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CNN Live At Daybreak

'New York Times' Reports on Iraq Attack Document

Aired July 05, 2002 - 05:32   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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A published report says the United States has a plan of attack for Iraq, a serious plan. The "New York Times" cites a U.S. military planning document calling for a three- sided attack on Iraq. The plan envisions air, land and sea forces from as many as eight countries. The "Times" says the existence of the document indicates an advanced state of planning. However, President Bush continues to say there is no such plan.

The "New York Times" said it saw the plan, though. We'll keep you posted.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is winding up two days of talks with Iraq's foreign minister, discussing the 12-year-old sanctions on Baghdad.

Senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth is following those talks. And Richard joins us live now from Vienna.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol, two days of talks, this is the final day. The United Nations wants weapons inspectors back inside Iraq. Baghdad wants sanctions lifted and the end of those no fly zones in the skies over its country.

Here, the talking is going on. But the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency told me a few moments ago that there's been no indication so far, it hasn't been discussed that Iraq is willing to change course and allow the inspectors back.

It's all a familiar rendition of the latest diplomatic waltz here in Vienna.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH (voice-over): All the makings of a heavyweight title match, the third round. The United Nations meets the government of Iraq in Vienna.

QUESTION: Good morning, sir. Are you feeling optimistic?

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: I'm always optimistic and I hope weapons go away.

ROTH: He's the U.N. secretary general, but here, Kofi Annan is really the man in the middle between Iraq and the U.N. Security Council in New York, which has kept sanctions on the government of Saddam Hussein because of its failure to cooperate and disclose all on weapons of mass destruction.

CHARLES DUELFER, FORMER U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: I don't think Iraq would have started down the path of discussing with the secretary general the return of inspectors had it not been that Baghdad was seriously worried that the United States was going to proceed in a military way against Iraq.

ROTH: If Iraq was scared, its foreign minister, Naji Sabri, wasn't showing it. The affable envoy talked privately with the U.N. leader before a larger discussion, which included weapons experts on both sides.

NAJI SABRI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: We continued our serious dealing with the matters concerned in this dialogue. We made a good presentation of these matters.

ROTH: Iraq's agenda means issues other than the return of those weapons inspectors, getting sanctions lifted and clearing the Iraqi skies of U.S. planes are Baghdad's priorities. U.N. officials said they emphasized the return of weapons inspectors. Secretary General Annan wants conclusive decisions made here. But Iraq offered no clear signal of a change of heart.

QUESTION: But it still sounds like there are some of the same old problems, questions...

ANNAN: Absolutely. Some of the same issues and questions are there and we will see how we are able to crack them between now and tomorrow.

ROTH: The U.S. remains skeptical of Iraq's dialogue with the U.N.

JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: If Iraq is truly prepared to accept unimpeded and full fledged inspections in their country, there really shouldn't be that much to talk about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH: About three and a half hours from now, though, the talking will continue. Secretary General Kofi Annan will return for the final round with Iraq's Foreign Minister Sabri. There probably will be an announcement of a return, control, not of weapons inspectors to Iraq, but of Kuwait's national archives, seized by Iraq at the outset of the Gulf War -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And all this is going on, of course, with word of that document supposedly detailing an American attack on Iraq. Do you have any feedback on that yet or is it too early?

ROTH: Nothing yet, but I imagine the feedback from U.N. officials and Iraqi officials might be shock, absolute shock, because, Carol, it never fails, anytime there is discussion and dialogue between the U.N. and Iraq, there is a document or a story leaked by U.S. government circles that keeps more pressure on Iraq, threatening a military assault, maybe that will bring Baghdad closer to allowing inspectors in. But it just keeps the heat on, even diplomatically, for the other nations on the Security Council, to remind people of what the issue is and why those sanctions are in place, despite the pleas of Iraqi officials here to have them lifted.

COSTELLO: Richard, thank you for that different perspective. We appreciate it.

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