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American Morning
Thief of Baghdad?
Aired May 06, 2003 - 09:26 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: More now on what is described as the biggest bank robbery in history. Nearly $1 billion in cash was removed from the Iraq's central bank just hours before the war began. At least one report says Saddam's son, Qusay, directed the robbery.
For more on this now, we are joined by Karl Penhaul in Baghdad with the very latest.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Yes, for years, Saddam Hussein and his family used Iraq as their personal playground. It seems now the suspicion is they used the central bank and their personal piggy bank. We talked to U.S. Treasury Department officials this morning, and they said $900 million known to be missing from the Central Bank. They say they have information that representatives of Saddam Hussein came to the bank, the day before U.S. Bombings in Baghdad started, and they withdrew this huge amount.
Sources close to -- who live near the Central Bank, spoke of seeing three or more trucks pull up and men working for several hours, loading those trucks up.
Anyway, we talked to George Mullenak (ph), he is a Treasury Department official, and he had this to say about the loss of this money.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I remember the exact words from the central bank official was that officials or persons representing Saddam Hussein arrived at the bank early one morning and began removing currency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PENHAUL: Investigations are still under way, and in several of the palaces huge amounts of dollars have come to light. It's unclear what link that may have with the million or billion or so missing dollars, but that will be the subject of investigation.
COLLINS: Karl, what is the concern about where that money could be used, and how it could be used?
PENHAUL: No indication of that -- it, again, will be a source of investigation. I have seen reports in "The New York Times," for example, members of the Iraqi National Congress saying it could be used to finance the remnants of the Ba'ath Party or resistance further down the line, but too early to speak of that, and judging on past history of the Hussein family, probably they are using for their personal ends, if they are, in fact, still alive.
COLLINS: Karl Penhaul, from Baghdad this morning. Thank you so much for that, Karl.
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 May 6, 2003 - 09:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: More now on what is described as the biggest bank robbery in history. Nearly $1 billion in cash was removed from the Iraq's central bank just hours before the war began. At least one report says Saddam's son, Qusay, directed the robbery.
For more on this now, we are joined by Karl Penhaul in Baghdad with the very latest.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Yes, for years, Saddam Hussein and his family used Iraq as their personal playground. It seems now the suspicion is they used the central bank and their personal piggy bank. We talked to U.S. Treasury Department officials this morning, and they said $900 million known to be missing from the Central Bank. They say they have information that representatives of Saddam Hussein came to the bank, the day before U.S. Bombings in Baghdad started, and they withdrew this huge amount.
Sources close to -- who live near the Central Bank, spoke of seeing three or more trucks pull up and men working for several hours, loading those trucks up.
Anyway, we talked to George Mullenak (ph), he is a Treasury Department official, and he had this to say about the loss of this money.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I remember the exact words from the central bank official was that officials or persons representing Saddam Hussein arrived at the bank early one morning and began removing currency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PENHAUL: Investigations are still under way, and in several of the palaces huge amounts of dollars have come to light. It's unclear what link that may have with the million or billion or so missing dollars, but that will be the subject of investigation.
COLLINS: Karl, what is the concern about where that money could be used, and how it could be used?
PENHAUL: No indication of that -- it, again, will be a source of investigation. I have seen reports in "The New York Times," for example, members of the Iraqi National Congress saying it could be used to finance the remnants of the Ba'ath Party or resistance further down the line, but too early to speak of that, and judging on past history of the Hussein family, probably they are using for their personal ends, if they are, in fact, still alive.
COLLINS: Karl Penhaul, from Baghdad this morning. Thank you so much for that, Karl.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
