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American Morning
Top Captures
Aired April 25, 2003 - 09:32 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: The former chief of Saddam Hussein's intelligence service now in custody. Farouk Hijazi captured by U.S. forces. Officials saying that earlier today, the announcement coming a day after the surrender of Saddam loyalist Tariq Aziz. For the latest on that, live to Baghdad, where it's the afternoon with Rym Brahimi.
Good afternoon, Rym. What are we learning?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill.
Well, a lot of uncertainty in the streets of Baghdad, even as people as high-ranking among the former regime as Tariq Aziz and Farouk Hijazi were apprehended by U.S. forces, and they're now in U.S. custody. There was gunfire in that direction behind the mosque, it seems, or behind those buildings, only a few moments ago. So a lot of uncertainty still.
Farouk Hijazi, now he apparently seems to be apprehended between the border of Iraq and Syria, not clear exactly how or which side of that border, but definitely a big catch for U.S. officials, although he wasn't on the list of 55 most wanted Iraqi officials that the U.S. military has drafted. That said, this man had a very interesting profile for U.S. administration officials, because he was believed to have been charged in Iraqi intelligence at a time in 1993 when a plot had been discovered, or uncovered rather, to kill President George Bush Sr. Now that had taken place in Kuwait. President George Bush ended up, of course, surviving that. But a lot of allegations over the fact that in the U.S.'s view, this was a plot drafted by President Saddam Hussein, and number 3 highest ranking in the intelligence security apparatus at the time, so definitely according to U.S. administration officials links to that plot would have been Farouk Hijazi.
A lot of media reports also would have had Farouk Hijazi involved in establishing links in 1998 between Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and Iraq. That has never been proven, however.
Definitely, in this man whose whole profile and whole life in the Iraqi regime had been linked to security will have a lot of things to say. More recently, he was ambassador in Tunisia, Iraqi ambassador in Tunisia, not clear there again whether that was to cover up other activities, or whether he just a diplomat there -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym, while we have you, Tariq Aziz, the story broke yesterday. What are we learning today that may lead us to understand what kind of information this man may have right now about Saddam Hussein or other Iraqi leaders?
BRAHIMI: You know, Bill, Tariq Aziz is one of Saddam Hussein's closest aides. They go way back together. They were together in the 1950s when they were students, they were together among the first members of the Baath Party that was then banned. And Tariq Aziz, it's quite astonishing how close he was to Saddam Hussein. He was the only Christian among the highest ranking Baath Party officials. Definitely someone with a lot of clout in a way, but also not seen as threatening by Saddam Hussein, which may explain the survival of Tariq Aziz throughout this entire regime, where a lot of people lost their heads, so to speak, to Saddam Hussein's threats or efforts to maintain himself in power.
Now, Tariq Aziz is also the man that everybody is familiar with in the West and the rest of the world, because he was often sent out on those mission. Very articulate, very educated man, seen even here in Iraq, even by people who might have resented him for his role among the leadership as someone who was educated and very savvy, and the voice of the spokesman, if you will, of the regime. He was sent only a few weeks before the war, you may remember, Bill, to talk to the pope at The Vatican and to try and gain some measure of support for Iraq. So he's a very prominent figure. He would probably know a lot, maybe about the whereabouts of President Saddam Hussein, but maybe more specifically about the finances of the country and about a lot of other people in the entourage of President Saddam Hussein -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym Brahimi, watching that story in Baghdad. More fallout again today, and we'll watch it throughout the day here on CNN.
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 25, 2003 - 09:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The former chief of Saddam Hussein's intelligence service now in custody. Farouk Hijazi captured by U.S. forces. Officials saying that earlier today, the announcement coming a day after the surrender of Saddam loyalist Tariq Aziz. For the latest on that, live to Baghdad, where it's the afternoon with Rym Brahimi.
Good afternoon, Rym. What are we learning?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill.
Well, a lot of uncertainty in the streets of Baghdad, even as people as high-ranking among the former regime as Tariq Aziz and Farouk Hijazi were apprehended by U.S. forces, and they're now in U.S. custody. There was gunfire in that direction behind the mosque, it seems, or behind those buildings, only a few moments ago. So a lot of uncertainty still.
Farouk Hijazi, now he apparently seems to be apprehended between the border of Iraq and Syria, not clear exactly how or which side of that border, but definitely a big catch for U.S. officials, although he wasn't on the list of 55 most wanted Iraqi officials that the U.S. military has drafted. That said, this man had a very interesting profile for U.S. administration officials, because he was believed to have been charged in Iraqi intelligence at a time in 1993 when a plot had been discovered, or uncovered rather, to kill President George Bush Sr. Now that had taken place in Kuwait. President George Bush ended up, of course, surviving that. But a lot of allegations over the fact that in the U.S.'s view, this was a plot drafted by President Saddam Hussein, and number 3 highest ranking in the intelligence security apparatus at the time, so definitely according to U.S. administration officials links to that plot would have been Farouk Hijazi.
A lot of media reports also would have had Farouk Hijazi involved in establishing links in 1998 between Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and Iraq. That has never been proven, however.
Definitely, in this man whose whole profile and whole life in the Iraqi regime had been linked to security will have a lot of things to say. More recently, he was ambassador in Tunisia, Iraqi ambassador in Tunisia, not clear there again whether that was to cover up other activities, or whether he just a diplomat there -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym, while we have you, Tariq Aziz, the story broke yesterday. What are we learning today that may lead us to understand what kind of information this man may have right now about Saddam Hussein or other Iraqi leaders?
BRAHIMI: You know, Bill, Tariq Aziz is one of Saddam Hussein's closest aides. They go way back together. They were together in the 1950s when they were students, they were together among the first members of the Baath Party that was then banned. And Tariq Aziz, it's quite astonishing how close he was to Saddam Hussein. He was the only Christian among the highest ranking Baath Party officials. Definitely someone with a lot of clout in a way, but also not seen as threatening by Saddam Hussein, which may explain the survival of Tariq Aziz throughout this entire regime, where a lot of people lost their heads, so to speak, to Saddam Hussein's threats or efforts to maintain himself in power.
Now, Tariq Aziz is also the man that everybody is familiar with in the West and the rest of the world, because he was often sent out on those mission. Very articulate, very educated man, seen even here in Iraq, even by people who might have resented him for his role among the leadership as someone who was educated and very savvy, and the voice of the spokesman, if you will, of the regime. He was sent only a few weeks before the war, you may remember, Bill, to talk to the pope at The Vatican and to try and gain some measure of support for Iraq. So he's a very prominent figure. He would probably know a lot, maybe about the whereabouts of President Saddam Hussein, but maybe more specifically about the finances of the country and about a lot of other people in the entourage of President Saddam Hussein -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym Brahimi, watching that story in Baghdad. More fallout again today, and we'll watch it throughout the day here on CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
