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CNN Live Today

Navy Pilot Michael Scott Speicher's Status Changed to 'Missing in Action' Last Year

Aired March 25, 2002 - 11:25   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: For a decade, U.S. Navy pilot, Michael Scott Speicher, was presumed killed when his FA-18 was shot down at the outset of the Gulf War back in 1991. Well, now the United States is not so sure, and last year changed Speicher's status to "missing in action."

Iraq says the U.S. is welcome to send a delegation to Baghdad to discuss the missing pilot, but the State Department says Iraq has not cooperated with a commission that already exists to deal with these issues.

CNN's Andrea Koppel is at the State Department to sort all this out for us -- Andrea, where is this all coming from?

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a good question, Carol. In fact, folks here at the State Department aren't quite sure what to make of Saddam Hussein's apparent change of heart. And while they aren't dismissing this possibility out of hand, they have a certain amount of skepticism as to what this offer is all about.

You mentioned that commission. That's a trilateral commission that was set up after the Gulf War. Iraq hasn't shown up for the meeting in the last three years. A few months ago, the State Department sent what's known as a diplomatic note to Baghdad. There was no response, and it also asked Iraqi officials in Geneva for some kind of information about Michael Speicher, and again, got no response.

Yesterday on the Sunday talk shows, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was the secretary of defense during the Gulf War, was asked about Michael Speicher, and he said as well that the U.S. isn't quite sure what to make of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would we send a delegation if, in fact, they invited us to do that?

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'd have to take a look at the report and probably go back and take a look and see whether or not this is a serious proposition or whether Saddam Hussein is simply trying to change the subject.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Now, some experts are speculating that the reason that Saddam Hussein is making this offer right now, Carol, is that he is concerned, following the vice president's trip through the Middle East region last week, in which the vice president was trying to drum up support for potential military action against Iraq down the road. And so he wants to hold out some kind of olive leaf and seen as if he is being more cooperative -- Carol.

LIN: Andrea, does anybody think Michael Speicher is actually still alive?

KOPPEL: They don't know. And for that reason in a highly, highly unusual move, in fact, it has never done before. Last year, the military made about face and said that they couldn't say for sure that Michael Speicher had been killed in the Gulf War, and so they changed his status from KIA to missing in action. They have a bit of evidence. They found his flight suit, which leads them to believe that Michael Speicher was able to eject safely from his jet. But because they haven't found a body, Carol, they can't assume that he was killed.

LIN: Yes, it's got to be hard for families to have this discussed -- what -- almost 11 years after.

KOPPEL: Absolutely.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much -- Andrea Koppel reporting live from the State Department.

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