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CNN Live At Daybreak
Where is Proof That Iraq Has Weapons of Mass Destruction?
Aired December 23, 2002 - 06:05 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to the Iraq weapons search. Put up or shut up seems to be the sentiment from Iraq. Iraq says it has no secret weapons to hide, and it's opening the door for a U.S. intelligence agent to come and prove otherwise.
Here's CNN's Rym Brahimi from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Iraq's response to U.S. and British allegations that it may still be harboring weapons of mass destruction, it's a macabre game, says President Saddam Hussein's scientific advisor.
We were briefed earlier on by General Hasam Amin. He said that the U.S. and Britain had led the world to believe that they had iron- clad evidence proving that Iraq still was producing weapons of mass destruction. It turned out, in his words, that those were long on allegations and short on evidence. There was absolutely nothing, he said, to prove that Iraq was still producing anything.
Now, the general also said that in this war of words and in this game of politics really that the U.S. and Britain should accept defeat.
GEN. AMIR AL-SAADI, IRAQI PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR: Now, instead of declaring bankruptcy or at least sacking (ph) their advisors and keeping quiet, we have the British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, and General Colin Powell declaring Iraq in material breach. On what basis is this done? Is it on new evidence yet to be submitted? No. It turned out to be based on old, rehashed reports left in 1990 by the discredited and defunct UNSCOM.
BRAHIMI: The general went on to cite example after example of those allegations that have been pointed out in recent days by the U.S. and Britain, and basically going through them one by one, explaining that many of them, in his words, were in the declaration that Iraq submitted, that there was no infraction there, and therefore, in his view, Iraq was not in material breach.
And he also made an extraordinary offer, saying that he would even -- Iraq would even welcome American intelligence on its soil to accompany UN weapons inspectors and try and show them where they believed Iraq may be hiding weapons of mass destruction, emphasizing another point finally that it was up to the UNMOVIC experts who are on the ground to assess what Iraq may or may not have and not to politicians. Rym Brahimi, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 23, 2002 - 06:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to the Iraq weapons search. Put up or shut up seems to be the sentiment from Iraq. Iraq says it has no secret weapons to hide, and it's opening the door for a U.S. intelligence agent to come and prove otherwise.
Here's CNN's Rym Brahimi from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Iraq's response to U.S. and British allegations that it may still be harboring weapons of mass destruction, it's a macabre game, says President Saddam Hussein's scientific advisor.
We were briefed earlier on by General Hasam Amin. He said that the U.S. and Britain had led the world to believe that they had iron- clad evidence proving that Iraq still was producing weapons of mass destruction. It turned out, in his words, that those were long on allegations and short on evidence. There was absolutely nothing, he said, to prove that Iraq was still producing anything.
Now, the general also said that in this war of words and in this game of politics really that the U.S. and Britain should accept defeat.
GEN. AMIR AL-SAADI, IRAQI PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR: Now, instead of declaring bankruptcy or at least sacking (ph) their advisors and keeping quiet, we have the British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, and General Colin Powell declaring Iraq in material breach. On what basis is this done? Is it on new evidence yet to be submitted? No. It turned out to be based on old, rehashed reports left in 1990 by the discredited and defunct UNSCOM.
BRAHIMI: The general went on to cite example after example of those allegations that have been pointed out in recent days by the U.S. and Britain, and basically going through them one by one, explaining that many of them, in his words, were in the declaration that Iraq submitted, that there was no infraction there, and therefore, in his view, Iraq was not in material breach.
And he also made an extraordinary offer, saying that he would even -- Iraq would even welcome American intelligence on its soil to accompany UN weapons inspectors and try and show them where they believed Iraq may be hiding weapons of mass destruction, emphasizing another point finally that it was up to the UNMOVIC experts who are on the ground to assess what Iraq may or may not have and not to politicians. Rym Brahimi, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
