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American Morning

What's Happening on Streets of Baghdad

Aired August 20, 2003 - 09:15   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 U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, calling the massive bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad a "attack of a different scale than previous attacks and raids in Iraq."
Let's get back to Baghdad right now, what's happening on the streets for the Iraqi people.

Yonadam Kanna is with the Iraqi Governing Council. He's our guest in central Baghdad, not at the scene of the bombing from yesterday.

Sir, right now you have roughly 150,000 U.S. troops in your country. Do you need more?

YONADAM KANNA, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: No, I don't believe we need more. They are doing a great job here. But the necessary thing is to, for more contributions from Iraqi civil defenses and Iraqi national police. And recently it has been decided, we are just on the process.

HEMMER: Yes, that was the same thing that Paul Bremer said yesterday. He addressed three things specifically -- work with the chief of police in Baghdad, he talked about working with the Iraqi civil defense and getting the new Iraqi Army more established.

KANNA: Yes.

HEMMER: How long will it take before these three areas are more established in your country?

KANNA: We have two states for the international level or I can say for training and everything, it needs a long time. But we will have some civil defense very soon. We will core for that. It needs some weeks, no more than some weeks.

HEMMER: If that's the case, if it's only a few weeks, what changes then in Iraq?

KANNA: Then we will have defenses everywhere, in all districts, in all neighborhoods and at that time they will be very effectively working on those criminals against terrorists, against -- and taking care of security.

HEMMER: Is that the answer, do you believe? Is that what you're saying, that's the answer for security? KANNA: Yes, maybe there are a lot of issues. We talked to Mr. Bremer and Mr. John Abizaid, as well, about the border, about the foreigners, about the remains of the ex-regime, the dictatorship regime. They are still free everywhere. So we have another steps, in addition to this local defenses, this civil defense.

HEMMER: But just to take that point and that question a bit further, can you say that security will come to Iraq once you get these elements of security operating and headed up by the Iraqis?

KANNA: Yes, for sure.

HEMMER: You can say that?

KANNA: Yes, for sure.

HEMMER: Is that what you're saying?

KANNA: For sure. For sure, we will succeed at last. It's a challenge. It's normal. Because when the regime collapsed, American authorities, CPA, I mean, they deal with the people in humanitarian, in a humanitarian way and a lot of people were afraid on the streets. Maybe this is one of the reflects of the results of that.

HEMMER: How would a new civil defense, how would an Iraqi army be able to stop that truck bomb from yesterday?

KANNA: They would be working together with the CPA, with the allied forces together everywhere and they know much better, the Iraqis, how to take care of all these issues.

HEMMER: But certainly, sir...

KANNA: And they will have more information, as well.

HEMMER: I understand. I don't mean to interrupt you. I apologize with the delay in the satellite system.

KANNA: Yes?

HEMMER: But the border with Syria is hundreds of miles long. The border with Iran is a similar situation on the eastern side, probably even longer geographically speaking. How can you keep that entire area secure and prevent the people from coming into your country who want to do your people harm?

KANNA: Well, when the essential needs are there and the jobless people are doing their job and generally the people feel OK, where there's electricity and this, at the time the people will be very more close to the CPA, to the coalition forces and in more cooperation and more coordination with each other. And everybody in Iraq will be police for Iraq's interests and for the joint interests.

HEMMER: It is...

KANNA: At that time, you don't need much more thousands of -- yes?

HEMMER: It is almost 5:30 in the afternoon local time there in Baghdad. It was about this time yesterday, almost 25 hours ago, when that bomb went off at U.N. headquarters at the Canal Hotel east of your location there. Since that time, what are the Iraqi people telling you about how they feel about their own safety, their own security and their future?

KANNA: I was very close to the place. I was no more than one kilometer. Our center is there, close to that, the hotel. And all Iraqis are shocked. This criminal act is a terrorist attack. It was not only against Iraqis or against CPA or Americans, it was against humanity. Those terrorists are the same like the September 11 attackers. So we have to take care all altogether. This is a giant project, success for CPA, success for us and our success for the CPA, as well.

HEMMER: Finally, sir, Paul Bremer said yesterday there will be plenty of ups and downs in this process. How down was this day yesterday?

KANNA: Excuse me? I couldn't hear you.

HEMMER: Yes, Paul Bremer says there will be highs and lows, his words, to paraphrase, ups and downs. How down was the attack of yesterday?

KANNA: I can't understand you, please.

HEMMER: Yes, I understand. A bit of a language difficulty here and I understand that.

But we appreciate your time, sir, and best of luck to you and the Iraqi people.

Paul Bremer certainly joining us earlier today says the mission will not end, that progress will continue.

