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CNN Sunday Morning
Hussein Issues Amnesty for Majority of Iraqi Prisoners
Aired October 20, 2002 - 11:17 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has given prisoners a get-out-of-jail free card. He has issued amnesty for almost all Iraqi prisoners today. The move follows his overwhelming election victory. We get more on this story now from Baghdad, and that's where we find our bureau chief, Jane Arraf -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Fredricka. Well, it's certainly a surprise move by the Iraqi leader, and according to a statement on Iraqi television read today, it's in thanks to what the government calls a 100 percent vote of support for the Iraqi president last week.
Now, in this move, the jails are open wide. All the jails and prisons, according to (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the doors are thrown open, and over the next 48 hours, every single prisoner in them, according to the statement, will be set free. For murderers, now they have one month to make restitution, as well as people convicted of embezzlement and bad debts. They will all be let free. If they don't make restitution in the next month, the murderers and embezzlers will presumably be put back in jail.
Now, the timing of this move is obviously very interesting. It defuses one of the main criticisms that the U.S. has had of Iraq's human rights record. Now, from the scenes today you can see joyful prisoners being released, as well as tearful reunions with relatives, some of whom probably expected to never see them again.
One of the main things was at the sprawling Abu-Gray (ph) prison near Baghdad, which is quite notorious, and had been used for American prisoners after the Gulf War straight across the border with Kuwait, as well as what are believed to be thousands of Iraqi prisoners. We saw hundreds being released. More expected to be released later, as well as a similar scene at another jail inside the city. All of them, of course, being released, and shouting their praises for the Iraqi president -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Jane, appreciate it.
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 October 20, 2002 - 11:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has given prisoners a get-out-of-jail free card. He has issued amnesty for almost all Iraqi prisoners today. The move follows his overwhelming election victory. We get more on this story now from Baghdad, and that's where we find our bureau chief, Jane Arraf -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Fredricka. Well, it's certainly a surprise move by the Iraqi leader, and according to a statement on Iraqi television read today, it's in thanks to what the government calls a 100 percent vote of support for the Iraqi president last week.
Now, in this move, the jails are open wide. All the jails and prisons, according to (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the doors are thrown open, and over the next 48 hours, every single prisoner in them, according to the statement, will be set free. For murderers, now they have one month to make restitution, as well as people convicted of embezzlement and bad debts. They will all be let free. If they don't make restitution in the next month, the murderers and embezzlers will presumably be put back in jail.
Now, the timing of this move is obviously very interesting. It defuses one of the main criticisms that the U.S. has had of Iraq's human rights record. Now, from the scenes today you can see joyful prisoners being released, as well as tearful reunions with relatives, some of whom probably expected to never see them again.
One of the main things was at the sprawling Abu-Gray (ph) prison near Baghdad, which is quite notorious, and had been used for American prisoners after the Gulf War straight across the border with Kuwait, as well as what are believed to be thousands of Iraqi prisoners. We saw hundreds being released. More expected to be released later, as well as a similar scene at another jail inside the city. All of them, of course, being released, and shouting their praises for the Iraqi president -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Jane, appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
