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American Morning
Look at Progress on the Ground in Iraq
Aired December 18, 2003 - 07:37 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 go back to Bill in Baghdad.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Soledad, if you ask the Americans about progress here on the ground in Iraq, they will simply not take no for an answer. They are convinced that with time, this society, this civilization here in Baghdad and throughout the country, will move forward.
That's part of the focus today in what we have termed our first glance look, part of our focus today in our reporter's notebook.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): Some things are working. The police are getting stronger with their brand new patrol cars and uniforms. Kids are back in school. But it's a country that faces an enormous challenge.
(on camera): One thing that is unavoidable here in Baghdad are the constant scars of war. This is the Ministry of Telecommunications Building. This is the Ministry of Youth and Sport, both heavily bombed during the war. Today they stand as psychical structures, but yet reminders and symbols of just how big the reconstruction effort will be in this country going forward.
(voice-over): And he is still everywhere. He's front page news and will be for months, if not years, to come. His image was literally on every street corner.
(on camera): We're heading east into Baghdad right now. This is a former Iraqi military factory now used by the Americans. Very well fortified. Concrete slabs literally circle the entire camp. Very good at keeping attackers out, but not very good at preventing mortar rounds from being fired over the walls and into the camp.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen up!
HEMMER (voice-over): You can marvel at a patience of many Iraqis. Just about everything seems to be a hassle in this city, but one wonders how long that patience will hold. But this man tells us, "I'll wait. We've waited 30 years. We can wait a few more years. It'll get there. We have hope."
Still, one sees that patience tried in so many ways.
(on camera): This is one of the main highways in central Baghdad. You can see the traffic in the distance but nothing is moving here, the reason being about two weeks ago the U.S. military set up this concrete structure here. Before, you would be able to take that road straight out to the airport, 18 miles and you'd be there. But now no more, as the military tries to control the flow of traffic and the flow of people in certain areas in central Baghdad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a lot of people here now.
HEMMER (voice-over): But don't tell the coalition partners it can't be done. They argue they worked every day with the Iraqis to make this country run again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Other Iraqis we talked to say the pace is simply not fast enough. They consistently, Soledad, come back to the whole theme of security in this country. It runs its thread all the way throughout the entire society. But yet that same man says he, too, will be patient. He says as a Muslim he has to be -- back to you now in New York.
O'BRIEN: A great report, Bill.
Thank you.
We'll check in with you again.
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 18, 2003 - 07:37 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 go back to Bill in Baghdad.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Soledad, if you ask the Americans about progress here on the ground in Iraq, they will simply not take no for an answer. They are convinced that with time, this society, this civilization here in Baghdad and throughout the country, will move forward.
That's part of the focus today in what we have termed our first glance look, part of our focus today in our reporter's notebook.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): Some things are working. The police are getting stronger with their brand new patrol cars and uniforms. Kids are back in school. But it's a country that faces an enormous challenge.
(on camera): One thing that is unavoidable here in Baghdad are the constant scars of war. This is the Ministry of Telecommunications Building. This is the Ministry of Youth and Sport, both heavily bombed during the war. Today they stand as psychical structures, but yet reminders and symbols of just how big the reconstruction effort will be in this country going forward.
(voice-over): And he is still everywhere. He's front page news and will be for months, if not years, to come. His image was literally on every street corner.
(on camera): We're heading east into Baghdad right now. This is a former Iraqi military factory now used by the Americans. Very well fortified. Concrete slabs literally circle the entire camp. Very good at keeping attackers out, but not very good at preventing mortar rounds from being fired over the walls and into the camp.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen up!
HEMMER (voice-over): You can marvel at a patience of many Iraqis. Just about everything seems to be a hassle in this city, but one wonders how long that patience will hold. But this man tells us, "I'll wait. We've waited 30 years. We can wait a few more years. It'll get there. We have hope."
Still, one sees that patience tried in so many ways.
(on camera): This is one of the main highways in central Baghdad. You can see the traffic in the distance but nothing is moving here, the reason being about two weeks ago the U.S. military set up this concrete structure here. Before, you would be able to take that road straight out to the airport, 18 miles and you'd be there. But now no more, as the military tries to control the flow of traffic and the flow of people in certain areas in central Baghdad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a lot of people here now.
HEMMER (voice-over): But don't tell the coalition partners it can't be done. They argue they worked every day with the Iraqis to make this country run again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Other Iraqis we talked to say the pace is simply not fast enough. They consistently, Soledad, come back to the whole theme of security in this country. It runs its thread all the way throughout the entire society. But yet that same man says he, too, will be patient. He says as a Muslim he has to be -- back to you now in New York.
O'BRIEN: A great report, Bill.
Thank you.
We'll check in with you again.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
