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CNN Live At Daybreak
Could War with Iraq be a Month or Two Away?
Aired December 19, 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Could war with Iraq be a month or two away? Sources tell CNN President Bush might make a decision about going to war around late January or mid-February. Also, the U.S. believes the weapons inspectors' assessment of Iraq's declaration supports the White House view that Iraq has lied and a top U.S. official says the administration will use the next few weeks to build on that consensus.
Now for reaction from Iraqi officials and an update on the weapons inspections there, we go back to Baghdad and that's where our Rym Brahimi is -- hi, again, Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, again, Fredricka.
Well, I actually just managed to speak to some Iraqi officials. And what they're saying about what the U.S. says about the declaration is two things. One, if the U.S. is so sure that there are holes in there, well, why doesn't it come up with the evidence? That means the U.S. probably knows everything, has all details, that it should come up with the evidence that it's, if it says that there are things missing then it has to be able to prove it.
Secondly, the Iraqi officials I spoke to pointed out to the fact that when Hans Blix and Mohamed Baradei, the two head chief weapons inspectors, were in Baghdad last month, well, they asked them, the Iraqi officials asked them what is it that we need to do in this declaration? They wanted more details. They wanted to know how big the declaration should be, how detailed it should be. And they say that they were not given a clear response. They were not made to understand exactly what should be in that declaration.
So they gave what, they say that they gave what they thought was the most comprehensive account. But, of course, they say they cannot -- basically they're trying to say, I think, that they can't really be held accountable if there are things that the U.S. says are missing because it's all in the way that they were asked to present that declaration -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Rym.
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 19, 2002 - 05:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Could war with Iraq be a month or two away? Sources tell CNN President Bush might make a decision about going to war around late January or mid-February. Also, the U.S. believes the weapons inspectors' assessment of Iraq's declaration supports the White House view that Iraq has lied and a top U.S. official says the administration will use the next few weeks to build on that consensus.
Now for reaction from Iraqi officials and an update on the weapons inspections there, we go back to Baghdad and that's where our Rym Brahimi is -- hi, again, Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, again, Fredricka.
Well, I actually just managed to speak to some Iraqi officials. And what they're saying about what the U.S. says about the declaration is two things. One, if the U.S. is so sure that there are holes in there, well, why doesn't it come up with the evidence? That means the U.S. probably knows everything, has all details, that it should come up with the evidence that it's, if it says that there are things missing then it has to be able to prove it.
Secondly, the Iraqi officials I spoke to pointed out to the fact that when Hans Blix and Mohamed Baradei, the two head chief weapons inspectors, were in Baghdad last month, well, they asked them, the Iraqi officials asked them what is it that we need to do in this declaration? They wanted more details. They wanted to know how big the declaration should be, how detailed it should be. And they say that they were not given a clear response. They were not made to understand exactly what should be in that declaration.
So they gave what, they say that they gave what they thought was the most comprehensive account. But, of course, they say they cannot -- basically they're trying to say, I think, that they can't really be held accountable if there are things that the U.S. says are missing because it's all in the way that they were asked to present that declaration -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Rym.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
