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American Morning
Questions, Violence in Iraq
Aired December 16, 2003 - 07:04 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: Let's take a look now at the latest from Iraq. The man who provided information that led to the capture of Saddam Hussein was apparently captured in Baghdad last Friday and is a member of a prominent Sunni family. The U.S. military describes him as the "fat man," but they are not revealing his identity.
U.S. military and intelligence officers continue their interrogation of Saddam Hussein. He is being held in a secure location inside Iraq. Interrogators are particularly interested in information about insurgent attacks against U.S. forces.
As for those attacks, three U.S. troops were wounded today, when an improvised explosive device blew up in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. And yesterday, U.S. forces killed 11 Iraqi insurgents after they ambushed a patrol in the northern Iraqi town of Samarra.
For more on the whole situation, let's take you right to the Iraqi capital and CNN's Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf.
Jane -- good morning.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Soledad.
The U.S. military says it was a routine patrol that was ambushed in that northern town of Samarra, but the methods they used were anything but routine. They apparently used pigeons as signals and, according to the U.S. military, used schoolchildren leaving school as a cover. But the result of that attack, the U.S. military says it opened fire, returned fire, killing 11 Iraqis.
And there has been unrest in other towns, Soledad. In Ramadi and Fallujah, both of those north and west of Baghdad, places that have had frequent unrest, pro-Saddam demonstrations, some of them from demonstrators who say they do not believe that it was Saddam who was captured. In both cities, the governor's office was attacked.
In Ramadi, there was looting of shops, which this morning were burned and apparently looted. Iraqi police were called to the site there, but apparently were unable to respond.
It has calmed down, but again, serious pro-Saddam protests in some cities -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Jane, a question about what you're hearing that Saddam Hussein is telling interrogators as the interrogation enters, you know, day two. What are you hearing that he is providing authorities? ARRAF: Well, it's been kind of a fascinating mix of things that have resulted that we're picking up on after his capture. Of course, he was seen pretty close after his capture by members of the Iraqi Governing Council, who said they found him totally unrepentant. And that seems to be echoed by U.S. officials, because he does not appear to have been giving up anything significant. He doesn't appear to be in the mood to actually begin talking in any sort of useful way.
But there have been some things that have helped investigators. Documents found on him, for instance, have helped lead to the arrest of several people here in Baghdad, including someone believed to be a key figure in the insurgency here. Those documents apparently were in his briefcase.
So, while the man himself isn't talking too much, his documents have been giving a little bit of information -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Jane Arraf in Baghdad for us this morning. Jane, 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 December 16, 2003 - 07:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a look now at the latest from Iraq. The man who provided information that led to the capture of Saddam Hussein was apparently captured in Baghdad last Friday and is a member of a prominent Sunni family. The U.S. military describes him as the "fat man," but they are not revealing his identity.
U.S. military and intelligence officers continue their interrogation of Saddam Hussein. He is being held in a secure location inside Iraq. Interrogators are particularly interested in information about insurgent attacks against U.S. forces.
As for those attacks, three U.S. troops were wounded today, when an improvised explosive device blew up in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. And yesterday, U.S. forces killed 11 Iraqi insurgents after they ambushed a patrol in the northern Iraqi town of Samarra.
For more on the whole situation, let's take you right to the Iraqi capital and CNN's Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf.
Jane -- good morning.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Soledad.
The U.S. military says it was a routine patrol that was ambushed in that northern town of Samarra, but the methods they used were anything but routine. They apparently used pigeons as signals and, according to the U.S. military, used schoolchildren leaving school as a cover. But the result of that attack, the U.S. military says it opened fire, returned fire, killing 11 Iraqis.
And there has been unrest in other towns, Soledad. In Ramadi and Fallujah, both of those north and west of Baghdad, places that have had frequent unrest, pro-Saddam demonstrations, some of them from demonstrators who say they do not believe that it was Saddam who was captured. In both cities, the governor's office was attacked.
In Ramadi, there was looting of shops, which this morning were burned and apparently looted. Iraqi police were called to the site there, but apparently were unable to respond.
It has calmed down, but again, serious pro-Saddam protests in some cities -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Jane, a question about what you're hearing that Saddam Hussein is telling interrogators as the interrogation enters, you know, day two. What are you hearing that he is providing authorities? ARRAF: Well, it's been kind of a fascinating mix of things that have resulted that we're picking up on after his capture. Of course, he was seen pretty close after his capture by members of the Iraqi Governing Council, who said they found him totally unrepentant. And that seems to be echoed by U.S. officials, because he does not appear to have been giving up anything significant. He doesn't appear to be in the mood to actually begin talking in any sort of useful way.
But there have been some things that have helped investigators. Documents found on him, for instance, have helped lead to the arrest of several people here in Baghdad, including someone believed to be a key figure in the insurgency here. Those documents apparently were in his briefcase.
So, while the man himself isn't talking too much, his documents have been giving a little bit of information -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Jane Arraf in Baghdad for us this morning. Jane, 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.
