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CNN Live At Daybreak
Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz Visiting Arab Countries
Aired October 09, 2002 - 05:04 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: Let's turn our attention now to Iraq. Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz is visiting Arab countries trying to drum up some sympathy. And here in the United States, officials like CIA Director George Tenet is talking about what Saddam Hussein would do if he's backed into a corner.
We want to go live to Baghdad now and our Rula Amin for more on all of this -- hello, Rula.
Mr. Tenet says Saddam might fight if provoked. What's your perspective from Baghdad?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, good morning, first.
The perspective here is that Iraqi officials have not made any comments in response to Mr. Tenet's remarks. However, in the same presentation that Tenet made, he did say that it's very, it's a very low probability that Iraq would initiate an attack on the U.S. But he does say if Iraq is cornered, if the leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, is cornered, then he may change his attitude and link with some terrorist groups in order to launch an attack on the U.S., just at least to have some revenge for a U.S. attack.
Now, here in Iraq, the Iraqi officials insist that Iraq doesn't possess any kind of weapons of mass destruction, that they have no link to any terrorist groups and they are not interested in having any links with any terrorist groups. However, Iraqi officials do say that they are preparing for the scenario of war. In the last few days we have been shown pictures on Iraqi television of the Iraqi leader meeting with his top military commanders, urging them to develop Iraq's capabilities to defend the country. And Iraq feels, Iraqi officials say this is their right in case they are attacked.
However, Iraqi officials do insist that they don't wish for this war. They are trying everything possible to avert this war. The new line the Iraqi officials are trying to emphasize here is that the threat caused by the U.S. is not only to Iraq, but to the whole region.
Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz is on a tour in Arab countries. He was in Damascus yesterday. He spoke to a rally there. He said that Iraqis are not afraid of the war that the U.S. would initiate against them. However, the line Baghdad is using is that if the Arab countries or whoever is not standing by Iraq, then they are standing by the Americans and the Zionist entity, referring to Israel. And this is something Iraqis know would play strongly among the Arab masses, that it's either they are with Iraq or with America. And the way people feel in the Arab world, it's definite that they would actually sway towards Iraq -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Rula Amin, thanks for the update from Baghdad this morning.
And we want to remind you about our "Showdown Iraq" special airing each weekday at noon Eastern, 9:00 Pacific Time. Wolf Blitzer is your host.
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 October 9, 2002 - 05:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's turn our attention now to Iraq. Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz is visiting Arab countries trying to drum up some sympathy. And here in the United States, officials like CIA Director George Tenet is talking about what Saddam Hussein would do if he's backed into a corner.
We want to go live to Baghdad now and our Rula Amin for more on all of this -- hello, Rula.
Mr. Tenet says Saddam might fight if provoked. What's your perspective from Baghdad?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, good morning, first.
The perspective here is that Iraqi officials have not made any comments in response to Mr. Tenet's remarks. However, in the same presentation that Tenet made, he did say that it's very, it's a very low probability that Iraq would initiate an attack on the U.S. But he does say if Iraq is cornered, if the leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, is cornered, then he may change his attitude and link with some terrorist groups in order to launch an attack on the U.S., just at least to have some revenge for a U.S. attack.
Now, here in Iraq, the Iraqi officials insist that Iraq doesn't possess any kind of weapons of mass destruction, that they have no link to any terrorist groups and they are not interested in having any links with any terrorist groups. However, Iraqi officials do say that they are preparing for the scenario of war. In the last few days we have been shown pictures on Iraqi television of the Iraqi leader meeting with his top military commanders, urging them to develop Iraq's capabilities to defend the country. And Iraq feels, Iraqi officials say this is their right in case they are attacked.
However, Iraqi officials do insist that they don't wish for this war. They are trying everything possible to avert this war. The new line the Iraqi officials are trying to emphasize here is that the threat caused by the U.S. is not only to Iraq, but to the whole region.
Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz is on a tour in Arab countries. He was in Damascus yesterday. He spoke to a rally there. He said that Iraqis are not afraid of the war that the U.S. would initiate against them. However, the line Baghdad is using is that if the Arab countries or whoever is not standing by Iraq, then they are standing by the Americans and the Zionist entity, referring to Israel. And this is something Iraqis know would play strongly among the Arab masses, that it's either they are with Iraq or with America. And the way people feel in the Arab world, it's definite that they would actually sway towards Iraq -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Rula Amin, thanks for the update from Baghdad this morning.
And we want to remind you about our "Showdown Iraq" special airing each weekday at noon Eastern, 9:00 Pacific Time. Wolf Blitzer is your host.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
