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American Morning
Three Guards Killed in Bombing Buried in Najaf
Aired August 25, 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And turning now to Iraq, three guards who were killed in a bombing at the home of a leading Shiite Muslim cleric were buried today in the town of Najaf.
For the latest, let's turn now to CNN's Rym Brahimi.
She joins us from Baghdad this morning -- Rym, good morning.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Indeed, a funeral march was held to commemorate and to bury the three bodyguards of the religious cleric whose house seemed to have been targeted in an explosion early afternoon yesterday. Now, that happened in the holy city of Najaf, not very far from the Imam Ali Mosque, which is one of the most revered sites for Shia Muslims.
Now, a spokesman for the group that this cleric belongs to, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, said that this was the work of terrorists. He appealed to the population of Najaf to remain calm, but he said those who perpetrated that explosion were enemies of Iraq and enemies of Islam.
He also said that responsibility for security in Iraq lied in the hands of the United States. Now, we have just had a briefing now, Soledad, by a couple of spokesmen, military and one for the coalition, and the coalition spokesman said clearly they're not rejecting that responsibility. Responsibility is something that they take very seriously with regards to security and they will leave no stone unturned to try and bring back this county to a safe and secure environment.
That said, Soledad, you've probably heard the Red Cross is beginning to withdraw more and more of its international staff from Iraq -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Rym Brahimi updating us from Baghdad this morning.
Rym, thank you.
The question now, why was Ayatollah Mohammed Said al-Hakim targeted and does it mean that more violence is ahead?
Joining us this morning, Middle East expert Fawaz Gerges of Sarah Lawrence College.
Nice to have you. Good morning.
FAWAZ GERGES, SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Give me a sense of who potentially was behind this assassination attempt. Who do you think is on your short list of people?
GERGES: Well, I think we have two scenarios. Some Shiite clerics already blamed elements of the old regime because they argued that it's an attempt to sow divisions within the Shia community. And this particular scenario cannot be dismissed.
Another scenario has to do with threats al-Hakim received from more militant Shiite clerics because he collaborated with the United States.
Regardless, regardless of who committed this particular terrible act, I think it shows alarming signs of qualitative escalation of violence and a broadening and expansion of targets and, of course, tactics used by the armed resistance.
O'BRIEN: Of those two options, that it was the old regime or more militant members of the Shiite, which do you put your weight in? Who do you think it responsible?
GERGES: Well, of course, we're speculating. But a few days ago a militant organization in Iraq made a very clear statement -- all members of the Iraqi Governing Council right now are targets. And I will argue this will not be the first and the last attacks on some of the leading politicians who are collaborating with the United States after today.
O'BRIEN: The last time you were here you said that it would be a dire scenario if, indeed, we see a major split in the Shiite community. Are we seeing that already?
GERGES: Well, what we need to understand is that the Shiites are already deeply divided between those who would like to create a theocratic state along the Iranian model and those who basically appreciate the diversity and complexity of the Iraqi society. The leading Shiite clerics, including al-Hakim, have already rejected calls for becoming more actively and directly involved in the political process along with their Iranian counterparts in Iran.
So I think the jury is still out there. The debate is taking place in Iraq. But the leading clerics in Iraq have rejected calls for a more active role in the political process in Iraq.
O'BRIEN: Other news, in Basra, three British soldiers were killed. It's the second largest Shiite population there in that area. What do you think happens if more Shiite, more attacks move in -- coalition soldiers move into the Shiite areas?
GERGES: Well, last week Bill and I, he asked me the question about the armed resistance. I said if and when the armed resistance spreads into the Shiite areas, the U.S. Army could find itself embroiled in a real war, as opposed to a low intensity warfare in Iraq today.
O'BRIEN: Are we there yet?
GERGES: Unfortunately, there are some very worrisome signs in Iraq today, ethnic and sectarian riots in al-Basra, in Kirkuk. And unfortunately the attempt on al-Hakim basically has the potential to sow the seeds of major devastating ethnic and sectarian clashes between Sunnis and Shiites. And this is the worst case scenario any one of us can dream of.
O'BRIEN: All of this in the wake of the bombing of the U.N. headquarters.
GERGES: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: And, in fact, that was the day that you were actually originally talking to Bill.
GERGES: Yes.
O'BRIEN: So, a group called the Armed Vanguards of the Second Muhammad Army taking responsibility. Does all of this add up to you that this is a big expansion of the violence?
GERGES: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: And how...
GERGES: The attacks against the Jordanian embassy, the attack against the U.N. headquarters, the assassination attempt of al-Hakim, they show a qualitative escalation of violence and broadening of targets and tactics used by the armed resistance. And the question is how do you legitimize the process of political reconstruction? How do you legitimize the American military presence in the eyes of Iraqis?
You do it by three things. First, you expedite the process of handing in power to Iraqis as soon as possible. You fully internationalize the Iraqi project and give the United Nations some share in the decision-making process and putting Iraqi faces on the streets to provide security for Iraqis.
O'BRIEN: We'll see how long it takes for all of those things to happen.
Fawaz Gerges, thank you.
As always, nice to see you.
GERGES: A pleasure.
O'BRIEN: Nice to have you.
