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CNN Live At Daybreak
Work Continues for Inspection Teams
Aired December 04, 2002 - 05:32 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: Now let's get back to the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Our Nic Robertson joins us by phone from a desert site where deadly chemical weapons were once produced -- Nic, tell us about this site.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, from where I'm sitting at the perimeter of the site here -- it's known as Musana -- we can see off in the desert, in the distance, some bunkers and a few low buildings. And it's very difficult to see where the weapons inspectors are right now. They disappeared inside the site about three hours ago.
Recently, the leader, the lead member of the weapons inspections team, Dimitri Perricos, came back to the gate to pick up some cases from a vehicle there. We asked him how the cooperation was going and he gave a brief thumbs up before going back. So an indication that their work is continuing here, continuing well, apparently.
At one point a large crane was brought onto the site. Now, we know, according to the weapons inspectors, this site is closed down, is locked down. But if they need something brought onto the site, then they can get that brought on. So it appears at this stage they brought, asked for and brought onto the site a large, heavy lifting crane. We can't see what that is being used for.
Generally what happens here, Carol, is once the inspectors leave, we are taken inside by Iraqi officials and we get a brief opportunity to look around the site. But this is a very, very large site, stretching off way into the desert. So difficult to imagine we're going to get to see very much of it today -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Nic, are the inspectors aware of this? Kofi Annan has said that the inspections are going quite well. But, of course, President Bush says he doesn't trust even what the inspectors may or may not find. Are they aware of what's being said about their inspections?
ROBERTSON: Certainly the inspectors are aware. They're very, they very much know that they're under a microscope. Every day when they leave their premises there are dozens, literally dozens of journalists tailing them to see what they're doing. They know very much that the world is watching what they're doing.
And I think, Carol, that they also know that it's going to take a long time for them to build up an accurate picture of what's happening. I don't think any of them, from what we've seen, appear to be jumping to conclusions that early cooperation is going to mean anything more than that. And I think they all know that the real tests are going to come when they start getting towards and finding something that may, indeed, be very sensitive, whether it's documents or equipment.
COSTELLO: Understand.
Nic Robertson, thanks.
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 4, 2002 - 05:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now let's get back to the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Our Nic Robertson joins us by phone from a desert site where deadly chemical weapons were once produced -- Nic, tell us about this site.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, from where I'm sitting at the perimeter of the site here -- it's known as Musana -- we can see off in the desert, in the distance, some bunkers and a few low buildings. And it's very difficult to see where the weapons inspectors are right now. They disappeared inside the site about three hours ago.
Recently, the leader, the lead member of the weapons inspections team, Dimitri Perricos, came back to the gate to pick up some cases from a vehicle there. We asked him how the cooperation was going and he gave a brief thumbs up before going back. So an indication that their work is continuing here, continuing well, apparently.
At one point a large crane was brought onto the site. Now, we know, according to the weapons inspectors, this site is closed down, is locked down. But if they need something brought onto the site, then they can get that brought on. So it appears at this stage they brought, asked for and brought onto the site a large, heavy lifting crane. We can't see what that is being used for.
Generally what happens here, Carol, is once the inspectors leave, we are taken inside by Iraqi officials and we get a brief opportunity to look around the site. But this is a very, very large site, stretching off way into the desert. So difficult to imagine we're going to get to see very much of it today -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Nic, are the inspectors aware of this? Kofi Annan has said that the inspections are going quite well. But, of course, President Bush says he doesn't trust even what the inspectors may or may not find. Are they aware of what's being said about their inspections?
ROBERTSON: Certainly the inspectors are aware. They're very, they very much know that they're under a microscope. Every day when they leave their premises there are dozens, literally dozens of journalists tailing them to see what they're doing. They know very much that the world is watching what they're doing.
And I think, Carol, that they also know that it's going to take a long time for them to build up an accurate picture of what's happening. I don't think any of them, from what we've seen, appear to be jumping to conclusions that early cooperation is going to mean anything more than that. And I think they all know that the real tests are going to come when they start getting towards and finding something that may, indeed, be very sensitive, whether it's documents or equipment.
COSTELLO: Understand.
Nic Robertson, thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
