Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Iraq Invites U.N. Sleuths Without Conditions

Aired September 17, 2002 - 12:59   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The United States and Iraq agree on one thing today. Both sides say that Iraq's invitation to U.N. weapons inspectors probably won't end the showdown that's inching toward war.
We'll start at the U.N., where Washington hopes to keep the pressure on Iraq.

CNN's Andrea Koppel is there.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Kyra, good afternoon.

Well, right now, as Yogi Berra would say, it is deja vu all over again for the United States. Just within the last couple of days, it appeared as if a consensus was growing within international community for the U.S. position. But now, following this Iraqi letter that was delivered to the U.N. just yesterday, saying that U.N. weapons inspectors were welcomed back in Iraq, that there were no conditions, it appears as if the U.S. is now being isolated again. The Russian foreign minister did not mince words. He said that inspectors should go back in as quickly as possible.

On the other side, of course, the United States, Secretary of State Colin Powell, making his point that nothing has changed. There have been 11 years of U.N. resolutions, the Iraqi government has not given the U.N. inspectors unfettered, and this is the same old story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: An entire international community came together and said, this is unacceptable. An enormous pressure was put on Iraq as a result, and Iraq respond to that pressure. Well, we cannot just take a 1 1/4 page letter signed by foreign minister as the end of this matter. We've seen this game before, and so, in order for us to keep the pressure and in order to make sure if we sport down to road, it is a new road a different road than what we've seen in the past, with tough conditions and tough standards any time any place, any person, to make sure that we satisfy the need for disarmament.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: And of course, Secretary Powell going on to say that the U.S. Still believes, Kyra, that there need to be consequences if Saddam Hussein does not allow those U.N. weapons inspectors, if and when they go back, to have complete unfettered access to any site, be able to interview any one in Iraq. But, again, the consensus that had been building now seems to have been shattered just in the span of one day. But Secretary Powell said he is not giving up, and there will be some heated debate later on today here at the U.N.

PHILLIPS: Andrea, there is so much talk about unfettered access. Now in the past, weren't weapons inspectors given unfettered access, but yet they couldn't go into certain palaces or certain domains, and if that is true, would this be different this time around?

KOPPEL: Well, unfettered access means that U.N. weapons inspectors would be able to go wherever they wanted to go. If they were blocked, as they were on numerous occasions when in Iraq before 1998. When they were in Iraq before 1998, they weren't given unfettered access. Every now and then, they'd be able to go into one palace or another palace, and then suddenly Saddam Hussein would put up a roadblock and say, you are not going in this palace today.

And so after repeatedly having this happen year after year after year, 1998, the U.S. finally made a decision, along with the British, that it was time to send Saddam Hussein a message, and that is when they began the four-day bombing campaign and the U.N. weapons inspectors came out.

PHILLIPS: All right, so is that what we can see this time around, Andrea? They don't get that unfettered access. Is the next step definitely a war against Iraq?

KOPPEL: The Bush administration says it has made no decision as to what those consequences should be. But right now, what you have, is a very difficult dilemma for the Bush administration. Because Iraq is saying come on back, bring the weapons inspectors, we'll give you the unfettered access. The U.S. is saying we need to spell out who consequences would be if Iraq blocks the inspectors again. We also need to make sure that this doesn't go on for months upon months upon months. The U.S. would like to see a period of weeks that the weapons inspectors are in there, and one strike you are out.

If Saddam Hussein doesn't give them unfettered access on a single occasion that there should be unspelled out consequences, but you are absolutely right, the U.S. would be pushing for military action. But it remains to be seen, Kyra, whether the rest of the Security Council is going to support this.

PHILLIPS: Andrea Koppel at the U.N., thank you.

President Bush is in Tennessee with a message for America's children. He says that even young people need to be aware that their country's worth fighting for.

CNN's Kelly Wallace is with Mr. Bush in Nashville to tell us a little bit more -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the president definitely promoting teaching history, and civics in the nation's classrooms, also here focused on domestic politics, helping to raise money for Lamar Alexander. He is running for the Senate here in Tennessee.

But this is U.N., Andrea, we are talking about. This president and his administration very much consumed right now with trying to keep the pressure on Saddam Hussein and trying to keep the United Nations moving forward and passing a new U.N. Security Council resolution.

Now the president arrived in Nashville a little bit earlier. At this moment, in fact, he is getting ready to speak at a fund-raiser for Lamar Alexander. We will monitor that, and see if he responds or makes any comments to Iraq's latest offer. The president often using lately the bully pulpit to lay out his case and why he believes Saddam Hussein is a threat, who must be dealt with.

