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CNN Saturday Morning News

Insurgents Still Seem to be a Threat After Death of Saddam's Sons

Aired July 26, 2003 - 08:06   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.


THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: We turn our attention now to Iraq, where explosions and gunfire rang out once again today in Baghdad. It's a very grim reminder that insurgents are still a threat, despite U.S. claims that it has killed Saddam Hussein's sons and may be tightening the noose around the former Iraqi leader himself.
CNN's Rym Brahimi joins us live from the Iraqi capital with the very latest from there -- hello, Rym.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Thomas.

Well, the U.S. Central Command says that in the past 24 hours, raids and patrols conducted by U.S. forces and Israeli police have led to the arrest of hundreds of people, have also led to the recovery of thousands of weapons and thousands of dollars.

Now, there was this incident early on in the morning where the newly appointed Iraqi police chief was conducting a raid against suspected hijackers. In the shootout, the police chief was wounded. But, of course, it remains a very unsafe place for Iraqis and U.S. forces, as well. The U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division also prevented an attack. When they were patrolling, they found a group of Iraqis that were basically placing a tripwire attached to a grenade and putting it across the road. They fired at the Iraqis. One of them was shot and killed. The others fled.

In the past days or so since the death of Uday and Qusay Hussein and the raid that was conducted in Mosul, well, we know also that U.S. forces have stepped up security and have increased the number of raids in and around the Iraqi capital -- Thomas.

ROBERTS: And, Rym, more and more Iraqis are starting to learn of the death, as well as the pictures, correct? They've been published now, of Uday and Qusay, in the local papers?

BRAHIMI: That's right. They were published, actually, interestingly enough, Thomas, not all the Iraqi daily newspapers published the pictures of Uday and Qusay dead. For some reason, only two or three newspapers out of the dozen or so that are now existing here in Baghdad agreed to publish them. And I think it may be because the effect of the video pictures that were aired yesterday on Arabic satellite channels really sent a sort of wave of shock. And a lot of people seem to be a little bit shocked and say, OK, that's it, we've seen what we wanted to see. Let's just move on. No more.

But, again, not everybody has TVs, not everybody has electricity. And so I think now it's really spreading around the country -- Thomas.

ROBERTS: It's starting to filter through, as we're learning.

Rym Brahimi live for us in good morning.

Rym, 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




Saddam's Sons>


Aired July 26, 2003 - 08:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: We turn our attention now to Iraq, where explosions and gunfire rang out once again today in Baghdad. It's a very grim reminder that insurgents are still a threat, despite U.S. claims that it has killed Saddam Hussein's sons and may be tightening the noose around the former Iraqi leader himself.
CNN's Rym Brahimi joins us live from the Iraqi capital with the very latest from there -- hello, Rym.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Thomas.

Well, the U.S. Central Command says that in the past 24 hours, raids and patrols conducted by U.S. forces and Israeli police have led to the arrest of hundreds of people, have also led to the recovery of thousands of weapons and thousands of dollars.

Now, there was this incident early on in the morning where the newly appointed Iraqi police chief was conducting a raid against suspected hijackers. In the shootout, the police chief was wounded. But, of course, it remains a very unsafe place for Iraqis and U.S. forces, as well. The U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division also prevented an attack. When they were patrolling, they found a group of Iraqis that were basically placing a tripwire attached to a grenade and putting it across the road. They fired at the Iraqis. One of them was shot and killed. The others fled.

In the past days or so since the death of Uday and Qusay Hussein and the raid that was conducted in Mosul, well, we know also that U.S. forces have stepped up security and have increased the number of raids in and around the Iraqi capital -- Thomas.

ROBERTS: And, Rym, more and more Iraqis are starting to learn of the death, as well as the pictures, correct? They've been published now, of Uday and Qusay, in the local papers?

BRAHIMI: That's right. They were published, actually, interestingly enough, Thomas, not all the Iraqi daily newspapers published the pictures of Uday and Qusay dead. For some reason, only two or three newspapers out of the dozen or so that are now existing here in Baghdad agreed to publish them. And I think it may be because the effect of the video pictures that were aired yesterday on Arabic satellite channels really sent a sort of wave of shock. And a lot of people seem to be a little bit shocked and say, OK, that's it, we've seen what we wanted to see. Let's just move on. No more.

But, again, not everybody has TVs, not everybody has electricity. And so I think now it's really spreading around the country -- Thomas.

ROBERTS: It's starting to filter through, as we're learning.

Rym Brahimi live for us in good morning.

Rym, 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




Saddam's Sons>