February 2003 Saddam Hussein interview
Encyclopedia
The Saddam interview refers to a famous television
interview that occurred between President of Iraq
Saddam Hussein
and American
news anchor Dan Rather
on February 24, 2003, very shortly before the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
. The interview was aired both in the United States and on all three Iraq
i television networks. British
politician Tony Benn
had also interviewed Hussein earlier that month.
executive producer Jim Murphy were driven around Baghdad
for 45 minutes and switched cars on two separate occasions to keep Hussein's position secret. The interview was held at the Republican Palace
. Neither Rather nor Murphy were allowed to bring their own tape recorders. Hussein supplied his own translator, and CBS
approved the translation of the recording. Rather and Murphy were treated well in the course of the interview, with Hussein offering Rather coffee at one point.
over the Iran-Contra Affair
. His son, George W. Bush
, responded similarly, and declined to give Rather an interview during his presidency. After the Hussein interview, the White House
was interested in a rebuttal interview. CBS News would accept President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney
or Secretary of State Colin Powell
for the interview, but the White House only offered other officials for the interview, such as Ari Fleischer
and Dan Bartlett
. The CBS network deemed these individuals inappropriate for the broadcast, and an American interview was never done.
Hussein invited President Bush to a live TV debate, to which Bush declined.
On one occasion Hussein interrupted his translator and corrected his use of the term "Bush", instead of "Mr. Bush", which Hussein explained was out of respect.
Saddam Hussein
floated an idea of holding a live uncensored unprepared debate televised worldwide where both American and Iraqi Presidents sitting in their respective countries would discuss their nation's problems. He also said Dan Rather
could moderate the debate. This never happened.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
interview that occurred between President of Iraq
President of Iraq
The President of Iraq is the head of state of Iraq and "safeguards the commitment to the Constitution and the preservation of Iraq's independence, sovereignty, unity, the security of its territories in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution." The President is elected by the Council of...
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
news anchor Dan Rather
Dan Rather
Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
on February 24, 2003, very shortly before the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. The interview was aired both in the United States and on all three Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i television networks. British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
had also interviewed Hussein earlier that month.
Background
Rather and CBS Evening NewsCBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
executive producer Jim Murphy were driven around Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
for 45 minutes and switched cars on two separate occasions to keep Hussein's position secret. The interview was held at the Republican Palace
Republican Palace
The Republican Palace is a palace in Baghdad, Iraq, constructed on the orders of King Faisal II. It was Saddam Hussein's preferred place to meet visiting heads of state. The United States spared the palace during its shock and awe raid during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, in the belief that it might...
. Neither Rather nor Murphy were allowed to bring their own tape recorders. Hussein supplied his own translator, and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
approved the translation of the recording. Rather and Murphy were treated well in the course of the interview, with Hussein offering Rather coffee at one point.
American interview
In the 1980s, Rather had an on-air confrontation with then-president George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
over the Iran-Contra Affair
Iran-Contra Affair
The Iran–Contra affair , also referred to as Irangate, Contragate or Iran-Contra-Gate, was a political scandal in the United States that came to light in November 1986. During the Reagan administration, senior Reagan administration officials and President Reagan secretly facilitated the sale of...
. His son, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, responded similarly, and declined to give Rather an interview during his presidency. After the Hussein interview, the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
was interested in a rebuttal interview. CBS News would accept President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
or Secretary of State Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
for the interview, but the White House only offered other officials for the interview, such as Ari Fleischer
Ari Fleischer
On May 19, 2003, he announced that he would resign during the summer, citing a desire to spend more time with his wife and to work in the private sector...
and Dan Bartlett
Dan Bartlett
Daniel Joseph Bartlett was a Counselor to the President in the Bush administration. The position was previously held by Karen Hughes, who vacated the post in 2002. On June 1, 2007, he announced his resignation and that he would be leaving the White House on July 5, 2007...
. The CBS network deemed these individuals inappropriate for the broadcast, and an American interview was never done.
Highlights
Memorable lines:- Hussein: ...Bear with me. My answers are long.
- Rather: Mr. President, I have all night.
Hussein invited President Bush to a live TV debate, to which Bush declined.
- Rather: Who would moderate this debate?
- Hussein: Yes, you Mr. Rather.
- Rather: With respect, Mr. President, I have other problems. I've got enough problems already.
On one occasion Hussein interrupted his translator and corrected his use of the term "Bush", instead of "Mr. Bush", which Hussein explained was out of respect.
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
floated an idea of holding a live uncensored unprepared debate televised worldwide where both American and Iraqi Presidents sitting in their respective countries would discuss their nation's problems. He also said Dan Rather
Dan Rather
Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
could moderate the debate. This never happened.
Summary
- Hussein declares his support of AllahAllahAllah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
, IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and PalestineState of PalestinePalestine , officially declared as the State of Palestine , is a state that was proclaimed in exile in Algiers on 15 November 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organization's National Council adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence...
. - Hussein denies possessing weapons of mass destructionIraq and weapons of mass destructionDuring the regime of Saddam Hussein, the nation of Iraq used, possessed, and made efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction . Hussein was internationally known for his use of chemical weapons in the 1980s against Iranian and Kurdish civilians during and after the Iran–Iraq War...
, or the possession of arms against U.N. Law. - Hussein denies association with Osama bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
. - Hussein declares he will not step down from presidency or ever surrender against a stronger opponent.
- Hussein also declares he will not go into asylumRight of asylumRight of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
, or leave Iraq. - Hussein claims that his armed forces lost only 10% of their militaryMilitaryA military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
equipment in 1991's Operation Desert Storm. - Hussein expressed willingness to participate in a live globally televised Presidential debate before the Invasion in 2003.
External links
- Transcript: Saddam Hussein Interview CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
. February 26, 2003. - Video: Saddam Hussein coining Dan Rather about a globally televised Presidential debate.
- Transcript of interview between Tony Benn and Saddam Hussein
- Other interviews with Saddam Hussein