Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Search for Weapons Intensifies in Iraq

Aired December 12, 2002 - 06:06   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 on to Iraq, the hunt intensifies today for Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.
We want to go live to our Nic Robertson, who is in Baghdad for the latest on the inspectors.

And a lot of teams are out this morning -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol, and as the day progresses here, we get a better handle on where they've gone to.

One of the new sites, we have learned today, Almeda (ph), a former nuclear facility for the Iraqis here. A team has gone to that site. We've also heard a little earlier that a team had gone to a pharmaceutical company to the east side of Baghdad. A team has gone to the south side of Baghdad as well to a missile facility. We don't know exactly -- we don't have any really hard details about that missile facility yet, but we will expect to get them later in the day.

We know approximately of about half-a-dozen teams out today. Another team has gone to a former uranium enrichment site.

Now, interestingly, we get our best information now late in the day from U.N. briefings, and we've been getting a few more hard details out of those briefings. Last night, hearing about the uranium ore mine up on the border close to Syria. The briefer was telling us that they've been able to look at that site and see that it no longer mines uranium ore. In the past, we haven't had specific details like this, conclusions, or minimal conclusions, if you will, but small conclusions from those visits.

Another conclusion from a visit yesterday to a former uranium enrichment facility that the inspectors believe the Iraqi authorities here are no longer try to enrich uranium there, and are showing no signs of restarting that program.

So, we are getting a few more details, but before we get a real handle on where the teams have gone today, what they were looking for, that will probably take several more hours -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson, then, we'll let you go. Thanks -- Nic Robertson live from Baghdad.

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 12, 2002 - 06:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to Iraq, the hunt intensifies today for Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.
We want to go live to our Nic Robertson, who is in Baghdad for the latest on the inspectors.

And a lot of teams are out this morning -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol, and as the day progresses here, we get a better handle on where they've gone to.

One of the new sites, we have learned today, Almeda (ph), a former nuclear facility for the Iraqis here. A team has gone to that site. We've also heard a little earlier that a team had gone to a pharmaceutical company to the east side of Baghdad. A team has gone to the south side of Baghdad as well to a missile facility. We don't know exactly -- we don't have any really hard details about that missile facility yet, but we will expect to get them later in the day.

We know approximately of about half-a-dozen teams out today. Another team has gone to a former uranium enrichment site.

Now, interestingly, we get our best information now late in the day from U.N. briefings, and we've been getting a few more hard details out of those briefings. Last night, hearing about the uranium ore mine up on the border close to Syria. The briefer was telling us that they've been able to look at that site and see that it no longer mines uranium ore. In the past, we haven't had specific details like this, conclusions, or minimal conclusions, if you will, but small conclusions from those visits.

Another conclusion from a visit yesterday to a former uranium enrichment facility that the inspectors believe the Iraqi authorities here are no longer try to enrich uranium there, and are showing no signs of restarting that program.

So, we are getting a few more details, but before we get a real handle on where the teams have gone today, what they were looking for, that will probably take several more hours -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson, then, we'll let you go. Thanks -- Nic Robertson live from Baghdad.

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