GERGES: Thanks.
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 25, 2003 - 08:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And turning now to Iraq, three guards who were killed in a bombing at the home of a leading Shiite Muslim cleric were buried today in the town of Najaf.
For the latest, let's turn now to CNN's Rym Brahimi.
She joins us from Baghdad this morning -- Rym, good morning.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Indeed, a funeral march was held to commemorate and to bury the three bodyguards of the religious cleric whose house seemed to have been targeted in an explosion early afternoon yesterday. Now, that happened in the holy city of Najaf, not very far from the Imam Ali Mosque, which is one of the most revered sites for Shia Muslims.
Now, a spokesman for the group that this cleric belongs to, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, said that this was the work of terrorists. He appealed to the population of Najaf to remain calm, but he said those who perpetrated that explosion were enemies of Iraq and enemies of Islam.
He also said that responsibility for security in Iraq lied in the hands of the United States. Now, we have just had a briefing now, Soledad, by a couple of spokesmen, military and one for the coalition, and the coalition spokesman said clearly they're not rejecting that responsibility. Responsibility is something that they take very seriously with regards to security and they will leave no stone unturned to try and bring back this county to a safe and secure environment.
That said, Soledad, you've probably heard the Red Cross is beginning to withdraw more and more of its international staff from Iraq -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Rym Brahimi updating us from Baghdad this morning.
Rym, thank you.
The question now, why was Ayatollah Mohammed Said al-Hakim targeted and does it mean that more violence is ahead?
Joining us this morning, Middle East expert Fawaz Gerges of Sarah Lawrence College.
Nice to have you. Good morning.
FAWAZ GERGES, SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Give me a sense of who potentially was behind this assassination attempt. Who do you think is on your short list of people?
GERGES: Well, I think we have two scenarios. Some Shiite clerics already blamed elements of the old regime because they argued that it's an attempt to sow divisions within the Shia community. And this particular scenario cannot be dismissed.
Another scenario has to do with threats al-Hakim received from more militant Shiite clerics because he collaborated with the United States.
Regardless, regardless of who committed this particular terrible act, I think it shows alarming signs of qualitative escalation of violence and a broadening and expansion of targets and, of course, tactics used by the armed resistance.
O'BRIEN: Of those two options, that it was the old regime or more militant members of the Shiite, which do you put your weight in? Who do you think it responsible?
GERGES: Well, of course, we're speculating. But a few days ago a militant organization in Iraq made a very clear statement -- all members of the Iraqi Governing Council right now are targets. And I will argue this will not be the first and the last attacks on some of the leading politicians who are collaborating with the United States after today.
O'BRIEN: The last time you were here you said that it would be a dire scenario if, indeed, we see a major split in the Shiite community. Are we seeing that already?
GERGES: Well, what we need to understand is that the Shiites are already deeply divided between those who would like to create a theocratic state along the Iranian model and those who basically appreciate the diversity and complexity of the Iraqi society. The leading Shiite clerics, including al-Hakim, have already rejected calls for becoming more actively and directly involved in the political process along with their Iranian counterparts in Iran.
So I think the jury is still out there. The debate is taking place in Iraq. But the leading clerics in Iraq have rejected calls for a more active role in the political process in Iraq.
O'BRIEN: Other news, in Basra, three British soldiers were killed. It's the second largest Shiite population there in that area. What do you think happens if more Shiite, more attacks move in -- coalition soldiers move into the Shiite areas?
GERGES: Well, last week Bill and I, he asked me the question about the armed resistance. I said if and when the armed resistance spreads into the Shiite areas, the U.S. Army could find itself embroiled in a real war, as opposed to a low intensity warfare in Iraq today.
O'BRIEN: Are we there yet?
GERGES: Unfortunately, there are some very worrisome signs in Iraq today, ethnic and sectarian riots in al-Basra, in Kirkuk. And unfortunately the attempt on al-Hakim basically has the potential to sow the seeds of major devastating ethnic and sectarian clashes between Sunnis and Shiites. And this is the worst case scenario any one of us can dream of.
O'BRIEN: All of this in the wake of the bombing of the U.N. headquarters.
GERGES: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: And, in fact, that was the day that you were actually originally talking to Bill.
GERGES: Yes.
O'BRIEN: So, a group called the Armed Vanguards of the Second Muhammad Army taking responsibility. Does all of this add up to you that this is a big expansion of the violence?
GERGES: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: And how...
GERGES: The attacks against the Jordanian embassy, the attack against the U.N. headquarters, the assassination attempt of al-Hakim, they show a qualitative escalation of violence and broadening of targets and tactics used by the armed resistance. And the question is how do you legitimize the process of political reconstruction? How do you legitimize the American military presence in the eyes of Iraqis?
You do it by three things. First, you expedite the process of handing in power to Iraqis as soon as possible. You fully internationalize the Iraqi project and give the United Nations some share in the decision-making process and putting Iraqi faces on the streets to provide security for Iraqis.
O'BRIEN: We'll see how long it takes for all of those things to happen.
Fawaz Gerges, thank you.
As always, nice to see you.
GERGES: A pleasure.
O'BRIEN: Nice to have you.
GERGES: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
