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CNN Live Today

Interview With Scott Ritter

Aired September 09, 2002 - 13:20   ET

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

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SCOTT RITTER, FMR. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: ... in terms of Iraqi interference, but also in the case of a more importantly, in dealing with what we are dealing with now, American interference. So let's just keep the record straight. What we did today is I challenged the Iraqi government yesterday to let truth be their weapon. Don't sit back idly while people are out there, you know, propagating lies and myths.

One of the lies and myths propagated recently is that Iraq was somehow affiliated with the hijackers of September 11th, that hijackers were trained at a military camp in Salman Pak. I encouraged the Iraqis to open up this camp to the media and they did so. we took the media there, showed them the camp, showed them it is a hostage rescue training camp. It's been occupied by the Iraqi government and the Iraqi military unit for over 10 years now. And hopefully this will dispel any of the rumors and myths that somehow the hijackers of September 11th received special training at this facility.

PHILLIPS: Now, Scott, you say the U.S. is serving up rhetoric and not facts when it comes to an attack on Iraq, yet we have a president of the United States saying that Saddam Hussein harbors weapons of mass destruction, and he has the intent of using them. Are you saying that you, as a private citizen now, have better intelligence that the president of the United States and his staff?

RITTER: I'm saying that I'm willing to put some facts on the table and back it up with sound analysis. You know, let's not be fooled here, OK, this wouldn't the first time a president of the United States has lied to the American public to facilitate a war. Think back to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and how we got entangled in Vietnam. I believe the same thing is happening right now.

If President Bush has a case to be made, if this administration has a case to be made for war against Iraq, then by God, they better start making it. I'm tired of hearing the rhetoric of war. I'm tired of watching American troops deploy for war. I'm tired of seeing the world reject the stance that America takes, because there are no facts right now to back up anything the administration says in regards to Iraq. I'm concerned about Iraq's weapons programs. I've always been concerned. That's why I'm encouraging the Iraq to allow return, unconditional return, of U.N. weapons inspectors and giving them unfettered access.

I wish the United States would start talking about getting weapon's inspectors back to work in Iraq and less about sending Marines into Iraq.

PHILLIPS: Scott, are you saying you trust Saddam Hussein and what he has to say.

RITTER: Kindly do not put words in my mouth.

PHILLIPS: I'm asking you a question; I'm simply asking you a question.

RITTER: I trust my own experience. Well, you did ask me a question, but I'm telling you the answer: I trust myself. I trust what I have experienced. I trust what I have seen with my own eyes. At this point in time, I do not have any information based upon my more than 10 years experience, on-the-ground experience, dealing with Iraq that backs up anything the Bush administration has been saying about Iraq.

So if they have new information, and they claim they do, put it on the table, show it to the American people, but don't just sit here and feed the American people rhetoric, speculative rhetoric. We need facts before we will support sending our troops off to fight and perhaps die in a war.

PHILLIPS: But I think the facts do remain, Saddam has used these type of weapons against the Kurdish people. I mean, plain and simple, we've seen that, Scott.

RITTER: Yes, who cares, 1988 these weapons were used.

PHILLIPS: So you are saying they are all gone?

(CROSSTALK)

RITTER: ... clearly said Saddam can't have these weapons.

PHILLIPS: So you are saying he used it one time, he thought they were not effective, and now they are all gone.

RITTER: Excuse me, ma'am, listen to what I'm saying. I said that the United Nations special commission from 1991 to 1998 operated inside Iraq and destroyed the factories used to produce weapons that were used against the Kurds. If Iraq was to have weapons today, they would need to reconstitute this manufacturing base since December 1998 when inspectors left.

And until which time the Bush administration shows this is the case, that in fact Iraq reacquired chemical weapons, don't you or anybody else point back to the sins of 1998, which I admit are egregious and I wish they hadn't occurred, but you cannot point to 1998 or 1988 and claim that just because Iraq used weapons then, they have weapons now. That is not justification for war today.

PHILLIPS: Scott, who paid for your trip to Iraq?

RITTER: I paid for my trip to Iraq. If you would like it check the bill or check my bank account, you are welcome to. PHILLIPS: While I have you on air. I don't think I can check anything. I'm hoping we can take your word for it.

I have another question to ask you, too. President Clinton even came on "LARRY KING LIVE" and said he regrets not doing anything about Osama bin Laden. We got to take a look at what happened.

Are you saying that you won't regret not doing anything about Saddam Hussein?

RITTER: Excuse me. I went to war against Saddam Hussein in 1991. I spent seven years of my life in this country hunting down weapons of mass destruction. I believe I have done a lot about Saddam Hussein. The international community said that we must get rid of Saddam Hussein's weapons, and I dedicated a good portion my adult life to doing just that.

You are asking me, am I regretting not going after Saddam Hussein and removing him from power. You show me where an international law that says we or any other nation has the right do this. You show me where Saddam Hussein can be substantiated as a threat against the United States and I'll go to war again. I'm not going to sit back idly and let anyone threaten the United States.

But at this point in time, no one made a case based upon fact that Saddam Hussein or his government is a threat to the United States worthy of war.

PHILLIPS: So right now, you do not believe that Saddam Hussein has any type of weapons of mass destruction, and you believe that Saddam Hussein will not use weapons of mass destruction again the United States or anybody else for that matter?

RITTER: Please, don't try and put words in my mouth. I believe that we have not completed the disarmament task in Iraq. I believe that we have outstanding requirements in 1998 and won't be allowed to fulfill our mission, so I resigned and protested.

Since that time, I have been fighting to get weapons inspectors back in Iraq, to do the job mandated by the council, to disarm Iraq, not to spy on Saddam, not to destabilize Iraq, but to disarm Iraq. I've encouraged the Iraqi government to get inspectors back in here and allow the international community to find out once and for all what the final disposition of their weapon programs are.

I testified in 1998, that once inspectors leave Iraq, Iraq could reconstitute weapons capability within six months. It has been nearly four years. I don't know what's happened inside Iraq. No one knows what's happened inside Iraq. But unless somebody provides facts to back up that Iraq has reconstituted, I think we should be more concerned with getting weapons inspectors back in than go into war.

Do not take war lightly. I don't. I served in the Marine Corps for 12 years, and I hold the lives of my fellow Marines sacred. And before we put them at risk, before we sacrifice them, let's make sure it's a cause worth the sacrifice. PHILLIPS: Do you believe that if weapon's inspectors do go into Iraq, that indeed they will have full access to all areas within Iraq?

RITTER: That's the prerogative of the Iraqi government. I believe the international community has made it quite clear that Iraq must allow the unconditional return of weapons inspectors and grant them unfettered access. Indeed, this is message that I gave the Iraqi parliament yesterday, to Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri last night, to Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassine Ramadan this morning. I haven't deviated from anything the international community has said. I made it clear, Iraq has no choice. Let the inspectors in, or else face destruction. So it's their choice. If they let inspectors in, it is up to Iraq to comply with international -- you know, the will of the international community.

PHILLIPS: Former chief U.N. weapon's inspector Scott Ritter, we appreciate your time.

RITTER: Thank you.

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