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Iraq's Prime Minister Insists They Have No Weapons of Mass Destruction
Aired October 10, 2002 - 11:20 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Just a few hours ago on a related matter, Iraq's deputy prime minister insisted his country does not have any weapons of mass destruction and no plans to produce any. We want the get more on these assertions and bring in our Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf standing by to tell us more.
Jane, hello.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi,k Daryn. Well, Iraqi officials have another invitation, this one to the U.S. administration, to come and see the same thing that they showed journalists this afternoon. What they showed journalists is what's underneath buildings picked up by U.S. satellite photos that have been mentioned by President Bush as possible evidence that Iraq is rebuilding its nuclear program.
Now, they were taken to a site called Al Nasser (ph), which is north of Baghdad, a sprawling industrial area, that weapons inspectors say was part of Iraq's secret nuclear program in the 1980s.
Now, since then, international weapons inspectors have said that Iraq's nuclear program is essentially dead. The United States says, though, says that this evidence that the buildings were reconstructed shows that there could be suspicious activity going on.
Now, Iraqi officials say, yes, they are building and they're rebuilding those sites, but they're rebuilding them as civilian sites.
Now, journalists were shown foundries, metal machine parts, all the things they use to make parts for heavy equipment. And the Iraqi officials say that the U.S. administration should come and see this themselves. On the subject of U.N. weapons inspectors coming, they say they're still expecting them, but no word on whether that impasse over palace inspections will be overcome -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Jane Arraf, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Destruction>
Aired October 10, 2002 - 11:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Just a few hours ago on a related matter, Iraq's deputy prime minister insisted his country does not have any weapons of mass destruction and no plans to produce any. We want the get more on these assertions and bring in our Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf standing by to tell us more.
Jane, hello.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi,k Daryn. Well, Iraqi officials have another invitation, this one to the U.S. administration, to come and see the same thing that they showed journalists this afternoon. What they showed journalists is what's underneath buildings picked up by U.S. satellite photos that have been mentioned by President Bush as possible evidence that Iraq is rebuilding its nuclear program.
Now, they were taken to a site called Al Nasser (ph), which is north of Baghdad, a sprawling industrial area, that weapons inspectors say was part of Iraq's secret nuclear program in the 1980s.
Now, since then, international weapons inspectors have said that Iraq's nuclear program is essentially dead. The United States says, though, says that this evidence that the buildings were reconstructed shows that there could be suspicious activity going on.
Now, Iraqi officials say, yes, they are building and they're rebuilding those sites, but they're rebuilding them as civilian sites.
Now, journalists were shown foundries, metal machine parts, all the things they use to make parts for heavy equipment. And the Iraqi officials say that the U.S. administration should come and see this themselves. On the subject of U.N. weapons inspectors coming, they say they're still expecting them, but no word on whether that impasse over palace inspections will be overcome -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Jane Arraf, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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