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Iraqi National Assembly Votes to Reject U.N. Resolution to Disarm
Aired November 12, 2002 - 05:07 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We have some breaking news out of Iraq this morning.
Let's go right to Rym Brahimi, who's covering the story for us in Baghdad -- Rym, what can you tell us?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the national assembly here that was discussing whether to accept or not the U.N. Security resolution on disarmament has just voted to reject that resolution. So this has just come out. It's not much of a surprise because the president of the parliament since the debate began yesterday evening had warned everybody and warned the, had told the parliamentarians and actually also told us reporters that nobody in the parliament agreed to that resolution, that the resolution was unacceptable, it was impossible to implement and so now we have it, the vote from the national assembly.
They're calling on their leadership to decide what's best for the country, but at the same time recommending that the resolution be rejected.
Now, this is also despite a letter delivered this morning by the son of the president of the, the country's president, President Saddam Hussein's eldest son Odeh (ph) is a member of the national assembly. He delivered a note to all the members of parliament saying Iraq should accept the resolution for the greater good of the country.
But it seems that most members of parliament have now decided to reject that and they're going to recommend this rejection to the Revolution Command Council, which is the highest authority in the country.
CALLAWAY: So, Rym, what now? What's the next step?
BRAHIMI: The next step is basically the Revolution Command Council will now take into account this rejection and will have to make a decision on its own. Now, this is, though, we're talking about the highest authority in the country, as I was saying. It's chaired by President Saddam Hussein himself and there have been indications from the Iraqi leadership that they are prepared, no matter what, to accept this resolution.
There have been signals coming out of Cairo, where the foreign minister was meeting with another Arab foreign ministers. A lot of Iraq's allies and Arab countries have been urging Iraq to accept the resolution, saying that it would avert the possibility of war with the U.S.
So this is what we're expecting. And, of course, Iraq has until Friday to respond to that resolution.
CALLAWAY: OK, thank you.
That's Rym Brahimi in Baghdad for us, reporting some breaking news this morning, that the Iraqi parliament has just voted unanimously to reject the U.N. resolution on weapons inspections.
And we have some unsettling news out of Iraq this morning, as well. The "New York Times" reports that Iraq has ordered a million doses of an antidote to nerve gas. One U.S. official says that it could mean Iraq plans to use nerve agents and would need the antidote to protect its soldiers. The "Times" says that most orders for the drug have gone to a Turkish company. The U.S. is pressuring Turkey to stop those sales.
So what's going through Saddam's mind as he considers that resolution? We'll get an idea from Con Coughlin coming up in two hours, the author of "Saddam: King of Terror," will join Paula Zahn on AMERICAN MORNING.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Disarm>
Aired November 12, 2002 - 05:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We have some breaking news out of Iraq this morning.
Let's go right to Rym Brahimi, who's covering the story for us in Baghdad -- Rym, what can you tell us?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the national assembly here that was discussing whether to accept or not the U.N. Security resolution on disarmament has just voted to reject that resolution. So this has just come out. It's not much of a surprise because the president of the parliament since the debate began yesterday evening had warned everybody and warned the, had told the parliamentarians and actually also told us reporters that nobody in the parliament agreed to that resolution, that the resolution was unacceptable, it was impossible to implement and so now we have it, the vote from the national assembly.
They're calling on their leadership to decide what's best for the country, but at the same time recommending that the resolution be rejected.
Now, this is also despite a letter delivered this morning by the son of the president of the, the country's president, President Saddam Hussein's eldest son Odeh (ph) is a member of the national assembly. He delivered a note to all the members of parliament saying Iraq should accept the resolution for the greater good of the country.
But it seems that most members of parliament have now decided to reject that and they're going to recommend this rejection to the Revolution Command Council, which is the highest authority in the country.
CALLAWAY: So, Rym, what now? What's the next step?
BRAHIMI: The next step is basically the Revolution Command Council will now take into account this rejection and will have to make a decision on its own. Now, this is, though, we're talking about the highest authority in the country, as I was saying. It's chaired by President Saddam Hussein himself and there have been indications from the Iraqi leadership that they are prepared, no matter what, to accept this resolution.
There have been signals coming out of Cairo, where the foreign minister was meeting with another Arab foreign ministers. A lot of Iraq's allies and Arab countries have been urging Iraq to accept the resolution, saying that it would avert the possibility of war with the U.S.
So this is what we're expecting. And, of course, Iraq has until Friday to respond to that resolution.
CALLAWAY: OK, thank you.
That's Rym Brahimi in Baghdad for us, reporting some breaking news this morning, that the Iraqi parliament has just voted unanimously to reject the U.N. resolution on weapons inspections.
And we have some unsettling news out of Iraq this morning, as well. The "New York Times" reports that Iraq has ordered a million doses of an antidote to nerve gas. One U.S. official says that it could mean Iraq plans to use nerve agents and would need the antidote to protect its soldiers. The "Times" says that most orders for the drug have gone to a Turkish company. The U.S. is pressuring Turkey to stop those sales.
So what's going through Saddam's mind as he considers that resolution? We'll get an idea from Con Coughlin coming up in two hours, the author of "Saddam: King of Terror," will join Paula Zahn on AMERICAN MORNING.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Disarm>
