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CNN Sunday Morning
Hussein Divides Iraq Into 4 Military Districts
Aired March 16, 2003 - 08:01 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In advance of a possible war, President Saddam Hussein is dividing Iraq's country into four regions. And French President Chirac says he could consider a 30-day timeline for U.N. weapons inspectors to wrap up their work in Iraq. For more on all this CNN's Nic Robertson live in Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, the decree saying that Iraq will be split into four areas, the north, the south, just the middle section, and the central area. The central area will be put under the command of President Saddam Hussein's youngest son, Uday Saddam Hussein -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Now the significance of this is already impacting people here in Iraq. Overnight, some people reacted by going and filling up their cars with gasoline.
Today, in the markets here, we've already seen in the markets that sell generators, that sell water pumps, business is picking up in those markets, vendors tell us. And in some of the more market neighborhoods of Baghdad, some of the electronics stores selling televisions, high-tech equipment. They have been seen today moving their equipment out of their stores, getting ready to close down their stores, putting their high value items apparently into storage.
We have seen Iraq's national monitoring director of the group that deals with the U.N. weapons inspectors here try and answer another one of the U.N.'s outstanding questions. That is about the mobile laboratories. They say they've given the U.N. -- Iraq's national monitoring director has given the U.N. -- photographs and video of some mobile freezer units, cooler units, units that it says are used by the military for transporting bodies, for transporting food, for transporting ice, and for transporting medical supplies. It's given that to the U.N. weapons inspectors. Also, the destruction of the Al Samoud 2 missiles continues today as well.
COOPER: Nic, what is the idea behind dividing into four countries? What's the significance of that, four different sections?
ROBERTSON: Well, the control of each different section has been put under the leadership of people who are very senior in Iraq, very loyal to President Saddam Hussein. Beneath that there is another tier of leadership. It seems to be an effort to divulge the command and control structure should communications go down in Iraq, should central authority be lost. If the north is not able to communicate with the south. Of course the southern area right next to Kuwait.
The intent here appears to be for the country militarily and politically to continue if the communications get damaged. And beneath these first line commanders, also other commanders have been dominated. Perhaps one another interesting thing to note here is that President Saddam Hussein remains in control of all the offensive military capability: the air force, the military aviation, helicopters, the surface-to-air missiles, underground-to-ground missiles.
COOPER: All right, interesting. Nic Robertson, I appreciate you joining us live from Baghdad.
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 March 16, 2003 - 08:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In advance of a possible war, President Saddam Hussein is dividing Iraq's country into four regions. And French President Chirac says he could consider a 30-day timeline for U.N. weapons inspectors to wrap up their work in Iraq. For more on all this CNN's Nic Robertson live in Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, the decree saying that Iraq will be split into four areas, the north, the south, just the middle section, and the central area. The central area will be put under the command of President Saddam Hussein's youngest son, Uday Saddam Hussein -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Now the significance of this is already impacting people here in Iraq. Overnight, some people reacted by going and filling up their cars with gasoline.
Today, in the markets here, we've already seen in the markets that sell generators, that sell water pumps, business is picking up in those markets, vendors tell us. And in some of the more market neighborhoods of Baghdad, some of the electronics stores selling televisions, high-tech equipment. They have been seen today moving their equipment out of their stores, getting ready to close down their stores, putting their high value items apparently into storage.
We have seen Iraq's national monitoring director of the group that deals with the U.N. weapons inspectors here try and answer another one of the U.N.'s outstanding questions. That is about the mobile laboratories. They say they've given the U.N. -- Iraq's national monitoring director has given the U.N. -- photographs and video of some mobile freezer units, cooler units, units that it says are used by the military for transporting bodies, for transporting food, for transporting ice, and for transporting medical supplies. It's given that to the U.N. weapons inspectors. Also, the destruction of the Al Samoud 2 missiles continues today as well.
COOPER: Nic, what is the idea behind dividing into four countries? What's the significance of that, four different sections?
ROBERTSON: Well, the control of each different section has been put under the leadership of people who are very senior in Iraq, very loyal to President Saddam Hussein. Beneath that there is another tier of leadership. It seems to be an effort to divulge the command and control structure should communications go down in Iraq, should central authority be lost. If the north is not able to communicate with the south. Of course the southern area right next to Kuwait.
The intent here appears to be for the country militarily and politically to continue if the communications get damaged. And beneath these first line commanders, also other commanders have been dominated. Perhaps one another interesting thing to note here is that President Saddam Hussein remains in control of all the offensive military capability: the air force, the military aviation, helicopters, the surface-to-air missiles, underground-to-ground missiles.
COOPER: All right, interesting. Nic Robertson, I appreciate you joining us live from Baghdad.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
