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Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister: If U.S. Launches Attack, Iraqis Will Teach Americans Lesson
Aired October 10, 2002 - 05:08 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: We want to turn our attention now to the subject of Iraq. An Iraqi deputy prime minister said just a few hours ago, if the United States launches an attack, the Iraqis will teach the Americans an unforgettable lesson. He also invited arms inspectors to return to Iraq. He was speaking to journalists there.
One of them, our Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf -- hello, Jane.
What else did he say?
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Well, he had quite a lot to say, actually. This is one of the more important ministers. His name is Abdul al-Mulah Hyuwaish and he is the minister for military industrialization, which basically means he's in charge of weapons.
Now, the main point of this press conference, and press conferences here are pretty rare, was to tell journalists, particularly the U.S. media, that the United States and President Bush were, again, lying about Iraq's weapons.
Now, President Bush in his speech just a couple of evenings ago showed new satellite photos that indicated Iraq was rebuilding some buildings at two sites that had been used in Iraq's secret nuclear program. Now, those sites were either destroyed or never completed and the International Atomic Energy Agency has certified that Iraq's nuclear program was dead by the time it left here. However, President Bush said this activity was suspicious. Now, the minister told journalists that yes, Iraq is rebuilding buildings. It will build, apart from weapons, which he claimed, which he said they do not have, weapons of mass destruction. He said whatever it is that the U.S. destroys, whether their schools, hospitals or factories, Iraq will rebuild.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL AL-MULAH HYUWAISH, IRAQI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: The truth is Iraq has been rebuilding not only factories, but mosques and bridges and hospitals, all the places that have been destroyed by the aggressors. Is it a crime that Iraq has been rebuilding what the aggressors have destroyed?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, he is also deputy prime minister, which shows you how important his brief is. Iraq, of course, is still permitted to have weapons, just not weapons of mass destruction. He said he's the one who should know and he can declare there are no weapons of mass destruction here.
To that end, he invited the U.S. administration, not only weapons inspectors from the U.N., to come here and look. And as we speak, they're sending journalists off to one of these two sites -- the other one they'll show us tomorrow -- to make clear, they say, that there is nothing suspicious there whatsoever -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane, the timing of this is interesting, because the House of Representatives here in this country, well, they're going to vote on a resolution to go to war with Iraq. The Senate is going to debate the same resolution today. Is there anything in the timing to this unusual press conference in Iraq?
ARRAF: I would say the timing is pretty well as soon as they could arrange things. Things move pretty slowly here and given that President Bush's speech was a couple of days ago, this is actually moving pretty quickly for Iraq.
But on top of that, some of the other comments from the deputy prime minister were certainly directed at the Americans very clearly. He acknowledged that the Americans obviously have superior air power and no matter what they did to destroy Iraq's infrastructure -- and he expected that they certainly could -- he said they would not advance 10 centimeters on land.
There was also quite a strong threat there. He said if the Americans want to come, let them come and we will teach them a lesson they will never forget. That clearly is directed in some sense at what's going on today in the United States -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad.
Thanks for that update.
Join Wolf Blitzer, by the way, for a full hour of "Showdown Iraq" today at noon Eastern Time. Among Wolf's guests this afternoon, former CIA Director James Woolsey. Could playing the oil card spur other world leaders to back down, to back a showdown with Saddam Hussein? Wolf will have that and much more at noon Eastern, 9:00 Pacific Time.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Iraqis Will Teach Americans Lesson>
Aired October 10, 2002 - 05:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn our attention now to the subject of Iraq. An Iraqi deputy prime minister said just a few hours ago, if the United States launches an attack, the Iraqis will teach the Americans an unforgettable lesson. He also invited arms inspectors to return to Iraq. He was speaking to journalists there.
One of them, our Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf -- hello, Jane.
What else did he say?
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Well, he had quite a lot to say, actually. This is one of the more important ministers. His name is Abdul al-Mulah Hyuwaish and he is the minister for military industrialization, which basically means he's in charge of weapons.
Now, the main point of this press conference, and press conferences here are pretty rare, was to tell journalists, particularly the U.S. media, that the United States and President Bush were, again, lying about Iraq's weapons.
Now, President Bush in his speech just a couple of evenings ago showed new satellite photos that indicated Iraq was rebuilding some buildings at two sites that had been used in Iraq's secret nuclear program. Now, those sites were either destroyed or never completed and the International Atomic Energy Agency has certified that Iraq's nuclear program was dead by the time it left here. However, President Bush said this activity was suspicious. Now, the minister told journalists that yes, Iraq is rebuilding buildings. It will build, apart from weapons, which he claimed, which he said they do not have, weapons of mass destruction. He said whatever it is that the U.S. destroys, whether their schools, hospitals or factories, Iraq will rebuild.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL AL-MULAH HYUWAISH, IRAQI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: The truth is Iraq has been rebuilding not only factories, but mosques and bridges and hospitals, all the places that have been destroyed by the aggressors. Is it a crime that Iraq has been rebuilding what the aggressors have destroyed?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, he is also deputy prime minister, which shows you how important his brief is. Iraq, of course, is still permitted to have weapons, just not weapons of mass destruction. He said he's the one who should know and he can declare there are no weapons of mass destruction here.
To that end, he invited the U.S. administration, not only weapons inspectors from the U.N., to come here and look. And as we speak, they're sending journalists off to one of these two sites -- the other one they'll show us tomorrow -- to make clear, they say, that there is nothing suspicious there whatsoever -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane, the timing of this is interesting, because the House of Representatives here in this country, well, they're going to vote on a resolution to go to war with Iraq. The Senate is going to debate the same resolution today. Is there anything in the timing to this unusual press conference in Iraq?
ARRAF: I would say the timing is pretty well as soon as they could arrange things. Things move pretty slowly here and given that President Bush's speech was a couple of days ago, this is actually moving pretty quickly for Iraq.
But on top of that, some of the other comments from the deputy prime minister were certainly directed at the Americans very clearly. He acknowledged that the Americans obviously have superior air power and no matter what they did to destroy Iraq's infrastructure -- and he expected that they certainly could -- he said they would not advance 10 centimeters on land.
There was also quite a strong threat there. He said if the Americans want to come, let them come and we will teach them a lesson they will never forget. That clearly is directed in some sense at what's going on today in the United States -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad.
Thanks for that update.
Join Wolf Blitzer, by the way, for a full hour of "Showdown Iraq" today at noon Eastern Time. Among Wolf's guests this afternoon, former CIA Director James Woolsey. Could playing the oil card spur other world leaders to back down, to back a showdown with Saddam Hussein? Wolf will have that and much more at noon Eastern, 9:00 Pacific Time.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Iraqis Will Teach Americans Lesson>
