life. In the first video we're sharing with you is at his 50th birthday. He's at one of the parties, because we know the occasion of his birthday, usually numerous parties all over the country, very lavish, very festival.
Here, you can see him here surrounded with his military aides, including his private secretary Ahmed Lamoud (ph), and one of his son- in-laws who was later killed. You can hear the children chanting, they're telling him Father Saddam, like the love in the heart and the light in the eyes -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rula Amin, watching things from Baghdad. Very interesting videotape, too.
And as you mentioned earlier today, the other tapes is showing him touring it looks like the northern part of Iraq as well. Rula, thanks. We'll look at more a bit later here.
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 24, 2003 - 08:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Rula Amin is tracking down the latest on the fate of Scott Speicher, what more we might be learning there.
Rula, good afternoon there.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.
Bill, Michael Scott Speicher, his plane was shot down in 1991, just at the beginning of the Gulf War, in the southern part of Iraq. In the beginning, in the Pentagon, he was listed as killed. That was the belief. Then there were some information, some clues, that led the Pentagon to believe he may have survived the crash. So he was listed as missing in action. In the fast pew days, U.S. specialists in one of the cells at one of Baghdad's prison, they found the initials MSS, and they have clues to believe that these may be the initials for Michael Scott Speicher.
Now, does that mean that he is still alive? We're not sure. But if these are his initials, it means that he did survive the crash, and then he was moved to Baghdad and maybe to this prison. They are trying hard to decide and determine his fate, at least for his family, and the effort is ongoing -- Bill.
HEMMER: Thanks, Rula, on that topic. We want to talk about the videotape of Saddam Hussein, though. What more can you tell us that will give us some insight as to when the tapes were taken and what it shows us, the private side of this leader?
AMIN: Well, Bill, CNN obtained these tapes in the past couple days. The tapes document the personal side of Saddam Hussein along with his family. It's really a rare glimpse into his life. In the first video we're sharing with you is at his 50th birthday. He's at one of the parties, because we know the occasion of his birthday, usually numerous parties all over the country, very lavish, very festival.
Here, you can see him here surrounded with his military aides, including his private secretary Ahmed Lamoud (ph), and one of his son- in-laws who was later killed. You can hear the children chanting, they're telling him Father Saddam, like the love in the heart and the light in the eyes -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rula Amin, watching things from Baghdad. Very interesting videotape, too.
And as you mentioned earlier today, the other tapes is showing him touring it looks like the northern part of Iraq as well. Rula, thanks. We'll look at more a bit later here.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
