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CNN Sunday Morning
Hussein Frees Prisoners
Aired October 20, 2002 - 07:44 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.
LARRY SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: In Baghdad, the government there announces a general amnesty for prisoners and other detainees. For details, we go live to our Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf.
JANE ARRAF, BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Larry, where in this surprise move, the Iraqi government at the direction of President Saddam Hussein is throwing open the doors of all prisons and jails in Iraq, it says, and letting all prisoners, except those convicted of killing someone, to leave.
Now outside Baghdad, on the outskirts at this sprawling Abugrade (ph) Prison this morning, journalists were taken to see some of the first people being released. These young men would have been convicted of all sorts of offenses. They came out, obviously very happy, chanting "Praise for President Saddam Hussein."
Now there have been prisoner releases before, but this one for the first time in Saddam Hussein's leadership completely pardons all political prisoners inside and outside the country, clearly a move aimed at diffusing one of the most vocal criticisms in the west of Iraq's human rights record, and also a move that's going to gain a lot of support among the relatives of the many Iraqis who have been jailed here.
SMITH: Jane, one question, Saddam Hussein I guess did this just out of the goodness of his own heart?
ARRAF: Well, there actually seem to be quite a wise and well timed political move. Certainly it might make it a little more difficult for any impending military attack. One of the main criticisms has been that Iraq pretty well has a terrible human rights record, and does have the jails full of political prisoners.
Now with this release, that really does diffuse one of those main criticisms. Some people here are expecting this to be taken even further with perhaps the Iraqi president announcing some sort of democratic reforms. All of this course, in an effort to make it much more difficult to rally support, international support for any attack on Iraq.
At the same time, it really does seem to increase loyalty for the Iraqi president. It's always been the source of discontent here that so many people are tried in secret, put in jail. And many times, the relatives don't even know what's happened to them.
Larry? SMITH: Jane, but I guess one thing he said it was a gesture of gratitude for his recent election, another seven years as Iraqi president. But obviously, he has other motives in mind for this?
ARRAF: Certain it does. It was portrayed as a gesture of gratitude, as you say, for that 100 percent vote that the Iraqi government says the president got on October 15.
But really what it does is it's a very clever bargaining tactic in a sense in making it much more difficult to accuse Iraq of something that has been really a sore point over the last two decades.
Now clearly, the government does have something to gain here. And a move of this magnitude, essentially it hardens everyone inside and outside the country, completely wipes out their criminal records. And even those who have been convicted of killing someone can be released, if the family agrees or if they make restitution.
This really is a very dramatic move, seemingly very well timed as well. Larry?
SMITH: OK, Jane Arraf, our Baghdad bureau chief. Thanks so much.
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 - 07:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: In Baghdad, the government there announces a general amnesty for prisoners and other detainees. For details, we go live to our Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf.
JANE ARRAF, BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Larry, where in this surprise move, the Iraqi government at the direction of President Saddam Hussein is throwing open the doors of all prisons and jails in Iraq, it says, and letting all prisoners, except those convicted of killing someone, to leave.
Now outside Baghdad, on the outskirts at this sprawling Abugrade (ph) Prison this morning, journalists were taken to see some of the first people being released. These young men would have been convicted of all sorts of offenses. They came out, obviously very happy, chanting "Praise for President Saddam Hussein."
Now there have been prisoner releases before, but this one for the first time in Saddam Hussein's leadership completely pardons all political prisoners inside and outside the country, clearly a move aimed at diffusing one of the most vocal criticisms in the west of Iraq's human rights record, and also a move that's going to gain a lot of support among the relatives of the many Iraqis who have been jailed here.
SMITH: Jane, one question, Saddam Hussein I guess did this just out of the goodness of his own heart?
ARRAF: Well, there actually seem to be quite a wise and well timed political move. Certainly it might make it a little more difficult for any impending military attack. One of the main criticisms has been that Iraq pretty well has a terrible human rights record, and does have the jails full of political prisoners.
Now with this release, that really does diffuse one of those main criticisms. Some people here are expecting this to be taken even further with perhaps the Iraqi president announcing some sort of democratic reforms. All of this course, in an effort to make it much more difficult to rally support, international support for any attack on Iraq.
At the same time, it really does seem to increase loyalty for the Iraqi president. It's always been the source of discontent here that so many people are tried in secret, put in jail. And many times, the relatives don't even know what's happened to them.
Larry? SMITH: Jane, but I guess one thing he said it was a gesture of gratitude for his recent election, another seven years as Iraqi president. But obviously, he has other motives in mind for this?
ARRAF: Certain it does. It was portrayed as a gesture of gratitude, as you say, for that 100 percent vote that the Iraqi government says the president got on October 15.
But really what it does is it's a very clever bargaining tactic in a sense in making it much more difficult to accuse Iraq of something that has been really a sore point over the last two decades.
Now clearly, the government does have something to gain here. And a move of this magnitude, essentially it hardens everyone inside and outside the country, completely wipes out their criminal records. And even those who have been convicted of killing someone can be released, if the family agrees or if they make restitution.
This really is a very dramatic move, seemingly very well timed as well. Larry?
SMITH: OK, Jane Arraf, our Baghdad bureau chief. Thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
