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CNN Live At Daybreak

First U-2 Flight Over Iraq Since 1990s

Aired February 18, 2003 - 06:09   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: No real surprises on the subject of Iraq to tell you about this morning. A European Union emergency meeting has delivered little other than a decision that Iraq should disarm, but that no deadline should be imposed. The EU pledged its full support for Security Council efforts to resolve the crisis, and agreed U.N. inspectors should be given more time. The group said force should be used only as a last resort.
And having said that, inspections go on in Iraq. A U-2 spy plane has flown over the country with apparently more to come.

We want to take you live to the center of things to Baghdad and our Rym Brahimi.

Good morning.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.

Well, indeed the first over-flight of Iraqi territory by a U-2 high-altitude surveillance plane since the inspectors returned in November. Now, that was announced by Iraq's foreign ministry, saying that the flight lasted some four hours and 20 minutes over Iraq's territory.

Now, as you know, Carol, this is something that was agreed on only recently. Iraq accepted under intense pressure to allow over- flights of surveillance planes, of U.S., French and Russian planes. The U.N. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and notified the Iraqi authorities that this was going to happen. This is in accordance with the practice that used to take place under the previous inspection regime when the UNSCOM team was here until they left in '98.

Now, inspectors have been examining some nines sites today, Carol. One of them, a chemical team went to the site known as Al Muthanna (ph). Now, that's where in recent days they've been working on destroying some artillery shells that were filled with mustard gas. This is something that the previous team of inspectors had planned to do, but again, they left in '98 before finishing that task.

Another development, Carol, the president, President Saddam Hussein, has hailed -- you can see this newspaper headline in the Iraqi "Daily" -- "Hails worldwide anti-war protesters." That's something that the president said in a council of ministers. It was broadcast, pictures were shown of that on Iraqi TV.

But at the same time, the president criticized the Arab countries, saying that their participation to those protests was weak, and suggesting that the Arab world hasn't actually come up with a firm stance, a firm position with regard to the Iraqi crisis -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understood. Rym Brahimi reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

One more note to tell you about on Iraq. Coalition aircraft struck an Iraqi radar position while patrolling the southern no-fly zone. The radar system provided information to Iraq's air defense system, so the system was attacked after it was moved into the no-fly zone, 250 miles southwest of 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.






Aired February 18, 2003 - 06:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: No real surprises on the subject of Iraq to tell you about this morning. A European Union emergency meeting has delivered little other than a decision that Iraq should disarm, but that no deadline should be imposed. The EU pledged its full support for Security Council efforts to resolve the crisis, and agreed U.N. inspectors should be given more time. The group said force should be used only as a last resort.
And having said that, inspections go on in Iraq. A U-2 spy plane has flown over the country with apparently more to come.

We want to take you live to the center of things to Baghdad and our Rym Brahimi.

Good morning.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.

Well, indeed the first over-flight of Iraqi territory by a U-2 high-altitude surveillance plane since the inspectors returned in November. Now, that was announced by Iraq's foreign ministry, saying that the flight lasted some four hours and 20 minutes over Iraq's territory.

Now, as you know, Carol, this is something that was agreed on only recently. Iraq accepted under intense pressure to allow over- flights of surveillance planes, of U.S., French and Russian planes. The U.N. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and notified the Iraqi authorities that this was going to happen. This is in accordance with the practice that used to take place under the previous inspection regime when the UNSCOM team was here until they left in '98.

Now, inspectors have been examining some nines sites today, Carol. One of them, a chemical team went to the site known as Al Muthanna (ph). Now, that's where in recent days they've been working on destroying some artillery shells that were filled with mustard gas. This is something that the previous team of inspectors had planned to do, but again, they left in '98 before finishing that task.

Another development, Carol, the president, President Saddam Hussein, has hailed -- you can see this newspaper headline in the Iraqi "Daily" -- "Hails worldwide anti-war protesters." That's something that the president said in a council of ministers. It was broadcast, pictures were shown of that on Iraqi TV.

But at the same time, the president criticized the Arab countries, saying that their participation to those protests was weak, and suggesting that the Arab world hasn't actually come up with a firm stance, a firm position with regard to the Iraqi crisis -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understood. Rym Brahimi reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

One more note to tell you about on Iraq. Coalition aircraft struck an Iraqi radar position while patrolling the southern no-fly zone. The radar system provided information to Iraq's air defense system, so the system was attacked after it was moved into the no-fly zone, 250 miles southwest of 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.