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CNN Live At Daybreak

Baghdad Reacts to Possible U.S. Attack

Aired August 21, 2002 - 07:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush meeting today in Crawford again with top military advisers. The vice president, Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Myers all will attend. The White House, again, insisting that meeting is about military reform and missile defense and not about Iraq, but there is a possibility that topic may come up.
For reaction already in Baghdad to that meeting in Crawford, Jane Arraf now with us in the Iraqi capital, who is gauging reaction from there.

Jane -- hello.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill.

Well, of course, Iraqis here believe from the top down that this meeting is all about Iraq, and in fact, they are convinced that the decision has been made to attack Iraq. But with all of this talk of war, the official line from the Iraqi government is still that they want to talk.

Now, what the U.S. and its allies want, of course, is immediate action, for instance, the U.S. to let in weapons inspections. Iraq is saying it wants to talk about it first with any Americans who will listen, including a U.S. congressional delegation that it has asked for, again, to come here to discuss the issue -- Bill.

HEMMER: Jane Arraf in Baghdad -- thank you, Jane.

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