The president's aides, though, on route here to Nashville, saying very much that Saddam Hussein was responding to international pressure, and that the international community and the Congress must keep that pressure on, that now is more important than ever to keep that on.

As you and Andrea were talking about, this Bush administration focused both publicly, with its rhetoric, behind the scenes with its negotiation, trying to encourage the Security Council to really take some steps, to say that Saddam Hussein's words really can't be trusted. He hasn't been trusteed in the past, and so we're calling really for a tough new resolution, which would spell out what Saddam Hussein must do and the consequences. But again, Kyra, a very big challenge for this administration now, after some countries, including Russia, are saying they don't believe a new resolution is now necessary.

PHILLIPS: Kelly Wallace, with Mr. Bush in Nashville, thank you.

As we reported, Iraq says its offer of new weapons inspections is not likely to end with a showdown in Washington. Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz says the U.S. goal is to destroy and divide Iraq and get control of its oil.

CNN's Rula Amin is in the Iraqi capital with more on what the Iraqis are saying -- Rula.

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, as you said, the Iraqis have doubts that this compromise would actually end the standoff with the United States. However, they say they are committed to what they have promised, that they will give the inspector unfettered access, and that they are holding themselves to their word.

So what they are saying now is that it's time for the inspectors to come back, they have nothing to hide, and they would like to see the fruit for such a compromise. Tariq Aziz, the deputy prime minister, said that he hopes that at the end of process, where inspectors would come back and verify that Iraq doesn't have weapons of mass destruction, sanctions will be lifted, and that the Iraqis will be able to go to a normal life and go back to the life that they used to have. This is -- again, very much skepticism here. The people, even Iraqis, regular Iraqis, are telling us, they hope that this will give a chance for this issue, for this crisis to be resolved through dialogue, through peaceful means, but many of them are skeptical and believe a showdown is imminent -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So indeed, they are bracing for war? And what exactly are they doing, if they feel that a showdown is imminent?

AMIN: There's not much, they say, that they can do. What they are doing basically is whoever is trying to stock food, they know that this Iraqi decision to allow inspectors in is going to give them a break. Maybe it's going to be a while before some kind of a showdown takes place.

But really they are very skeptical. They hope that there will be no war. They say they have been through so much. They and been through the Iran-Iraq War. They have been through the Gulf War, 12 years of U.N. sanctions. They just don't want to go through another war. But they don't feel that there is a lot they can do themselves, so they are just waiting, following the news and hoping -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Rula Amin in Baghdad, thank you.

And like the skepticism expressed in Washington, many Europeans appear to welcome Iraq's offer, many of them, but not all, as CNN's Walter Rodgers reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Predictably, among Washington's allies, it was the British who were most wary of Iraq's offer to re-admit United Nations weapons inspectors.

JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECY.: This apparent offer is bound to be treated with a high degree of skepticism by the international community, coming only four days after the deputy prime minister of Iraq Tariq Aziz has said precisely the opposite, that they would not accept the reinsertion of weapons inspectors without condition.

RODGERS: Tariq Aziz, Iraq's foreign minister, warned Saddam Hussein over the weekend there was no choice but to readmit weapons inspectors, according to a source who met with Aziz.

Still, the Iraqis know this has only bought them time. The Bush administration has not yet bought in. Realizing Saddam Hussein has opened the door to weapons inspectors in the past, then reneged, many governments around the world welcomed the development, but they were cautious, recalling how skilled Iraq has been in hiding its weapons of mass destruction.

Germany's chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said -- quote -- "We have to take a chance for a political, non-confrontational and cooperative new order in the Middle East."

Most European analysts believe the American military buildup will continue unabated, however, because they believe the Bush administration is less interested in weapons inspection than in getting rid of Saddam Hussein.

ROSEMARY HOLLIS, ROYAL INST. OF INT. AFFAIRS: I imagine that Cheney, Rumsfeld, those who have been pushing the war agenda as essential and regime change as the goal, will say, "We told you so, you shouldn't have involved the U.N. at all. This is only messing things up."

RODGERS: The test of Saddam's intentions lies ahead, and Melissa Fleming of the International Atomic Energy Agency suggested the Iraqis need to do more than play games.

MELISSA FLEMING, INTL. ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: We need their logistic assistance. We need their assistance in security. And most of all, they have to open up every door that we ask to have opened.

RODGERS: Most governments believe Saddam Hussein has bought himself more time by readmitting the weapons inspectors, but once past the initial euphoria, there is a widespread suspicion here this diplomatic process will breakdown again.

