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CNN Sunday Morning
Iraqi Civil Servants Get Paid
Aired May 25, 2003 - 08:30 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.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq, payments have begun for the first of nearly two million of the country's civil servants. Officials hope the plan ends tensions and jump-starts the economy.
Our Jane Arraf joins us now from Baghdad with the latest on the payday and potential problems surrounding the end of the Iraqi military -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Andrea, one of those problems that's emerging, UNICEF says today that acute malnutrition among Iraqi children has doubled from before the Gulf War. Now, it says those figures went from four percent to 7.7 percent of Iraqi children acutely malnourished. And a UNICEF spokesman says one of the reasons in cities like Baghdad is the collapse of public services.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEOFFREY KEELE, SPOKESMAN, UNICEF: You have sewage buildup in the streets, you have garbage buildup in the streets. All of this leads to disease, to diarrhea and directly to malnutrition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, that's not the only problem facing Iraq right now. As you mentioned, the U.S. has dissolved the Iraqi army. On the face of it, it sounds lick a good thing, but in reality it leaves about 400,000 former soldiers with no jobs and no prospect of getting jobs in the near-term. We spoke to some of those soldiers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. WALEED KHALED, FMR. IRAQI OFFICER (through translator): The U.S. Government must have some arrangements for our pension and retirement. I served for 20 years and I got to the rank of major.
RIAD ABBAS, FMR. IRAQI ARMY NCO (through translator): I have no business, no possessions and no living income. I have to accept any job just to support my family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: The problem is there just aren't jobs out there yet. Now, as the stopgap measure, the U.S. administrators here have been gathering literally sacks of money to provide preliminary back payments to some civil servants. Now, those payment payments range from $50 to $400. Electrical workers, in that vital electricity sector were some of the first to get these payments. It helps, but it's certainly not a substitute for regular jobs -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: So, Jane, how would you describe the move on the streets of Baghdad when you talk to Iraqis?
ARRAF: It's really kind of uneven. Immediately after this war when a lot of people didn't feel a sense of liberation, there was kind of a euphoria, but that's kind of breaking down now in the face of widespread electricity shortages. And still a lot of insecurity, a lot of crime in the streets of Baghdad.
Now, some neighborhoods haven't had electricity for days. And others, they're on a rotation of two hours of electricity on, four hours off. And what that essentially means is that they are absolutely sweltering and at night when there are no lights all you can hear are gunshots going off.
So they're very insecure right now and they're wondering what the future will bring. Whether the U.S. will be able to get this economy moving again, whether we'll be able to tackle crime. A lot of uncertainties out there. And some people are saying they would prefer to be under Saddam. At least then they had electricity and water running.
Now, it's hard to tell whether they really mean that, but there is a lot of discontent -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Well, certainly for the U.S. and the U.K., a race against time to win those hearts and minds.
Jane Arraf in Baghdad. 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 May 25, 2003 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq, payments have begun for the first of nearly two million of the country's civil servants. Officials hope the plan ends tensions and jump-starts the economy.
Our Jane Arraf joins us now from Baghdad with the latest on the payday and potential problems surrounding the end of the Iraqi military -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Andrea, one of those problems that's emerging, UNICEF says today that acute malnutrition among Iraqi children has doubled from before the Gulf War. Now, it says those figures went from four percent to 7.7 percent of Iraqi children acutely malnourished. And a UNICEF spokesman says one of the reasons in cities like Baghdad is the collapse of public services.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEOFFREY KEELE, SPOKESMAN, UNICEF: You have sewage buildup in the streets, you have garbage buildup in the streets. All of this leads to disease, to diarrhea and directly to malnutrition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, that's not the only problem facing Iraq right now. As you mentioned, the U.S. has dissolved the Iraqi army. On the face of it, it sounds lick a good thing, but in reality it leaves about 400,000 former soldiers with no jobs and no prospect of getting jobs in the near-term. We spoke to some of those soldiers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. WALEED KHALED, FMR. IRAQI OFFICER (through translator): The U.S. Government must have some arrangements for our pension and retirement. I served for 20 years and I got to the rank of major.
RIAD ABBAS, FMR. IRAQI ARMY NCO (through translator): I have no business, no possessions and no living income. I have to accept any job just to support my family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: The problem is there just aren't jobs out there yet. Now, as the stopgap measure, the U.S. administrators here have been gathering literally sacks of money to provide preliminary back payments to some civil servants. Now, those payment payments range from $50 to $400. Electrical workers, in that vital electricity sector were some of the first to get these payments. It helps, but it's certainly not a substitute for regular jobs -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: So, Jane, how would you describe the move on the streets of Baghdad when you talk to Iraqis?
ARRAF: It's really kind of uneven. Immediately after this war when a lot of people didn't feel a sense of liberation, there was kind of a euphoria, but that's kind of breaking down now in the face of widespread electricity shortages. And still a lot of insecurity, a lot of crime in the streets of Baghdad.
Now, some neighborhoods haven't had electricity for days. And others, they're on a rotation of two hours of electricity on, four hours off. And what that essentially means is that they are absolutely sweltering and at night when there are no lights all you can hear are gunshots going off.
So they're very insecure right now and they're wondering what the future will bring. Whether the U.S. will be able to get this economy moving again, whether we'll be able to tackle crime. A lot of uncertainties out there. And some people are saying they would prefer to be under Saddam. At least then they had electricity and water running.
Now, it's hard to tell whether they really mean that, but there is a lot of discontent -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Well, certainly for the U.S. and the U.K., a race against time to win those hearts and minds.
Jane Arraf in Baghdad. 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
