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Chief Weapons Inspectors Give Another Update on Iraq to U.N. Tomorrow
Aired February 13, 2003 - 11:20 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Chief weapons inspectors give another update on Iraq to the U.N. tomorrow. Hans Blix is set to come there and report that Iraq has missiles and violate U.N. limits.
CNN's Richard Roth checks in now. He's standing by live now at the U.N. in New York.
Hello, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
Of course it's unclear how significant the violation is, because these El-Samoud II missiles may not have range that matched the Scuds that hit Israel. Hans Blix, chief inspector, briefed a college of commissioners, his advisory panel, yesterday. This was on the eve of his presentation tomorrow. At this time tomorrow, Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei will be addressing the U.N. Security Council, second time in about less than two weeks. Many countries very interested in what Blix has to say, unknown whether it will sway any countries to side with the U.S. or move closer into the camp with France and Germany.
This El-Samoud missile, according to some of the experts, has been tested in violation of U.N. Security Council resolution, exceeding a 93-mile range. There was some tests, more than 40 tests, and about 13 times allegedly the missiles were flown past their extended range. But these missiles, according to some experts, do not have the firepower to match the Scuds of 1991.
The Security Council meeting today on other issues. There is the president of the Security Council, the German Ambassador. He says he'd rather wait and hear what Hans Blix has to say tomorrow. The U.S. and Britain say the missile issue is a major violation. Russia says it proves the U.N. inspectors are working and are turning up good information and should be allowed more time. That's what you'll see in the Security Council after and during the Blix report, people using the information in the remarks to beef up their own views on where things stand. Still a divided Security Council for the moment -- Leon.
HARRIS: Divided, that's one way of putting it right now, Richard.
If I'm reading in between the lines in the headlines today, it appears as though maybe four of the five veto-wielding nations there in the U.N. Security Council may now be lining up in opposition to where the U.S. stands right now. ROTH: It would be three of the five, three side with the U.S., and China, Russia and France would be on the other side. It's too soon to say someone is ready to pull the veto lever. It's been decades since France did. And everyone talks about unity in the Council, the bargaining would really have to break down for someone to start with a veto, though it's not out of the question.
HARRIS: All right, I'm glad you straightened me out on that one. I had another point to make, but we have to move on, because we have more some breaking news to cover.
Thanks, Richard, we'll talk about this later on down the road, Richard Roth at the U.N.
Now to you, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Iraq denies that those missiles are a problem. Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is on duty in Baghdad. He joins us now. Good morning to you, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Well, weapons inspectors here have been out on a number of occasions to witness both static tests with the Al-Samoud missile, where it's been fixed in a vertical testing jig out in a desert testing sight. They've also seen it tested on the range. The conclusion they appear to have come to, at least a quarter of the test, is it can go beyond that permitted range. The reason Iraqi officials say that that is happening is quite simple, they say. It's because the guidance and control mechanisms are not fitted, and the heavy explosive payload is not on the missile, and that's why they say it's going further than the permitted 93 miles. They say they're not developing or designing a weapon here or in any way to try to exceed those limits.
Another development here today, Iraq's national assembly has been called for an extraordinary session, barely 2 1/2 hours before Hans Blix goes to the Security Council on Friday.
Now I talked with a member of the National Assembly earlier. He said he didn't know what they'd be talking about at that meeting. However, Hans Blix, the U.N. weapons chief, has called upon Iraqi authorities here to put in place legislation that would outlaw weapons of mass destruction. However, the member of the National Assembly I talked to said he didn't know what the order of business would be on Friday -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Nic, we're getting word that Iraq has received an expulsion order for one of his diplomats in the Philippines. What's this about? They don't like the possible link to a terrorist organization here?
ROBERTSON: Well, the foreign ministry here said that the reason this diplomat, their diplomat has been expelled from their embassy in Manila, is because the United States has been fabricating lies, that it's been putting out in the media in the Philippines, indicating that this particular diplomat had ties to Abu Sayyaf, who previously is believed to have had links with Al Qaeda.
Now the foreign ministry says this particular diplomat, Iraqi diplomat, was approached on the 6th of February by somebody from the United States, from the U.S. embassy in Manila.
Now according to Iraqi officials here, this particular Iraqi diplomat, told this U.S. representative that he should go away, and he wasn't going to talk to him. Apparently, according to Iraqi officials, he was -- the United States representative was trying get him to give away national secrets. That's what the foreign ministry here is saying about that -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Nic Robertson, thanks for the update, 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
U.N. Tomorrow>
Aired February 13, 2003 - 11:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Chief weapons inspectors give another update on Iraq to the U.N. tomorrow. Hans Blix is set to come there and report that Iraq has missiles and violate U.N. limits.