Walter Rodgers, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 17, 2002 - 12:59   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The United States and Iraq agree on one thing today. Both sides say that Iraq's invitation to U.N. weapons inspectors probably won't end the showdown that's inching toward war.
We'll start at the U.N., where Washington hopes to keep the pressure on Iraq.

CNN's Andrea Koppel is there.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Kyra, good afternoon.

Well, right now, as Yogi Berra would say, it is deja vu all over again for the United States. Just within the last couple of days, it appeared as if a consensus was growing within international community for the U.S. position. But now, following this Iraqi letter that was delivered to the U.N. just yesterday, saying that U.N. weapons inspectors were welcomed back in Iraq, that there were no conditions, it appears as if the U.S. is now being isolated again. The Russian foreign minister did not mince words. He said that inspectors should go back in as quickly as possible.

On the other side, of course, the United States, Secretary of State Colin Powell, making his point that nothing has changed. There have been 11 years of U.N. resolutions, the Iraqi government has not given the U.N. inspectors unfettered, and this is the same old story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: An entire international community came together and said, this is unacceptable. An enormous pressure was put on Iraq as a result, and Iraq respond to that pressure. Well, we cannot just take a 1 1/4 page letter signed by foreign minister as the end of this matter. We've seen this game before, and so, in order for us to keep the pressure and in order to make sure if we sport down to road, it is a new road a different road than what we've seen in the past, with tough conditions and tough standards any time any place, any person, to make sure that we satisfy the need for disarmament.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: And of course, Secretary Powell going on to say that the U.S. Still believes, Kyra, that there need to be consequences if Saddam Hussein does not allow those U.N. weapons inspectors, if and when they go back, to have complete unfettered access to any site, be able to interview any one in Iraq. But, again, the consensus that had been building now seems to have been shattered just in the span of one day. But Secretary Powell said he is not giving up, and there will be some heated debate later on today here at the U.N.

PHILLIPS: Andrea, there is so much talk about unfettered access. Now in the past, weren't weapons inspectors given unfettered access, but yet they couldn't go into certain palaces or certain domains, and if that is true, would this be different this time around?

KOPPEL: Well, unfettered access means that U.N. weapons inspectors would be able to go wherever they wanted to go. If they were blocked, as they were on numerous occasions when in Iraq before 1998. When they were in Iraq before 1998, they weren't given unfettered access. Every now and then, they'd be able to go into one palace or another palace, and then suddenly Saddam Hussein would put up a roadblock and say, you are not going in this palace today.

And so after repeatedly having this happen year after year after year, 1998, the U.S. finally made a decision, along with the British, that it was time to send Saddam Hussein a message, and that is when they began the four-day bombing campaign and the U.N. weapons inspectors came out.

PHILLIPS: All right, so is that what we can see this time around, Andrea? They don't get that unfettered access. Is the next step definitely a war against Iraq?

KOPPEL: The Bush administration says it has made no decision as to what those consequences should be. But right now, what you have, is a very difficult dilemma for the Bush administration. Because Iraq is saying come on back, bring the weapons inspectors, we'll give you the unfettered access. The U.S. is saying we need to spell out who consequences would be if Iraq blocks the inspectors again. We also need to make sure that this doesn't go on for months upon months upon months. The U.S. would like to see a period of weeks that the weapons inspectors are in there, and one strike you are out.

If Saddam Hussein doesn't give them unfettered access on a single occasion that there should be unspelled out consequences, but you are absolutely right, the U.S. would be pushing for military action. But it remains to be seen, Kyra, whether the rest of the Security Council is going to support this.

PHILLIPS: Andrea Koppel at the U.N., thank you.

President Bush is in Tennessee with a message for America's children. He says that even young people need to be aware that their country's worth fighting for.

CNN's Kelly Wallace is with Mr. Bush in Nashville to tell us a little bit more -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the president definitely promoting teaching history, and civics in the nation's classrooms, also here focused on domestic politics, helping to raise money for Lamar Alexander. He is running for the Senate here in Tennessee.

But this is U.N., Andrea, we are talking about. This president and his administration very much consumed right now with trying to keep the pressure on Saddam Hussein and trying to keep the United Nations moving forward and passing a new U.N. Security Council resolution.

Now the president arrived in Nashville a little bit earlier. At this moment, in fact, he is getting ready to speak at a fund-raiser for Lamar Alexander. We will monitor that, and see if he responds or makes any comments to Iraq's latest offer. The president often using lately the bully pulpit to lay out his case and why he believes Saddam Hussein is a threat, who must be dealt with.

