Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Sunday
The Hunt For Saddam Is On
Aired July 27, 2003 - 16:01 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: Now more on the hunt for Saddam Hussein. After an early morning raid in his hometown and another one in Baghdad, U.S. military officials are expressing confidence they have him in their sights and that it's just a matter of time before he's in their custody. CNN's Harris Whitbeck joins us now from Tikrit.
So Harris, they had raids in Baghdad and in Tikrit, where you are now. Do they have any idea where Saddam Hussein may be?
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Andrea, they say that they're focusing on the area where we are in Tikrit because this is Saddam Hussein's homeland, and intelligence that they have received over the last several days and information that they have netted from previous raids has given them reason to believe that it is worth the effort to maintain a high level of activity in this area. A predawn raid on Sunday in which they were looking for Saddam Hussein's new security chief apparently gave them more information, and officials from the 4th Infantry Division here say that they are ready to continue with more raids as they become necessary.
Just to give you an idea of the intensity of the work here, Andrea, in the last nine days over 39 raids have been conducted. Just a couple of days ago some of Saddam Hussein's former bodyguards were found just a few kilometers from where we are now. And again, more raids are being planned, this based on intelligence that has been received not only in this area but also in Baghdad.
Now, you also mentioned an operation that took place in Baghdad earlier this evening. That was -- Task Force 20 was in charge of that operation, which is Special Forces. Apparently, they were looking at a house in the al Mansour district in western Baghdad. There were some civilian casualties there, Iraqis who were basically caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were driving vehicles in that area.
And we understand that there were at least three people killed and there were more injured. Again, no word on what those Special Forces people were looking for, but I can tell you that when Task Force 20 gets involved it's because they're looking for something big. Andrea?
KOPPEL: Harris, what is the sense that you're getting there on the ground in Tikrit? As you mentioned, it is Saddam Hussein's ancestral homeland. It's one of his strongholds in terms of supporters. In fact, even after the war there were people who came out in the streets to celebrate on his birthday. What is the sense you're getting in terms of the kind of cooperation that U.S. forces may be getting on the ground from people living in Tikrit?
WHITBECK: Well, we just spoke to the commander of this area, and he told us that he felt that he was getting a lot of very good cooperation from the local population. He said that as time has gone by, as people have gotten used to the U.S. presence here, more people have come forward to offer more intelligence. And, he said, despite the fact that in many cases reward money is offered, people sometimes don't even want to take that reward money. He said he's had that happen on several occasions.
And he explains that by saying that people are now -- people now feel that they can come out and express their discontent with Saddam Hussein and his associates and not fear retaliation. So he feels very good about the local intelligence that he's getting and the support that his troops are getting from the local population. Having said that, I can tell you though, that U.S. troops here, of course, still face risks.
We have heard several rounds of mortar fire this evening on the base from where we are reporting. Mortar fire that was initiated by the U.S. but it was meant to preempt, if you will, any mortar attacks from positions located just a few kilometers from this former Saddam Hussein palace, which is now being used by the 4th I.D. as one of its headquarters -- Andrea
KOPPEL: OK. Harris Whitbeck in Tikrit, Iraq. Thank you 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 July 27, 2003 - 16:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Now more on the hunt for Saddam Hussein. After an early morning raid in his hometown and another one in Baghdad, U.S. military officials are expressing confidence they have him in their sights and that it's just a matter of time before he's in their custody. CNN's Harris Whitbeck joins us now from Tikrit.
So Harris, they had raids in Baghdad and in Tikrit, where you are now. Do they have any idea where Saddam Hussein may be?
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Andrea, they say that they're focusing on the area where we are in Tikrit because this is Saddam Hussein's homeland, and intelligence that they have received over the last several days and information that they have netted from previous raids has given them reason to believe that it is worth the effort to maintain a high level of activity in this area. A predawn raid on Sunday in which they were looking for Saddam Hussein's new security chief apparently gave them more information, and officials from the 4th Infantry Division here say that they are ready to continue with more raids as they become necessary.
Just to give you an idea of the intensity of the work here, Andrea, in the last nine days over 39 raids have been conducted. Just a couple of days ago some of Saddam Hussein's former bodyguards were found just a few kilometers from where we are now. And again, more raids are being planned, this based on intelligence that has been received not only in this area but also in Baghdad.
Now, you also mentioned an operation that took place in Baghdad earlier this evening. That was -- Task Force 20 was in charge of that operation, which is Special Forces. Apparently, they were looking at a house in the al Mansour district in western Baghdad. There were some civilian casualties there, Iraqis who were basically caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were driving vehicles in that area.
And we understand that there were at least three people killed and there were more injured. Again, no word on what those Special Forces people were looking for, but I can tell you that when Task Force 20 gets involved it's because they're looking for something big. Andrea?
KOPPEL: Harris, what is the sense that you're getting there on the ground in Tikrit? As you mentioned, it is Saddam Hussein's ancestral homeland. It's one of his strongholds in terms of supporters. In fact, even after the war there were people who came out in the streets to celebrate on his birthday. What is the sense you're getting in terms of the kind of cooperation that U.S. forces may be getting on the ground from people living in Tikrit?
WHITBECK: Well, we just spoke to the commander of this area, and he told us that he felt that he was getting a lot of very good cooperation from the local population. He said that as time has gone by, as people have gotten used to the U.S. presence here, more people have come forward to offer more intelligence. And, he said, despite the fact that in many cases reward money is offered, people sometimes don't even want to take that reward money. He said he's had that happen on several occasions.
And he explains that by saying that people are now -- people now feel that they can come out and express their discontent with Saddam Hussein and his associates and not fear retaliation. So he feels very good about the local intelligence that he's getting and the support that his troops are getting from the local population. Having said that, I can tell you though, that U.S. troops here, of course, still face risks.
We have heard several rounds of mortar fire this evening on the base from where we are reporting. Mortar fire that was initiated by the U.S. but it was meant to preempt, if you will, any mortar attacks from positions located just a few kilometers from this former Saddam Hussein palace, which is now being used by the 4th I.D. as one of its headquarters -- Andrea
KOPPEL: OK. Harris Whitbeck in Tikrit, Iraq. Thank you 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
