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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview with Richard Wolffe
Aired July 26, 2003 - 09:04 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: Well, as we're learning, some very fast-moving events this week taking place in two of the world's hot spots, Iraq and Liberia.
Richard Wolffe, diplomatic correspondent for "Newsweek" magazine, tracking the developments, and joins us now to give us a little reaction so we can gauge everything that's taking place around the globe. He joins us now from Washington.
Richard, good morning.
RICHARD WOLFFE, DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT, "NEWSWEEK" MAGAZINE: Good morning, good to be with you.
ROBERTS: Richard, first off, the big thing this week, the biggest news, has been these pictures, the release of the videotape as well of Uday and Qusay Hussein, killed on Tuesday in a firefight in Mosul. What's the reaction in Iraq, and now, as we're learning, from around the world?
WOLFFE: Well, there's obviously shock, surprise, recognition of the forces that America can bring to play here in Iraq. And also, as this moves on, there's a lot of negative reaction from some of the more Muslim press, the religious figures we're seeing through the Middle East, who say that disrespect shown for the bodies of Uday and Qusay.
So it's mixed. But, of course, in Iraq, there is nothing like the impact of seeing these tyrannous, brutal figures dead. And that's actually really the start of a very important turning point for American forces in Iraq.
ROBERTS: Richard, on the other side of things, no one would look at Uday and Qusay and say that these two were actual religious followers.
WOLFFE: Absolutely. And this was a regime that was characterized by being secular. Saddam's portrayal of himself as a great Muslim figure was really ridiculed across the region. Still, there is resentment at the kind of power of American force, and its intention to remake the region.
So there's a kind of sense of powerlessness that I think is being expressed through some of these clerics. ROBERTS: The informant that tipped off the U.S. military to the whereabouts of Uday and Qusay is receiving a $30 million reward, or so we're told. Still $25 million from the Justice Department. a reward they're issuing for information leading to the capture of Saddam Hussein. Is this, I guess the -- going to lead to more information, I guess credible tips coming in, or did the U.S. just get lucky here?
WOLFFE: Well, they definitely got lucky. But there's no question that we're already seeing a better flow of information, more tips. Obviously, people hope that -- to get more money out of this. But there's not something terribly wrong with that. A lot of the resistance that we're seeing, the guerrilla attacks that sadly took more American lives today, that's been driven by money too.
So I think you're going to see this one progress. But also, we have to be prepared for increasing guerrilla attacks. This is a resistance that's born out of frustration, born out of some loyalty, and also born out of a desire to make money from Saddam's cash pile.
ROBERTS: Meanwhile, the situation in Liberia is escalating. And we're learning that the president is deploying troops to that region, not sending them in yet, waiting for West African peacekeepers to go in there to try and calm the situation there. In this instance, are we going in -- or are you learning, are we going in more as moral situation, or because we really have a national interest there?
WOLFFE: Well, I think the administration is completely conflicted on this one, and that's really a very ineffective way to move forward with American policy, not just because of American forces there, but because this whole deployment is supposed to send a message to the region that American forces will step in where necessary.
That's not what the administration is saying, because they're still debating, should it just be a logistical force? Are there going to be troops on the ground? And while that mixed message is out there, of course, the fighting just gets worse. This really needs to be a clear message about American power.
ROBERTS: All right, Richard Wolffe, joining us from Washington, diplomatic correspondent for "Newsweek." Richard, of course, we appreciate your time this morning. Good to see you.
WOLFFE: Thank you.
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 July 26, 2003 - 09:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, as we're learning, some very fast-moving events this week taking place in two of the world's hot spots, Iraq and Liberia.
Richard Wolffe, diplomatic correspondent for "Newsweek" magazine, tracking the developments, and joins us now to give us a little reaction so we can gauge everything that's taking place around the globe. He joins us now from Washington.
Richard, good morning.
RICHARD WOLFFE, DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT, "NEWSWEEK" MAGAZINE: Good morning, good to be with you.
ROBERTS: Richard, first off, the big thing this week, the biggest news, has been these pictures, the release of the videotape as well of Uday and Qusay Hussein, killed on Tuesday in a firefight in Mosul. What's the reaction in Iraq, and now, as we're learning, from around the world?
WOLFFE: Well, there's obviously shock, surprise, recognition of the forces that America can bring to play here in Iraq. And also, as this moves on, there's a lot of negative reaction from some of the more Muslim press, the religious figures we're seeing through the Middle East, who say that disrespect shown for the bodies of Uday and Qusay.
So it's mixed. But, of course, in Iraq, there is nothing like the impact of seeing these tyrannous, brutal figures dead. And that's actually really the start of a very important turning point for American forces in Iraq.
ROBERTS: Richard, on the other side of things, no one would look at Uday and Qusay and say that these two were actual religious followers.
WOLFFE: Absolutely. And this was a regime that was characterized by being secular. Saddam's portrayal of himself as a great Muslim figure was really ridiculed across the region. Still, there is resentment at the kind of power of American force, and its intention to remake the region.
So there's a kind of sense of powerlessness that I think is being expressed through some of these clerics. ROBERTS: The informant that tipped off the U.S. military to the whereabouts of Uday and Qusay is receiving a $30 million reward, or so we're told. Still $25 million from the Justice Department. a reward they're issuing for information leading to the capture of Saddam Hussein. Is this, I guess the -- going to lead to more information, I guess credible tips coming in, or did the U.S. just get lucky here?
WOLFFE: Well, they definitely got lucky. But there's no question that we're already seeing a better flow of information, more tips. Obviously, people hope that -- to get more money out of this. But there's not something terribly wrong with that. A lot of the resistance that we're seeing, the guerrilla attacks that sadly took more American lives today, that's been driven by money too.
So I think you're going to see this one progress. But also, we have to be prepared for increasing guerrilla attacks. This is a resistance that's born out of frustration, born out of some loyalty, and also born out of a desire to make money from Saddam's cash pile.
ROBERTS: Meanwhile, the situation in Liberia is escalating. And we're learning that the president is deploying troops to that region, not sending them in yet, waiting for West African peacekeepers to go in there to try and calm the situation there. In this instance, are we going in -- or are you learning, are we going in more as moral situation, or because we really have a national interest there?
WOLFFE: Well, I think the administration is completely conflicted on this one, and that's really a very ineffective way to move forward with American policy, not just because of American forces there, but because this whole deployment is supposed to send a message to the region that American forces will step in where necessary.
That's not what the administration is saying, because they're still debating, should it just be a logistical force? Are there going to be troops on the ground? And while that mixed message is out there, of course, the fighting just gets worse. This really needs to be a clear message about American power.
ROBERTS: All right, Richard Wolffe, joining us from Washington, diplomatic correspondent for "Newsweek." Richard, of course, we appreciate your time this morning. Good to see you.
WOLFFE: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
