Feinstein: 'It got a little dicey'
Senator: Soldiers asked for more equipment
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday said a plane carrying a bipartisan group of senators who were leaving Iraq had to take evasive action after an apparent surface-to-air missile was fired at it.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer spoke to the Democratic lawmaker from California about her close call and what she saw on the ground during her fact-finding mission to Iraq.
BLITZER: Before we get to the substance, give us your bottom-line assessment right now. Is the country ready for elections January 30?
FEINSTEIN: I think it's tough.
I think fear is back. I think the de-Baathification program went too deep and threw out of work too many Sunnis who have now become part of the problem, instead of part of the solution. And that is not going to get settled in the election.
My hope is that they will put together a strong unity ticket. I really believe that's the only solution at this stage.
And I'm really surprised I haven't heard it discussed more. But it may be safe in 14 provinces, but it certainly isn't in the Sunni Triangle.
BLITZER: How dangerous was it? For example, even in the most secure part of the Green Zone in Baghdad, where you were, how frightened were you?
FEINSTEIN: Well, when we came in, about a half-hour before, a missile or a rocket, had hit the cell phone center. It killed four people. The next day, 20 people were killed.
So, it's an ongoing occurrence. And, you know, if they have .81-millimeter rockets, they can launch them from many miles away and they're just kind of launched blind right into Iraq. So it's terrible, what they do to people and the fear that it restores in people.
And, you know, it's a very serious situation, because, when people are afraid like this and there's still sewage in the streets and they don't have electricity 24/7 and food is difficult, all they yearn for is some form of normalcy.
BLITZER: There was a very disturbing report. We spoke with Sen. Chuck Hagel, who was on this trip a few days ago.
When you took off on that C-130 military transport plane from Baghdad, you were flying already, and there was concern a missile had been launched against your plane. You were inside. What was going on? Talk a little bit about that.
FEINSTEIN: Well, when we got into the C-130, right in the middle of it was a flag-draped coffin with two military people standing at attention. That was sobering, very sobering in and of itself.
And then all the lights go out, and it's completely black. And the C-130 takes off. And then there are little portholes in the side. And you can see out of the porthole these flashing lights. And we didn't know what they were. And the plane takes evasive action, which is something else. I mean, you go up and down and sideways very fast. So, we knew something was happening. We didn't know quite what. And, afterwards, when we landed in Kuwait, I asked the pilot if that really was a missile coming at us. And he said there was no way of him knowing, that, the minute the flares go off, he takes the evasive action.
BLITZER: Did you ever think it was all over you for, Sen. Feinstein?
FEINSTEIN: Well, not really, but it got a little dicey. But I didn't think it was all over.
BLITZER: So, what is your bottom-line assessment now as you look back on what you saw? You heard the comments today from Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. He was questioned pointedly by U.S. troops in Kuwait heading into Iraq. They don't think they have enough armor for their vehicles. They're clearly deeply concerned. And a lot of them are National Guard and Reserve troops who don't necessarily want to be there.
FEINSTEIN: Well, soldiers told us they didn't think they had enough equipment.
Now, this wasn't the brass. This is the rank-and-file people. And one general said, for example, he needed a trained Iraqi army division in Falluja. And he said, whatever you could do, pass it on. So we passed it on wherever we could when we went back to Baghdad, to Gen. Casey, to others. And, I mean, it's clear that they need more, and particularly now, because incidents are happening on a regular basis.
BLITZER: We're glad you're back safe and sound, Sen. Feinstein. Thanks for joining us.
