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CNN Live Sunday
Coalition Commanders Excited Over Amin's Capture
Aired April 27, 2003 - 16:00 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: Coalition commanders are excited about the capture of General Hossam Mohammed Amin. They're excited because this man was the chief liaison between the former Iraqi regime and the U.N. weapons inspectors. That means he might have a lot of information to tell if he is going to talk. Amin is number 49 in the most wanted deck. CNN's Jeanne Meserve joins us with the latest from the Pentagon -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, Lieutenant General Hossam Mohammed Amin was one of the key figures in Iraq's weapons program, acting as the chief liaison with U.N. weapons inspectors. He was number 49 on the U.S. list of the 55 most wanted Iraqis, and it is believed he may have information about any weapons of mass destruction, which Iraq may have possessed.
He may also have some information about some whereabouts of the key members of the Iraqi regime, because he is believed to be a personal friend of Saddam Hussein's personal secretary and also of his son Qusay. Now, also in custody is Tariq Aziz. He is Iraq's former deputy prime minister. General Tommy Franks revealed today that Tariq Aziz is talking to U.S. authorities. He called him cooperative and talkative, but Franks says the U.S. doesn't know at this point how much to believe of what Tariq Aziz is telling them.
Franks and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are on a tour of the Middle East. They will go to Iraq and Afghanistan, but their first stop was, today, in the United Arab Emirates. They are talking to leaders in the region about the future of any government in Iraq, but they're also talking about the future of the U.S. military footprint. Today Franks said there would be some rearrangement of that footprint.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL TOMMY FRANKS, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: We're going to be working in Iraq and we're going to be continuing our work in Afghanistan for some time. And so I think the way I would characterize it is that we need to study it. We need to see exactly what footprint will have the highest payoff for us in the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Franks said at this point he cannot say whether that footprint will be any smaller than the current military presence. Now Central Command today also announced the detention of Mohammad Mohsen Ali al-Zubaydi. He was the self proclaimed mayor of Baghdad. He was working at cross-purposes with coalition forces there. In making the announcement of his detention, CENTCOM said that it will not tolerate any interference with the Iraqi people's moves towards self- governance. Anderson, back to you.
COOPER: All right, Jeanne Meserve at the Pentagon. Thanks.
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 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Coalition commanders are excited about the capture of General Hossam Mohammed Amin. They're excited because this man was the chief liaison between the former Iraqi regime and the U.N. weapons inspectors. That means he might have a lot of information to tell if he is going to talk. Amin is number 49 in the most wanted deck. CNN's Jeanne Meserve joins us with the latest from the Pentagon -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, Lieutenant General Hossam Mohammed Amin was one of the key figures in Iraq's weapons program, acting as the chief liaison with U.N. weapons inspectors. He was number 49 on the U.S. list of the 55 most wanted Iraqis, and it is believed he may have information about any weapons of mass destruction, which Iraq may have possessed.
He may also have some information about some whereabouts of the key members of the Iraqi regime, because he is believed to be a personal friend of Saddam Hussein's personal secretary and also of his son Qusay. Now, also in custody is Tariq Aziz. He is Iraq's former deputy prime minister. General Tommy Franks revealed today that Tariq Aziz is talking to U.S. authorities. He called him cooperative and talkative, but Franks says the U.S. doesn't know at this point how much to believe of what Tariq Aziz is telling them.
Franks and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are on a tour of the Middle East. They will go to Iraq and Afghanistan, but their first stop was, today, in the United Arab Emirates. They are talking to leaders in the region about the future of any government in Iraq, but they're also talking about the future of the U.S. military footprint. Today Franks said there would be some rearrangement of that footprint.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL TOMMY FRANKS, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: We're going to be working in Iraq and we're going to be continuing our work in Afghanistan for some time. And so I think the way I would characterize it is that we need to study it. We need to see exactly what footprint will have the highest payoff for us in the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Franks said at this point he cannot say whether that footprint will be any smaller than the current military presence. Now Central Command today also announced the detention of Mohammad Mohsen Ali al-Zubaydi. He was the self proclaimed mayor of Baghdad. He was working at cross-purposes with coalition forces there. In making the announcement of his detention, CENTCOM said that it will not tolerate any interference with the Iraqi people's moves towards self- governance. Anderson, back to you.
COOPER: All right, Jeanne Meserve at the Pentagon. Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
