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CNN Live Sunday

Situation in Baghdad Improves

Aired April 20, 2003 - 17:10   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.


SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: It's early Monday in Baghdad after a kind of Sunday no one has seen there in a generation.
CNN's Jim Clancy joins us live from Baghdad with more -- Jim.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We see an improving situation in the capital right now, Sophia. Some of the lights have come on. We can see them in the darkness in parts of eastern Baghdad and outlying areas, not in the heart of the capital. There's also some new signs of success on the streets with security being mounted by Baghdad police. They are in their patrol cars. They are pulling other cars over, checking them not only to see if the cars themselves had been looted, but also looking for things in trunks like weapons or looted material.

On another front, the Iraqi dinar fluctuating rather in a wide range, anywhere from 2,500 to 3,500 to the dollars. The fluctuations are making it very difficult for many Baghdad residents. Some entrepreneurs, though, finding the Iraqis do have the cash when they want to contact loved ones overseas. They've taken satellite telephones on the streets and they have used them, selling them at $10 a minute to Iraqis to make phone calls overseas.

Meantime, the small Christian community in Iraq celebrated Easter this day. It was a quiet celebration. It was a humble celebration in many cases. Christians suffering the same deprivations as everybody else in this society, suffering during the war, as well. But it gave them a chance to reflect on the most important Christian holy day of the year. There's still, though, a lot of tension about the shape of any future government. Many Christians feeling and fearing that there could be an Islamic republic which would seriously curtail their religious freedom -- Sophia.

CHOI: All right, Jim Clancy from Baghdad, thank you so 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 20, 2003 - 17:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: It's early Monday in Baghdad after a kind of Sunday no one has seen there in a generation.
CNN's Jim Clancy joins us live from Baghdad with more -- Jim.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We see an improving situation in the capital right now, Sophia. Some of the lights have come on. We can see them in the darkness in parts of eastern Baghdad and outlying areas, not in the heart of the capital. There's also some new signs of success on the streets with security being mounted by Baghdad police. They are in their patrol cars. They are pulling other cars over, checking them not only to see if the cars themselves had been looted, but also looking for things in trunks like weapons or looted material.

On another front, the Iraqi dinar fluctuating rather in a wide range, anywhere from 2,500 to 3,500 to the dollars. The fluctuations are making it very difficult for many Baghdad residents. Some entrepreneurs, though, finding the Iraqis do have the cash when they want to contact loved ones overseas. They've taken satellite telephones on the streets and they have used them, selling them at $10 a minute to Iraqis to make phone calls overseas.

Meantime, the small Christian community in Iraq celebrated Easter this day. It was a quiet celebration. It was a humble celebration in many cases. Christians suffering the same deprivations as everybody else in this society, suffering during the war, as well. But it gave them a chance to reflect on the most important Christian holy day of the year. There's still, though, a lot of tension about the shape of any future government. Many Christians feeling and fearing that there could be an Islamic republic which would seriously curtail their religious freedom -- Sophia.

CHOI: All right, Jim Clancy from Baghdad, thank you so 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