|
CNN SHOWDOWN: IRAQ
One-on-One
Aired March 14, 2003 - 12:53 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Waiting can sometimes be the hardest part. U.S. troops and Kuwaitis know that firsthand. In Kuwait right now, P.J. O'Rourke has been spending time with both the U.S. troops, as well as the local population. PJ is a correspondent with "The Atlantic Monthly" and best selling author of 10 books.
Welcome to CNN, PJ. Thanks for joining us.
First of all, U.S. Troops, how are they holding up as they wait?
P.J. O'ROURKE, "THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY": Well, I think they're fine. I mean, I feel sorry for them. This is not a great place to go camping. This is not where you'd take your family to get in touch with nature. It's basically think about all beach, no ocean, plus snakes, and it's not great bibwack (ph). I was up in Kosovo where we had Camp Bondsteel (ph), and that looks like the sandals beach resort compared to what they've got out here. But they're holding up great. Their morale is fantastic. The camaraderie is good. I was impressed.
BLITZER: And as you well know and as all of our journalistic colleagues know, Kuwait is what they call a dry state, no alcoholic beverages when these guys get off duty.
O'ROURKE: No kidding. Yes, my hands have stopped shaking and I have lost three pounds already, so it's probably a good thing for people my age. But I feel very sorry for the 19 and 20-year-olds that can't have a little -- they're looking forward to a brewsky in Baghdad, I'll tell you that.
BLITZER: We'll see if that happens or not. In any case, what about the Kuwaitis? They have an enormous stake in all of this. They're on the front lines. They're right there.
O'ROURKE: You'd think this would be a tense place. It is not. It is not. Kuwait is very calm. There's no evidence of panic buying or any other kind of panic. Offices are open, stores are open, restaurants are open.
I was talking to an American yesterday, who has lived in Kuwait for 20 years. In fact, he was trapped here during the 1990-1991, and I said, what's going on, why is this place so calm? And he said, well, all the nervous people left. I said to him, that's a great idea. We should try that back in the United States. We could lose -- a lot of nervous people, they could just take off, as far as I'm concerned.
BLITZER: Is there any indication that Kuwaitis are indeed leaving Kuwait at this moment?
O'ROURKE: Well, the population is down a little bit. Many Kuwaitis have a foot elsewhere. A number of people have sent their children out of the country.
But I wouldn't say there has been a mass exodus. There's nothing like the panic there was in Israel during the buildup and indeed of course the SCUD attacks. I don't quite know what that is. I think part of it is there are 250,000 troops between the Kuwaitis and the Iraqis, and that's more protection than they've had ever, really, even in the Gulf War.
BLITZER: Do you have the sense, P.J., that both the U.S. troops who are there, as you point out, 250,000 in the entire region, and the Kuwaitis themselves, they just want to get this over with as quickly as possible?
O'ROURKE: There is very strong feeling here that if this is going to be done, and absent some miracle that would have to take place in Baghdad, it seems that it does have to be done, let us by all means do that.
Now part of it is not just the waiting and tension; part of that is the weather coming up. And, Wolf, you've been over here. The weather can get extremely unpleasant, and that happens within the next month.
BLITZER: P.J. O'Rourke in Kuwait, we'll be reading all your stuff, we'll talking to you as well. Thanks, P.J., very much.
O'ROURKE: Thanks, Wolf. I'll see you soon.
BLITZER: Well, good luck to 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
|
