Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Finding Hussein Key to Stability, Officials Say
Aired July 04, 2003 - 09:34 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: Back to Iraq now and the latest wave of violence taking lives on both sides.
U.S. officials say 11 Iraqis have been killed in a fight with U.S. troops, and a U.S. soldier was shot and killed while guarding the national museum in Baghdad.
Jane Arraf is there with the latest, as she always is.
Hello, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
As a reminder that there is a constant cost to stationing U.S. forces here. They've been trying to celebrate around the country, but certainly this latest casualty casts a pall over that.
Central Command says 16 U.S. forces were wounded in a mortar attack late last night on a logistics camp in the town of Balad, which is about 60 miles northwest of Baghdad. Now of those 16, 14 were OK, they've been released, but two remain in the hospital.
In that same area near Balad, early this morning, U.S. forces say that they defeated an attempted ambush with rocket-propelled grenades and arms fire on a convoy near that town. They say they killed 11 Iraqis: suspected attackers, they call them. No word of U.S. casualties there.
But still that count continues, and military officials say that in fact there's an average of 13 attacks a day. We don't hear of all of them. You have to imagine how many unsuccessful attacks there are as well.
But still they say that it will not weaken their resolve, nor the resolve of forces on the ground -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Jane, we're just getting word about this audiotape that is out there, potentially coming from Al-Jazeera. Purportedly, Saddam Hussein speaking to people, saying that he is, in fact, in Iraq. I know it's difficult to confirm that one way or the other.
But the whole question of Saddam Hussein's status is so central to what we're seeing right now. Isn't it?
ARRAF: It is absolutely central. Not just as a physical presence, although a lot of people are convinced that he does still physically exist and he's alive and well, if not in Baghdad or Iraq then a series of other places, the rumor goes.
But certainly as a force, that force that keeps this Ba'ath Party together. The force that keeps opposition to American troops on a variety of levels together.
And U.S. officials as well as ordinary Iraqis have always said, unless Saddam is gone, unless people actually see the body, these attacks are just not going to stop.
Now, this audiotape, if it is him -- we will have to see whether it is -- certainly an indication that he continues to hold great power over this country. He's been around for so long, with no evidence that he's not around anymore, there's no way he could continue not to hold power, even if he's not physically present -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. Jane Arraf, thank you for the insight on all of that. And we're still working on trying to get some confirmation on precisely what that audiotape is all about. Jane Arraf in Baghdad.
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 July 4, 2003 - 09:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: Back to Iraq now and the latest wave of violence taking lives on both sides.
U.S. officials say 11 Iraqis have been killed in a fight with U.S. troops, and a U.S. soldier was shot and killed while guarding the national museum in Baghdad.
Jane Arraf is there with the latest, as she always is.
Hello, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
As a reminder that there is a constant cost to stationing U.S. forces here. They've been trying to celebrate around the country, but certainly this latest casualty casts a pall over that.
Central Command says 16 U.S. forces were wounded in a mortar attack late last night on a logistics camp in the town of Balad, which is about 60 miles northwest of Baghdad. Now of those 16, 14 were OK, they've been released, but two remain in the hospital.
In that same area near Balad, early this morning, U.S. forces say that they defeated an attempted ambush with rocket-propelled grenades and arms fire on a convoy near that town. They say they killed 11 Iraqis: suspected attackers, they call them. No word of U.S. casualties there.
But still that count continues, and military officials say that in fact there's an average of 13 attacks a day. We don't hear of all of them. You have to imagine how many unsuccessful attacks there are as well.
But still they say that it will not weaken their resolve, nor the resolve of forces on the ground -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Jane, we're just getting word about this audiotape that is out there, potentially coming from Al-Jazeera. Purportedly, Saddam Hussein speaking to people, saying that he is, in fact, in Iraq. I know it's difficult to confirm that one way or the other.
But the whole question of Saddam Hussein's status is so central to what we're seeing right now. Isn't it?
ARRAF: It is absolutely central. Not just as a physical presence, although a lot of people are convinced that he does still physically exist and he's alive and well, if not in Baghdad or Iraq then a series of other places, the rumor goes.
But certainly as a force, that force that keeps this Ba'ath Party together. The force that keeps opposition to American troops on a variety of levels together.
And U.S. officials as well as ordinary Iraqis have always said, unless Saddam is gone, unless people actually see the body, these attacks are just not going to stop.
Now, this audiotape, if it is him -- we will have to see whether it is -- certainly an indication that he continues to hold great power over this country. He's been around for so long, with no evidence that he's not around anymore, there's no way he could continue not to hold power, even if he's not physically present -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. Jane Arraf, thank you for the insight on all of that. And we're still working on trying to get some confirmation on precisely what that audiotape is all about. Jane Arraf in Baghdad.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
