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American Morning

Look at Documents of Iraq's Dr. Rihab Taha

Aired January 28, 2003 - 07:18   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: She is known as "Dr. Germ," the so- called bug lady of Baghdad, who is believed to have directed Iraq's biological weapons program. Thousands of her own documents have been locked away at U.N. headquarters in New York City.
But CNN's Mike Boettcher got an exclusive look at those documents, and he joins us now from Atlanta at the CNN Center to tell us about what he learned from looking at these papers.

Mike -- hello. Good morning to you.

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Bill.

If U.N. weapons inspectors could look and talk to in private one Iraqi scientist, it would be Dr. Rihab Tahah, who directed Iraq's bioweapons program for much of the past two decades. But there's another way to determine what she might say, and that's through her personal notes of bioweapons testing.

Now, what you're about to see are personal notes from a test done in 1990. The words of Dr. Taha are read by a narrator. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER (voice-over): Her notes begin with the test's objective.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "A field experiment was conducted to disperse biological agents, botulinum toxin and spores of bacillus subtilus (an anthrax stimulant) by exploding 122-millimeter Al-Buraq rockets. The rockets were filled with a biological agent. A cloud was formed that moved downwind near the ground surface."

BOETTCHER: The tests were a success.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "We have proved the effects of the botulinum toxin and its field use. Eighty percent of the experimental animals perished."

BOETTCHER: Guinea pigs were used in this particular test, and Dr. Taha diligently recorded their death rate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Of the animals that were at a distance of 25 meters from the explosion point, 33.3 percent perished after 24 hours. The deaths continued up to a rate of 86.4 percent after six days. After the elapse of three weeks, the death rate of the total test animals was 80 percent, but the death rate was 100 percent for animals that were placed downwind."

BOETTCHER: Taha then described the success of their tests using anthrax stimulant in artillery rockets.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "When exploding the rockets, it was found out that the highest spores rate was in the locations that were near to the explosion, specifically within the first circle of 20 meters diameter. Neither the metal of the rocket container nor the blast temperature had any effect of the spore's vitality."

BOETTCHER: And she revealed success in a 1989 test using aerial bombs to disperse biological agents.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "In a previous study prepared by us, military dispersal means, 250-kilogram aerial bombs were used to disperse bacterial toxins and biological agents. It was a successful method."

BOETTCHER: Her conclusion? Iraq now had the capability to deliver biological weapons on the battlefield.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "The effect of the botulinal toxin and its field use was successful. Successful dispersal of bacillus subtilus spores, which are similar to anthrax. The above agents can be used as military field agents. The 122-millimeter rocket is considered a successful means to disperse biological agents."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER: What these papers don't tell us is what Dr. Taha and her team have been up to in recent years, and unfortunately, U.N. weapons inspectors have not been able to speak to her in person in private -- Bill.

HEMMER: Chilling stuff again. Mike, thanks -- Mike Boettcher at the CNN Center with the latest on that.

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 28, 2003 - 07:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: She is known as "Dr. Germ," the so- called bug lady of Baghdad, who is believed to have directed Iraq's biological weapons program. Thousands of her own documents have been locked away at U.N. headquarters in New York City.
But CNN's Mike Boettcher got an exclusive look at those documents, and he joins us now from Atlanta at the CNN Center to tell us about what he learned from looking at these papers.

Mike -- hello. Good morning to you.

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Bill.

If U.N. weapons inspectors could look and talk to in private one Iraqi scientist, it would be Dr. Rihab Tahah, who directed Iraq's bioweapons program for much of the past two decades. But there's another way to determine what she might say, and that's through her personal notes of bioweapons testing.

Now, what you're about to see are personal notes from a test done in 1990. The words of Dr. Taha are read by a narrator. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER (voice-over): Her notes begin with the test's objective.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "A field experiment was conducted to disperse biological agents, botulinum toxin and spores of bacillus subtilus (an anthrax stimulant) by exploding 122-millimeter Al-Buraq rockets. The rockets were filled with a biological agent. A cloud was formed that moved downwind near the ground surface."

BOETTCHER: The tests were a success.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "We have proved the effects of the botulinum toxin and its field use. Eighty percent of the experimental animals perished."

BOETTCHER: Guinea pigs were used in this particular test, and Dr. Taha diligently recorded their death rate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Of the animals that were at a distance of 25 meters from the explosion point, 33.3 percent perished after 24 hours. The deaths continued up to a rate of 86.4 percent after six days. After the elapse of three weeks, the death rate of the total test animals was 80 percent, but the death rate was 100 percent for animals that were placed downwind."

BOETTCHER: Taha then described the success of their tests using anthrax stimulant in artillery rockets.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "When exploding the rockets, it was found out that the highest spores rate was in the locations that were near to the explosion, specifically within the first circle of 20 meters diameter. Neither the metal of the rocket container nor the blast temperature had any effect of the spore's vitality."

BOETTCHER: And she revealed success in a 1989 test using aerial bombs to disperse biological agents.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "In a previous study prepared by us, military dispersal means, 250-kilogram aerial bombs were used to disperse bacterial toxins and biological agents. It was a successful method."

BOETTCHER: Her conclusion? Iraq now had the capability to deliver biological weapons on the battlefield.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "The effect of the botulinal toxin and its field use was successful. Successful dispersal of bacillus subtilus spores, which are similar to anthrax. The above agents can be used as military field agents. The 122-millimeter rocket is considered a successful means to disperse biological agents."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER: What these papers don't tell us is what Dr. Taha and her team have been up to in recent years, and unfortunately, U.N. weapons inspectors have not been able to speak to her in person in private -- Bill.

HEMMER: Chilling stuff again. Mike, thanks -- Mike Boettcher at the CNN Center with the latest on that.

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