CNN's Richard Roth checks in now. He's standing by live now at the U.N. in New York.
Hello, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
Of course it's unclear how significant the violation is, because these El-Samoud II missiles may not have range that matched the Scuds that hit Israel. Hans Blix, chief inspector, briefed a college of commissioners, his advisory panel, yesterday. This was on the eve of his presentation tomorrow. At this time tomorrow, Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei will be addressing the U.N. Security Council, second time in about less than two weeks. Many countries very interested in what Blix has to say, unknown whether it will sway any countries to side with the U.S. or move closer into the camp with France and Germany.
This El-Samoud missile, according to some of the experts, has been tested in violation of U.N. Security Council resolution, exceeding a 93-mile range. There was some tests, more than 40 tests, and about 13 times allegedly the missiles were flown past their extended range. But these missiles, according to some experts, do not have the firepower to match the Scuds of 1991.
The Security Council meeting today on other issues. There is the president of the Security Council, the German Ambassador. He says he'd rather wait and hear what Hans Blix has to say tomorrow. The U.S. and Britain say the missile issue is a major violation. Russia says it proves the U.N. inspectors are working and are turning up good information and should be allowed more time. That's what you'll see in the Security Council after and during the Blix report, people using the information in the remarks to beef up their own views on where things stand. Still a divided Security Council for the moment -- Leon.
HARRIS: Divided, that's one way of putting it right now, Richard.
If I'm reading in between the lines in the headlines today, it appears as though maybe four of the five veto-wielding nations there in the U.N. Security Council may now be lining up in opposition to where the U.S. stands right now. ROTH: It would be three of the five, three side with the U.S., and China, Russia and France would be on the other side. It's too soon to say someone is ready to pull the veto lever. It's been decades since France did. And everyone talks about unity in the Council, the bargaining would really have to break down for someone to start with a veto, though it's not out of the question.
HARRIS: All right, I'm glad you straightened me out on that one. I had another point to make, but we have to move on, because we have more some breaking news to cover.
Thanks, Richard, we'll talk about this later on down the road, Richard Roth at the U.N.
Now to you, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Iraq denies that those missiles are a problem. Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is on duty in Baghdad. He joins us now. Good morning to you, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Well, weapons inspectors here have been out on a number of occasions to witness both static tests with the Al-Samoud missile, where it's been fixed in a vertical testing jig out in a desert testing sight. They've also seen it tested on the range. The conclusion they appear to have come to, at least a quarter of the test, is it can go beyond that permitted range. The reason Iraqi officials say that that is happening is quite simple, they say. It's because the guidance and control mechanisms are not fitted, and the heavy explosive payload is not on the missile, and that's why they say it's going further than the permitted 93 miles. They say they're not developing or designing a weapon here or in any way to try to exceed those limits.
Another development here today, Iraq's national assembly has been called for an extraordinary session, barely 2 1/2 hours before Hans Blix goes to the Security Council on Friday.
Now I talked with a member of the National Assembly earlier. He said he didn't know what they'd be talking about at that meeting. However, Hans Blix, the U.N. weapons chief, has called upon Iraqi authorities here to put in place legislation that would outlaw weapons of mass destruction. However, the member of the National Assembly I talked to said he didn't know what the order of business would be on Friday -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Nic, we're getting word that Iraq has received an expulsion order for one of his diplomats in the Philippines. What's this about? They don't like the possible link to a terrorist organization here?
ROBERTSON: Well, the foreign ministry here said that the reason this diplomat, their diplomat has been expelled from their embassy in Manila, is because the United States has been fabricating lies, that it's been putting out in the media in the Philippines, indicating that this particular diplomat had ties to Abu Sayyaf, who previously is believed to have had links with Al Qaeda.
Now the foreign ministry says this particular diplomat, Iraqi diplomat, was approached on the 6th of February by somebody from the United States, from the U.S. embassy in Manila.
Now according to Iraqi officials here, this particular Iraqi diplomat, told this U.S. representative that he should go away, and he wasn't going to talk to him. Apparently, according to Iraqi officials, he was -- the United States representative was trying get him to give away national secrets. That's what the foreign ministry here is saying about that -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Nic Robertson, thanks for the update, 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
U.N. Tomorrow>