That's Yonadam Kanna of the Iraqi Governing Council there live with us 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 August 20, 2003 - 09:15   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, calling the massive bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad a "attack of a different scale than previous attacks and raids in Iraq."
Let's get back to Baghdad right now, what's happening on the streets for the Iraqi people.

Yonadam Kanna is with the Iraqi Governing Council. He's our guest in central Baghdad, not at the scene of the bombing from yesterday.

Sir, right now you have roughly 150,000 U.S. troops in your country. Do you need more?

YONADAM KANNA, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: No, I don't believe we need more. They are doing a great job here. But the necessary thing is to, for more contributions from Iraqi civil defenses and Iraqi national police. And recently it has been decided, we are just on the process.

HEMMER: Yes, that was the same thing that Paul Bremer said yesterday. He addressed three things specifically -- work with the chief of police in Baghdad, he talked about working with the Iraqi civil defense and getting the new Iraqi Army more established.

KANNA: Yes.

HEMMER: How long will it take before these three areas are more established in your country?

KANNA: We have two states for the international level or I can say for training and everything, it needs a long time. But we will have some civil defense very soon. We will core for that. It needs some weeks, no more than some weeks.

HEMMER: If that's the case, if it's only a few weeks, what changes then in Iraq?

KANNA: Then we will have defenses everywhere, in all districts, in all neighborhoods and at that time they will be very effectively working on those criminals against terrorists, against -- and taking care of security.

HEMMER: Is that the answer, do you believe? Is that what you're saying, that's the answer for security? KANNA: Yes, maybe there are a lot of issues. We talked to Mr. Bremer and Mr. John Abizaid, as well, about the border, about the foreigners, about the remains of the ex-regime, the dictatorship regime. They are still free everywhere. So we have another steps, in addition to this local defenses, this civil defense.

HEMMER: But just to take that point and that question a bit further, can you say that security will come to Iraq once you get these elements of security operating and headed up by the Iraqis?

KANNA: Yes, for sure.

HEMMER: You can say that?

KANNA: Yes, for sure.

HEMMER: Is that what you're saying?

KANNA: For sure. For sure, we will succeed at last. It's a challenge. It's normal. Because when the regime collapsed, American authorities, CPA, I mean, they deal with the people in humanitarian, in a humanitarian way and a lot of people were afraid on the streets. Maybe this is one of the reflects of the results of that.

HEMMER: How would a new civil defense, how would an Iraqi army be able to stop that truck bomb from yesterday?

KANNA: They would be working together with the CPA, with the allied forces together everywhere and they know much better, the Iraqis, how to take care of all these issues.

HEMMER: But certainly, sir...

KANNA: And they will have more information, as well.

HEMMER: I understand. I don't mean to interrupt you. I apologize with the delay in the satellite system.

KANNA: Yes?

HEMMER: But the border with Syria is hundreds of miles long. The border with Iran is a similar situation on the eastern side, probably even longer geographically speaking. How can you keep that entire area secure and prevent the people from coming into your country who want to do your people harm?

KANNA: Well, when the essential needs are there and the jobless people are doing their job and generally the people feel OK, where there's electricity and this, at the time the people will be very more close to the CPA, to the coalition forces and in more cooperation and more coordination with each other. And everybody in Iraq will be police for Iraq's interests and for the joint interests.

HEMMER: It is...

KANNA: At that time, you don't need much more thousands of -- yes?

HEMMER: It is almost 5:30 in the afternoon local time there in Baghdad. It was about this time yesterday, almost 25 hours ago, when that bomb went off at U.N. headquarters at the Canal Hotel east of your location there. Since that time, what are the Iraqi people telling you about how they feel about their own safety, their own security and their future?

KANNA: I was very close to the place. I was no more than one kilometer. Our center is there, close to that, the hotel. And all Iraqis are shocked. This criminal act is a terrorist attack. It was not only against Iraqis or against CPA or Americans, it was against humanity. Those terrorists are the same like the September 11 attackers. So we have to take care all altogether. This is a giant project, success for CPA, success for us and our success for the CPA, as well.

HEMMER: Finally, sir, Paul Bremer said yesterday there will be plenty of ups and downs in this process. How down was this day yesterday?

KANNA: Excuse me? I couldn't hear you.

HEMMER: Yes, Paul Bremer says there will be highs and lows, his words, to paraphrase, ups and downs. How down was the attack of yesterday?

KANNA: I can't understand you, please.

HEMMER: Yes, I understand. A bit of a language difficulty here and I understand that.

But we appreciate your time, sir, and best of luck to you and the Iraqi people.

Paul Bremer certainly joining us earlier today says the mission will not end, that progress will continue.

That's Yonadam Kanna of the Iraqi Governing Council there live with us 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