Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Crucial First Steps in Hunt for Weapons in Iraq

Aired November 15, 2002 - 11:07   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Crucial first steps today in the hunt for weapons in Iraq. Chief U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix is traveling to France and Cyprus this weekend before arriving in Baghdad on Monday. He's going to assemble a 30-member advance team to resume inspections after a four-year absence.
Our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth joins us now from the U.N.

Richard, good morning.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hans Blix will have a lot of questions when he arrives in Iraq, but first he's going to take a lot of questions from journalists here at the U.N. in about an hour. Blix will then leave for Paris. He'll talk to the French government on Saturday, and then he'll pass through Vienna on his way to Cyprus, where he'll meet up and with the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and then they'll go to Baghdad Monday morning with a team of 30 to 40 people, logistical, communications experts, to set up for the returning weapons inspectors.

A lot of questions will deal with the threshold for any violations. Blix and El-Baradei will have to judge whether it's a pattern or whether something that is even higher, and whether it's worth bringing it to the Security Council's attention.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUHAMMED EL-BARADEI, INTL. ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: We need to go back, look what we see on the ground, use common sense, and Hans Blix and I have been saying, we are going to use common sense approach. We have to look at the declaration. If there is a minor omission, and this is clearly not intentional, we are not rushing to the Security Council saying, this is a material breach.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: El-Baradei and Blix will await by December 8th a full declaration from Iraq regarding its weapons of mass destruction program, something Baghdad denies -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Richard, what exactly happens inside Iraq between now and December 8th?

ROTH: They will set up an office, set up communications, set up computers, look at sites they previously were in more than four years ago, see if cameras are there and still working. It's a big test of the level of cooperation with Iraqi officials, whether they will be able to go where they want to go, landing at the airport, whether the government is ready to give them help for interviewing people.

KAGAN: As I understand it, you yourself are headed to Cyprus, Richard?

ROTH: I'll be traveling along following Mr. Blix.

KAGAN: All right, we wish you well and safe travels, and look forward to your reports from there. Thank you so 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






Aired November 15, 2002 - 11:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Crucial first steps today in the hunt for weapons in Iraq. Chief U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix is traveling to France and Cyprus this weekend before arriving in Baghdad on Monday. He's going to assemble a 30-member advance team to resume inspections after a four-year absence.
Our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth joins us now from the U.N.

Richard, good morning.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hans Blix will have a lot of questions when he arrives in Iraq, but first he's going to take a lot of questions from journalists here at the U.N. in about an hour. Blix will then leave for Paris. He'll talk to the French government on Saturday, and then he'll pass through Vienna on his way to Cyprus, where he'll meet up and with the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and then they'll go to Baghdad Monday morning with a team of 30 to 40 people, logistical, communications experts, to set up for the returning weapons inspectors.

A lot of questions will deal with the threshold for any violations. Blix and El-Baradei will have to judge whether it's a pattern or whether something that is even higher, and whether it's worth bringing it to the Security Council's attention.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUHAMMED EL-BARADEI, INTL. ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: We need to go back, look what we see on the ground, use common sense, and Hans Blix and I have been saying, we are going to use common sense approach. We have to look at the declaration. If there is a minor omission, and this is clearly not intentional, we are not rushing to the Security Council saying, this is a material breach.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: El-Baradei and Blix will await by December 8th a full declaration from Iraq regarding its weapons of mass destruction program, something Baghdad denies -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Richard, what exactly happens inside Iraq between now and December 8th?

ROTH: They will set up an office, set up communications, set up computers, look at sites they previously were in more than four years ago, see if cameras are there and still working. It's a big test of the level of cooperation with Iraqi officials, whether they will be able to go where they want to go, landing at the airport, whether the government is ready to give them help for interviewing people.

KAGAN: As I understand it, you yourself are headed to Cyprus, Richard?

ROTH: I'll be traveling along following Mr. Blix.

KAGAN: All right, we wish you well and safe travels, and look forward to your reports from there. Thank you so 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