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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iraq Makes Revelation to Inspectors

Aired December 02, 2002 - 06:02   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 begin this hour with an exclusive report from CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour. She has new information on what Iraqi officials have revealed to U.S. weapons inspectors. So, let's get right to that story with Christiane, who is live in London.
What's the news -- Christiane?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, as you know, everybody is awaiting the December 8 declaration from Iraq about its potential weapons of mass destruction program.

We have learned from a high-ranking official close to the hierarchy of the weapons inspectors -- an official who was at crucial meetings with Iraqi scientists in Baghdad on November 18 and 19, that week that they were there -- we have learned some new information about aluminum tubes.

Aluminum tubes, according to U.S. and British intelligence, were attempted to be imported by Iraq. U.S. and British intelligence accused Iraq of trying to make nuclear devices with them.

What we're being told now is that the Iraqi officials are telling the U.N. weapons inspectors that they have made attempts to procure aluminum tubes, but that these aluminum tubes are designed for their conventional rocket program, that they are not designed for centrifuges that could enrich uranium.

Now, according to this high-ranking official who told us about this, the aluminum tubes were described in terms of their thickness and their diameter, and experts are saying that if, in fact, this turns out to be correct -- that Iraq has tried to import aluminum tubes of the diameter and thickness that they are telling -- then they could not be used for enriching uranium, and they could not be used in any nuclear weapons program.

However, having said that, the Iraqis, as I said, are admitting trying to procure these weapons -- rather, these aluminum tubes. They have tried about half-a-dozen times. They have not been successful, according to the Iraqi officials. And as I say, they say that they are designed for their conventional rocket program.

So, they are, in fact, admitting to violating U.N. sanctions, because the U.N. sanctions regime prohibit any import of any kind of military equipment. But they are saying that they are not violating the prohibition on weapons of mass destruction.

So, it sounds fairly complicated, but in a nutshell, there was a huge story a few months ago saying that Iraq was importing aluminum tubes. U.S. and British officials accused Iraq of using those tubes to form centrifuges to enrich uranium. Iraq is now saying that yes, they tried to import those aluminum tubes, but no, they are not for a weapons program, not for a nuclear weapons program, but rather for their conventional rocket program -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, of course, the important thing is, is that the Iraqis are admitting to this. How unusual is this? And this sounds pretty encouraging if it is unusual.

AMANPOUR: Well, you know, the officials who we have been talking to say that they're awaiting further details. Everybody is awaiting a full and formal declaration of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program -- this coming on December 8.

And so, they say that they have had indications that information will be forthcoming on December 8, and they are awaiting to have further information obviously on weapons of mass destruction programs. But that they have been told that this one element that had been used to accuse Iraq of continuing to try to build its nuclear weapons program, they are awaiting further details, but they have been told that these tubes are for a different issue and not for a nuclear weapons program.

But yes, they say they are expecting to get a dossier, which will have information on it, on December the 8th.

COSTELLO: All right, Christiane.

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 December 2, 2002 - 06:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with an exclusive report from CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour. She has new information on what Iraqi officials have revealed to U.S. weapons inspectors. So, let's get right to that story with Christiane, who is live in London.
What's the news -- Christiane?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, as you know, everybody is awaiting the December 8 declaration from Iraq about its potential weapons of mass destruction program.

We have learned from a high-ranking official close to the hierarchy of the weapons inspectors -- an official who was at crucial meetings with Iraqi scientists in Baghdad on November 18 and 19, that week that they were there -- we have learned some new information about aluminum tubes.

Aluminum tubes, according to U.S. and British intelligence, were attempted to be imported by Iraq. U.S. and British intelligence accused Iraq of trying to make nuclear devices with them.

What we're being told now is that the Iraqi officials are telling the U.N. weapons inspectors that they have made attempts to procure aluminum tubes, but that these aluminum tubes are designed for their conventional rocket program, that they are not designed for centrifuges that could enrich uranium.

Now, according to this high-ranking official who told us about this, the aluminum tubes were described in terms of their thickness and their diameter, and experts are saying that if, in fact, this turns out to be correct -- that Iraq has tried to import aluminum tubes of the diameter and thickness that they are telling -- then they could not be used for enriching uranium, and they could not be used in any nuclear weapons program.

However, having said that, the Iraqis, as I said, are admitting trying to procure these weapons -- rather, these aluminum tubes. They have tried about half-a-dozen times. They have not been successful, according to the Iraqi officials. And as I say, they say that they are designed for their conventional rocket program.

So, they are, in fact, admitting to violating U.N. sanctions, because the U.N. sanctions regime prohibit any import of any kind of military equipment. But they are saying that they are not violating the prohibition on weapons of mass destruction.

So, it sounds fairly complicated, but in a nutshell, there was a huge story a few months ago saying that Iraq was importing aluminum tubes. U.S. and British officials accused Iraq of using those tubes to form centrifuges to enrich uranium. Iraq is now saying that yes, they tried to import those aluminum tubes, but no, they are not for a weapons program, not for a nuclear weapons program, but rather for their conventional rocket program -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, of course, the important thing is, is that the Iraqis are admitting to this. How unusual is this? And this sounds pretty encouraging if it is unusual.

AMANPOUR: Well, you know, the officials who we have been talking to say that they're awaiting further details. Everybody is awaiting a full and formal declaration of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program -- this coming on December 8.

And so, they say that they have had indications that information will be forthcoming on December 8, and they are awaiting to have further information obviously on weapons of mass destruction programs. But that they have been told that this one element that had been used to accuse Iraq of continuing to try to build its nuclear weapons program, they are awaiting further details, but they have been told that these tubes are for a different issue and not for a nuclear weapons program.

But yes, they say they are expecting to get a dossier, which will have information on it, on December the 8th.

COSTELLO: All right, Christiane.

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