Home » Archives » "Nightline Daily E-Mail"

Nightline Daily E-Mail

Jan-14-2004 » Filed Under: Iraq News

January 14, 2004

TONIGHT'S FOCUS: Part three in Nightline's week-long series: "Report from Iraq." Tonight Ted Koppel tours Baghdad's American controlled "green zone" and the more chaotic neighborhoods outside of this sphere of safety. It is a tour that illustrates how far Iraq has come since the Saddam Hussein regime was toppled--and how far it still has to go to bring Baghdad's five million residents the quality of life they seek.

The last time Ted Koppel toured Baghdad, it was with the invading military force, and specifically the Army's Third Infantry Division. He joined the Third I.D.'s General Buford Blount when he first inspected some of Saddam Hussein's once-opulent palaces. It was a moment of triumph for the military man and it seemed the beginning of a more peaceful future for Iraq.

Eight months later, Ted Koppel is touring Baghdad once again. One of the Saddam palaces is now being used by Amb. Paul Bremer and the American led CPA, or Coalition Provisional Authority. It exists inside a heavily guarded section of Baghdad where the CPA, the Iraqi Governing Council, the military and even some private foreign contractors are based. It is known as the "Green Zone." Amb. Bremer took Ted Koppel and the Nightline team on a tour of the area.

Inside the Green Zone there is air conditioning, hamburgers for sale and, for the most part, safety.

Outside of the Green Zone, the rest of Baghdad is largely another story. Ted Koppel and the Nightline team toured this area as well. If you are an average Iraqi , one of the challenges outside of the Green Zone is figuring out how to get in. How to file a complaint, seek assistance, communicate with the leadership running the city and the country. Power continues to be spotty and other basic services of a bustling city the size of Baghdad are erratic.


Advertisements