Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

IAEA Says Inspections Could Take Year

Aired January 13, 2003 - 05:02   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: The International Atomic Energy Agency, that's the group helping to monitor Iraq's weapons, says these inspections could take a year. The agency's spokesman says chief U.N. inspector Hans Blix and the energy agency's top official both believe a year, and I'm quoting here, "is worth the wait."
We want to get more on the inspections from our Rym Brahimi in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Iraq's cooperation with the U.N. weapons inspectors will continue. That's what Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan says, despite the fact, in his view, the inspectors are still more interested in gathering intelligence than carrying out their work as weapons inspectors.

Now, the inspections have, indeed, continued on the ground, inspectors going north, south in and around Baghdad. One team, a biological team, went to Baghdad University. They headed to the pharmacy college and discussed with the dean of that college, asked for names of heads of department, asked for names of post-graduate students and what research they were doing.

Now, another team, a team of missile and a joint team of experts, they went on to a couple of sites and they witnessed the static testing of missiles. Now, that would have been the third or fourth time that that happened since the inspectors have resumed their inspections in November. The missiles, of course, of particular importance to the U.N. weapons inspectors because Iraq is only allowed to have missiles that don't go beyond 150 kilometers.

Now, meanwhile, there's been a lot of diplomatic activity, a lot of political activity in Baghdad. President Saddam Hussein met the leader of a Turkish trade delegation. The leader of that delegation was carrying a message from Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul to President Saddam Hussein. The message, according to Turkish officials, would have reassured the president of Iraq about Turkey not wanting to see a war in that region, but also calling on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to do what it takes to avert that war.

Now, the Turkish delegation arrived a couple of days ago with some 300 Turkish businessmen. And the president also received an interesting visitor from the State of Qatar. It's not clear what the discussions were. Of course, Qatar particularly interesting in view of the huge U.S. troop buildup that's taking place in that area right now. 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 January 13, 2003 - 05:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The International Atomic Energy Agency, that's the group helping to monitor Iraq's weapons, says these inspections could take a year. The agency's spokesman says chief U.N. inspector Hans Blix and the energy agency's top official both believe a year, and I'm quoting here, "is worth the wait."
We want to get more on the inspections from our Rym Brahimi in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Iraq's cooperation with the U.N. weapons inspectors will continue. That's what Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan says, despite the fact, in his view, the inspectors are still more interested in gathering intelligence than carrying out their work as weapons inspectors.

Now, the inspections have, indeed, continued on the ground, inspectors going north, south in and around Baghdad. One team, a biological team, went to Baghdad University. They headed to the pharmacy college and discussed with the dean of that college, asked for names of heads of department, asked for names of post-graduate students and what research they were doing.

Now, another team, a team of missile and a joint team of experts, they went on to a couple of sites and they witnessed the static testing of missiles. Now, that would have been the third or fourth time that that happened since the inspectors have resumed their inspections in November. The missiles, of course, of particular importance to the U.N. weapons inspectors because Iraq is only allowed to have missiles that don't go beyond 150 kilometers.

Now, meanwhile, there's been a lot of diplomatic activity, a lot of political activity in Baghdad. President Saddam Hussein met the leader of a Turkish trade delegation. The leader of that delegation was carrying a message from Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul to President Saddam Hussein. The message, according to Turkish officials, would have reassured the president of Iraq about Turkey not wanting to see a war in that region, but also calling on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to do what it takes to avert that war.

Now, the Turkish delegation arrived a couple of days ago with some 300 Turkish businessmen. And the president also received an interesting visitor from the State of Qatar. It's not clear what the discussions were. Of course, Qatar particularly interesting in view of the huge U.S. troop buildup that's taking place in that area right now. 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