Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Husam Muhammad Amin Al-Yasin in U.S. Custody

Aired April 27, 2003 - 08:00   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: At the Pentagon, just moments ago we got word that another player in the Pentagon's deck of cards is now in coalition control.
CNN's Patty Davis has the details -- Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Anderson, another top former Iraqi official now under coalition control. He is the six of clubs on that U.S. deck of cards. His name, Husam Muhammad Al- Yasin, the national monitoring director -- or former national monitoring director now that Saddam Hussein's regime is no longer. U.S. Central Command said that he is number 45 on that deck of cards on that list of 55 that the U.S. has given to troops to search for.

They are not however, saying the circumstance of his arrest. Did he give himself up? Was he captured? We hope to know more later today. Now, with the arrest of this man, the national monitoring director it brings to 16 the number on that deck of cards that the U.S. now has in custody, the hopes that he and others will lead them to Saddam Hussein himself and his sons.

Now meanwhile, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in the Middle East. We are told that he is expected to go to Iraq, also Afghanistan. The U.S. in Afghanistan working to restore order and electricity, water and other things there. Now, he is going to meet with leaders, we are told, in the Persian Gulf region to talk about the future of the U.S. military presence there now that Iraq no longer poses a threat. He will also in Iraq, thank troops and thank military commanders.

Back to you, Anderson.

COOPER: Well, Patty, just a little bit more of an update on this man, the head of the National Monitoring Directorate who is now in U.S custody. You know, we are working the story not just with you at the Pentagon, also here from people in Atlanta. We figured out a little bit more about this National Monitoring Directorate. And I just want to let you know what we know.

Iraq's National Monitoring Directorate, I was told, is created to oversee U.N. weapon inspectors and Yasin was actually the liaison between the inspectors and Iraqi officials. So, an interesting piece of the puzzle to have in custody if there was some deception and this man would apparently know about it. The question now of course is, is he talking and I assume Pentagon officials are not saying anything on that front, right Patty? DAVIS: Not at this point. But obviously if that's the case, this man is key because the U.S. is trying to find those elusive weapons of mass destruction. That is the reason that President Bush said that the coalition went into Iraq, to disarm Iraq, to find chemical and biological weapons. The Pentagon remains very concerned about those weapons of mass destruction and convinced that it will eventually find them. So a very key capture today for the U.S.

COOPER: All right, Patty Davis at the Pentagon. Thanks very 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 April 27, 2003 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: At the Pentagon, just moments ago we got word that another player in the Pentagon's deck of cards is now in coalition control.
CNN's Patty Davis has the details -- Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Anderson, another top former Iraqi official now under coalition control. He is the six of clubs on that U.S. deck of cards. His name, Husam Muhammad Al- Yasin, the national monitoring director -- or former national monitoring director now that Saddam Hussein's regime is no longer. U.S. Central Command said that he is number 45 on that deck of cards on that list of 55 that the U.S. has given to troops to search for.

They are not however, saying the circumstance of his arrest. Did he give himself up? Was he captured? We hope to know more later today. Now, with the arrest of this man, the national monitoring director it brings to 16 the number on that deck of cards that the U.S. now has in custody, the hopes that he and others will lead them to Saddam Hussein himself and his sons.

Now meanwhile, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in the Middle East. We are told that he is expected to go to Iraq, also Afghanistan. The U.S. in Afghanistan working to restore order and electricity, water and other things there. Now, he is going to meet with leaders, we are told, in the Persian Gulf region to talk about the future of the U.S. military presence there now that Iraq no longer poses a threat. He will also in Iraq, thank troops and thank military commanders.

Back to you, Anderson.

COOPER: Well, Patty, just a little bit more of an update on this man, the head of the National Monitoring Directorate who is now in U.S custody. You know, we are working the story not just with you at the Pentagon, also here from people in Atlanta. We figured out a little bit more about this National Monitoring Directorate. And I just want to let you know what we know.

Iraq's National Monitoring Directorate, I was told, is created to oversee U.N. weapon inspectors and Yasin was actually the liaison between the inspectors and Iraqi officials. So, an interesting piece of the puzzle to have in custody if there was some deception and this man would apparently know about it. The question now of course is, is he talking and I assume Pentagon officials are not saying anything on that front, right Patty? DAVIS: Not at this point. But obviously if that's the case, this man is key because the U.S. is trying to find those elusive weapons of mass destruction. That is the reason that President Bush said that the coalition went into Iraq, to disarm Iraq, to find chemical and biological weapons. The Pentagon remains very concerned about those weapons of mass destruction and convinced that it will eventually find them. So a very key capture today for the U.S.

COOPER: All right, Patty Davis at the Pentagon. Thanks very 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