The president's aides, though, on route here to Nashville, saying very much that Saddam Hussein was responding to international pressure, and that the international community and the Congress must keep that pressure on, that now is more important than ever to keep that on.

As you and Andrea were talking about, this Bush administration focused both publicly, with its rhetoric, behind the scenes with its negotiation, trying to encourage the Security Council to really take some steps, to say that Saddam Hussein's words really can't be trusted. He hasn't been trusteed in the past, and so we're calling really for a tough new resolution, which would spell out what Saddam Hussein must do and the consequences. But again, Kyra, a very big challenge for this administration now, after some countries, including Russia, are saying they don't believe a new resolution is now necessary.

PHILLIPS: Kelly Wallace, with Mr. Bush in Nashville, thank you.

As we reported, Iraq says its offer of new weapons inspections is not likely to end with a showdown in Washington. Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz says the U.S. goal is to destroy and divide Iraq and get control of its oil.

CNN's Rula Amin is in the Iraqi capital with more on what the Iraqis are saying -- Rula.

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, as you said, the Iraqis have doubts that this compromise would actually end the standoff with the United States. However, they say they are committed to what they have promised, that they will give the inspector unfettered access, and that they are holding themselves to their word.

So what they are saying now is that it's time for the inspectors to come back, they have nothing to hide, and they would like to see the fruit for such a compromise. Tariq Aziz, the deputy prime minister, said that he hopes that at the end of process, where inspectors would come back and verify that Iraq doesn't have weapons of mass destruction, sanctions will be lifted, and that the Iraqis will be able to go to a normal life and go back to the life that they used to have. This is -- again, very much skepticism here. The people, even Iraqis, regular Iraqis, are telling us, they hope that this will give a chance for this issue, for this crisis to be resolved through dialogue, through peaceful means, but many of them are skeptical and believe a showdown is imminent -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So indeed, they are bracing for war? And what exactly are they doing, if they feel that a showdown is imminent?

AMIN: There's not much, they say, that they can do. What they are doing basically is whoever is trying to stock food, they know that this Iraqi decision to allow inspectors in is going to give them a break. Maybe it's going to be a while before some kind of a showdown takes place.

But really they are very skeptical. They hope that there will be no war. They say they have been through so much. They and been through the Iran-Iraq War. They have been through the Gulf War, 12 years of U.N. sanctions. They just don't want to go through another war. But they don't feel that there is a lot they can do themselves, so they are just waiting, following the news and hoping -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Rula Amin in Baghdad, thank you.

And like the skepticism expressed in Washington, many Europeans appear to welcome Iraq's offer, many of them, but not all, as CNN's Walter Rodgers reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Predictably, among Washington's allies, it was the British who were most wary of Iraq's offer to re-admit United Nations weapons inspectors.

JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECY.: This apparent offer is bound to be treated with a high degree of skepticism by the international community, coming only four days after the deputy prime minister of Iraq Tariq Aziz has said precisely the opposite, that they would not accept the reinsertion of weapons inspectors without condition.

RODGERS: Tariq Aziz, Iraq's foreign minister, warned Saddam Hussein over the weekend there was no choice but to readmit weapons inspectors, according to a source who met with Aziz.

Still, the Iraqis know this has only bought them time. The Bush administration has not yet bought in. Realizing Saddam Hussein has opened the door to weapons inspectors in the past, then reneged, many governments around the world welcomed the development, but they were cautious, recalling how skilled Iraq has been in hiding its weapons of mass destruction.

Germany's chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said -- quote -- "We have to take a chance for a political, non-confrontational and cooperative new order in the Middle East."

Most European analysts believe the American military buildup will continue unabated, however, because they believe the Bush administration is less interested in weapons inspection than in getting rid of Saddam Hussein.

ROSEMARY HOLLIS, ROYAL INST. OF INT. AFFAIRS: I imagine that Cheney, Rumsfeld, those who have been pushing the war agenda as essential and regime change as the goal, will say, "We told you so, you shouldn't have involved the U.N. at all. This is only messing things up."

RODGERS: The test of Saddam's intentions lies ahead, and Melissa Fleming of the International Atomic Energy Agency suggested the Iraqis need to do more than play games.

MELISSA FLEMING, INTL. ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: We need their logistic assistance. We need their assistance in security. And most of all, they have to open up every door that we ask to have opened.

RODGERS: Most governments believe Saddam Hussein has bought himself more time by readmitting the weapons inspectors, but once past the initial euphoria, there is a widespread suspicion here this diplomatic process will breakdown again.

Walter Rodgers, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com