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International Community Cautiously Welcoming Hussein's Decision to Allow Return of Inspectors
Aired September 17, 2002 - 05:02 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: Now to the showdown in Iraq. The international community is cautiously welcoming Saddam Hussein's decision to allow the unconditional return of U.N. weapons inspectors. But the Bush administration is less than impressed.
Our State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel has details on this new Iraqi offer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Iraqi curve ball landed at U.N. headquarters late Monday, a letter addressed to the U.N. secretary general. In it, Iraq accepts the return of United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq without conditions. "It's purpose," wrote Iraq's foreign minister, "to remove any doubts Iraq still has weapons of mass destruction."
Kofi Annan welcomed the Iraqi offer and credited President Bush's tough talk at the U.N. for the sudden Iraqi about face.
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: I believe the president's speech galvanized the international community and as most of you heard, almost each speaker, every speaker in the general assembly urged Iraq to accept the inspectors, the return of the inspectors.
KOPPEL: But the Bush administration was hardly celebrating. "We do not take what Saddam says at face value," said one senior U.S. official. "There will be no negotiating." It seemed as if Saddam Hussein had called the U.S. bluff. Secretary of State Colin Powell had only just begun to try to build consensus among U.N. Security Council members for a new, tougher resolution to force Iraq to accept weapons inspectors or else.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We'll see whether or not Iraq understands the seriousness of the position that it is in and whether it will respond to this direction from the Security Council.
KOPPEL: Hours later it appeared Iraq had taken the upper hand, possibly preempting another U.N. resolution but definitely making Powell's job more complicated.
(on camera): Among the many unanswered questions, how will the rest of the U.N. Security Council react to Iraq's offer and if they accept it, how will the U.S. respond? Said one senior U.S. official, the U.N. will act to lay out requirements or we will. But he, meaning Saddam, gets no input. Andrea Koppel, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And we want to go live now to the Iraqi capital for more on Saddam Hussein's new offer.
Our Rula Amin joins us live from Baghdad with the latest -- good morning.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Tariq Aziz, Iraq's deputy prime minister, today confirmed with his own words that Iraq will allow the inspectors back into Baghdad without any restrictions. Tariq Aziz was addressing delegates from different parts of the world who have come to Iraq to support his cause of lifting the sanctions and opposing war against Iraq.
This is what he had to say to those delegates.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARIQ AZIZ, IRAQI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: And now we say to the Secretary General, we agree to the return of inspectors and they have been shocked, shocked by this courageous and balanced decision, and started to talk about the tactic and what they call evasion. It's not the nature and ethics of the Iraqi leadership and the Iraqi people, the tactic and evasion and fundamental issues. We are sincere, frank, and we say what we believe in and we bear the responsibility for the consequences.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMIN: Now, the Iraqis are very skeptical. They accuse the United States of using the weapons of mass destruction issue as a pretext to launch an attack against Iraq. They say the U.S. is actually after Iraq's oil. But still, there is relief here. They know maybe they have not ended this crisis completely, but amongst people and officials there is a relief that at least they have bought some time -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, that's what many Americans seem to think, that this is just a stalling tactic by Saddam Hussein. In fact, I was reading his letter to the United Nations, Iraq's letter to the United Nations. And one of the things it says, it says, "The government of the Republic of Iraq is ready to discuss the practical arrangements necessary for the immediate resumption of inspections."
What does that mean, practical arrangements, and who will make those arrangements?
AMIN: Well, Carol, we have not heard from Saddam Hussein yet, although we are told, according to Iraq's news agency, that he is going to address the world through his foreign minister at the United Nations in the coming few days. However, we spoke to some close associates of the Iraqi government like George Galloway, who's a British M.P. who is here. And this is how, the way he put it. He said, "Iraq has bitten the bullet and it's not going to spit it out." And what he's saying is that they have made a very risky decision. They have shifted their position. They said they are allowing the inspectors back without any restrictions and they're going to abide because this is their only way out.
However, Iraqi officials are skeptical. They keep accusing the U.S. of using this as a pretext and they are concerned that even when the inspectors are here that a crisis may be instigated and war will not be avoided -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Rula Amin reporting live from Baghdad this morning.
Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Decision to Allow Return of Inspectors>
Aired September 17, 2002 - 05:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the showdown in Iraq. The international community is cautiously welcoming Saddam Hussein's decision to allow the unconditional return of U.N. weapons inspectors. But the Bush administration is less than impressed.
Our State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel has details on this new Iraqi offer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Iraqi curve ball landed at U.N. headquarters late Monday, a letter addressed to the U.N. secretary general. In it, Iraq accepts the return of United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq without conditions. "It's purpose," wrote Iraq's foreign minister, "to remove any doubts Iraq still has weapons of mass destruction."
Kofi Annan welcomed the Iraqi offer and credited President Bush's tough talk at the U.N. for the sudden Iraqi about face.
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: I believe the president's speech galvanized the international community and as most of you heard, almost each speaker, every speaker in the general assembly urged Iraq to accept the inspectors, the return of the inspectors.
KOPPEL: But the Bush administration was hardly celebrating. "We do not take what Saddam says at face value," said one senior U.S. official. "There will be no negotiating." It seemed as if Saddam Hussein had called the U.S. bluff. Secretary of State Colin Powell had only just begun to try to build consensus among U.N. Security Council members for a new, tougher resolution to force Iraq to accept weapons inspectors or else.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We'll see whether or not Iraq understands the seriousness of the position that it is in and whether it will respond to this direction from the Security Council.
KOPPEL: Hours later it appeared Iraq had taken the upper hand, possibly preempting another U.N. resolution but definitely making Powell's job more complicated.
(on camera): Among the many unanswered questions, how will the rest of the U.N. Security Council react to Iraq's offer and if they accept it, how will the U.S. respond? Said one senior U.S. official, the U.N. will act to lay out requirements or we will. But he, meaning Saddam, gets no input. Andrea Koppel, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And we want to go live now to the Iraqi capital for more on Saddam Hussein's new offer.
Our Rula Amin joins us live from Baghdad with the latest -- good morning.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Tariq Aziz, Iraq's deputy prime minister, today confirmed with his own words that Iraq will allow the inspectors back into Baghdad without any restrictions. Tariq Aziz was addressing delegates from different parts of the world who have come to Iraq to support his cause of lifting the sanctions and opposing war against Iraq.
This is what he had to say to those delegates.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARIQ AZIZ, IRAQI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: And now we say to the Secretary General, we agree to the return of inspectors and they have been shocked, shocked by this courageous and balanced decision, and started to talk about the tactic and what they call evasion. It's not the nature and ethics of the Iraqi leadership and the Iraqi people, the tactic and evasion and fundamental issues. We are sincere, frank, and we say what we believe in and we bear the responsibility for the consequences.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMIN: Now, the Iraqis are very skeptical. They accuse the United States of using the weapons of mass destruction issue as a pretext to launch an attack against Iraq. They say the U.S. is actually after Iraq's oil. But still, there is relief here. They know maybe they have not ended this crisis completely, but amongst people and officials there is a relief that at least they have bought some time -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, that's what many Americans seem to think, that this is just a stalling tactic by Saddam Hussein. In fact, I was reading his letter to the United Nations, Iraq's letter to the United Nations. And one of the things it says, it says, "The government of the Republic of Iraq is ready to discuss the practical arrangements necessary for the immediate resumption of inspections."
What does that mean, practical arrangements, and who will make those arrangements?
AMIN: Well, Carol, we have not heard from Saddam Hussein yet, although we are told, according to Iraq's news agency, that he is going to address the world through his foreign minister at the United Nations in the coming few days. However, we spoke to some close associates of the Iraqi government like George Galloway, who's a British M.P. who is here. And this is how, the way he put it. He said, "Iraq has bitten the bullet and it's not going to spit it out." And what he's saying is that they have made a very risky decision. They have shifted their position. They said they are allowing the inspectors back without any restrictions and they're going to abide because this is their only way out.
However, Iraqi officials are skeptical. They keep accusing the U.S. of using this as a pretext and they are concerned that even when the inspectors are here that a crisis may be instigated and war will not be avoided -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Rula Amin reporting live from Baghdad this morning.
Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Decision to Allow Return of Inspectors>