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CNN Live At Daybreak

Setting the Stage in Iraq

Aired November 19, 2002 - 06:04   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: While an advance team of U.N. experts prepares the way for weapons inspectors, their leader is working to set the ground rules. U.N. chief arms inspector Hans Blix met for the second time in two days with an advisor to Saddam Hussein. He plans to meet with Iraq's foreign minister later today.
The 30 experts who arrived with Blix on Monday are setting up offices now, and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is urging Saddam Hussein to comply fully with the United Nations resolution.

Now, for an update on preparing for the weapons inspections themselves, let's go back to CNN's Nic Robertson, who is live in Baghdad.

Nic -- that won't start for another week, right?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, they won't, Carol.

But I've been speaking with the spokesman accompanying the two leaders of the inspection mission here, and one of them describing a walk-through of those old U.N. offices as being eerie, the place covered in dust, pigeon feathers, insects moving around on the floor -- a very eerie feeling going back into these offices that have been deserted. And in fact, saying that there's an awful lot of clearing up to be done; hence, the cleaning equipment that they brought in.

But the real meat of the work here being carried out by Hans Blix and his associate, Mohamed el-Baradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in their meetings. They do hope to have a further high-level meeting today. They do hope to meet with Foreign Minister Naji Sabri. The meeting they've had so far with President Saddam Hussein's top scientific advisor, General Amir al-Saadi.

Now, Mr. el-Baradei's spokesman described that perhaps it's too early to draw conclusions from the meetings that they've had so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK GWOCDECKY, ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: But to the extent that it matters, the Iraqis made it clear that they are going to fully cooperate with us. Notwithstanding the fact that they're not ecstatic about living under this new tougher resolution, they still made it clear that they will cooperate. And so, we've spent our time working out some practical clarifications that flow from this new resolution.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROBERTSON: Now, some of the newspapers here already describing Resolution 1441 as being bad and impossible -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I can only imagine the tension going -- or the tension level on those talks.

ROBERTSON: Well, it's very interesting in talking with this spokesman. They don't really have a firm grip on exactly who they'll meet with and when. For them, it's very much a waiting game to see which Iraqi official will be meeting with them next.

Now, while they want to achieve a lot on the ground here, they really say that it's time not to continue with the talking, but really get on with the work. What they want to do is ensure that the Iraqis understand the same way they do, that they see eye-to-eye on issues, that everyone understands the timelines, the 8th of December timeline for the Iraqis to make their full declaration -- probably the toughest thing for the government here to do next. And also, for them to explain -- for the U.N. inspectors to explain what they're going to need to do, when they need to have flights coming in with what equipment, which people, et cetera, et cetera, so they can carry out their mission.

So, dotting the I's and crossing the T's, but really for the inspectors, they just want to get to work -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understand. Thank you, Nic Robertson.

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 19, 2002 - 06:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: While an advance team of U.N. experts prepares the way for weapons inspectors, their leader is working to set the ground rules. U.N. chief arms inspector Hans Blix met for the second time in two days with an advisor to Saddam Hussein. He plans to meet with Iraq's foreign minister later today.
The 30 experts who arrived with Blix on Monday are setting up offices now, and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is urging Saddam Hussein to comply fully with the United Nations resolution.

Now, for an update on preparing for the weapons inspections themselves, let's go back to CNN's Nic Robertson, who is live in Baghdad.

Nic -- that won't start for another week, right?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, they won't, Carol.

But I've been speaking with the spokesman accompanying the two leaders of the inspection mission here, and one of them describing a walk-through of those old U.N. offices as being eerie, the place covered in dust, pigeon feathers, insects moving around on the floor -- a very eerie feeling going back into these offices that have been deserted. And in fact, saying that there's an awful lot of clearing up to be done; hence, the cleaning equipment that they brought in.

But the real meat of the work here being carried out by Hans Blix and his associate, Mohamed el-Baradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in their meetings. They do hope to have a further high-level meeting today. They do hope to meet with Foreign Minister Naji Sabri. The meeting they've had so far with President Saddam Hussein's top scientific advisor, General Amir al-Saadi.

Now, Mr. el-Baradei's spokesman described that perhaps it's too early to draw conclusions from the meetings that they've had so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK GWOCDECKY, ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: But to the extent that it matters, the Iraqis made it clear that they are going to fully cooperate with us. Notwithstanding the fact that they're not ecstatic about living under this new tougher resolution, they still made it clear that they will cooperate. And so, we've spent our time working out some practical clarifications that flow from this new resolution.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROBERTSON: Now, some of the newspapers here already describing Resolution 1441 as being bad and impossible -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I can only imagine the tension going -- or the tension level on those talks.

ROBERTSON: Well, it's very interesting in talking with this spokesman. They don't really have a firm grip on exactly who they'll meet with and when. For them, it's very much a waiting game to see which Iraqi official will be meeting with them next.

Now, while they want to achieve a lot on the ground here, they really say that it's time not to continue with the talking, but really get on with the work. What they want to do is ensure that the Iraqis understand the same way they do, that they see eye-to-eye on issues, that everyone understands the timelines, the 8th of December timeline for the Iraqis to make their full declaration -- probably the toughest thing for the government here to do next. And also, for them to explain -- for the U.N. inspectors to explain what they're going to need to do, when they need to have flights coming in with what equipment, which people, et cetera, et cetera, so they can carry out their mission.

So, dotting the I's and crossing the T's, but really for the inspectors, they just want to get to work -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understand. Thank you, Nic Robertson.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.