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CNN Live At Daybreak

Baghdad Says It May Begin Destroying Banned Missiles Tomorrow

Aired February 28, 2003 - 05:33   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: Within the past hour, Baghdad said it may begin destroying banned missiles as early as tomorrow. That's the U.N. imposed deadline to do so. You know, it was just yesterday Colin Powell cautioned that Saddam Hussein is just stringing the United Nations along.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Those missiles were prohibited in the first place. They should have been destroyed long ago. They were told to destroy them some days ago and they've been stringing it out till the very last minute, and we will see what this letter they are going to send in within 48 hours actually says they're going to do. It's not entirely clear yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Well, we've got a hold of the letter. That U.N. deadline, by the way, to begin destroying those missiles is tomorrow and although Iraq now says it will destroy them, the Iraqis have left the exact timing a bit murky.

We want to get more on this. Let's take you live to the center of the controversy and Rym Brahimi -- and you do have a letter from Iraqi officials, Rym.

Rym, can you hear me?

OK, she's having problems with her earpiece.

Can we cue her from the field or are we going to go back to her?

We're going to go back to her a little -- we're going to...

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've just heard from Iraqi -- sorry, informed Iraqi sources here in Baghdad that Iraq has agreed to destroy those al-Samoud missiles. Indeed, those sources tell us that that is an unjust and unfair decision, according to Iraq. They call it an abusive decision that also has political implications on the part of UNMOVIC.

That said, these sources tell CNN that Iraq may start the destruction of those al-Samoud 2 missiles tomorrow. Tomorrow, of course, 1st of March being the deadline imposed by the Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix when he requested that Iraq Saturday those missiles. Now, Iraq is also, from U.N. sources we know that Iraq has written a letter also asking for technical assistance with regard to that, the destruction. We understand that Dimitri Perricos, who is the director of planning of UNMOVIC operations, is in Baghdad to verify that destruction. He says that Iraq has to conduct the destruction and then the U.N. has to verify it and observe it.

Meanwhile, inspectors on the ground have been very busy, Carol. As you know, they've been going around tagging not only the missiles, but also all the components and the engines related to those missiles. Some of them are still being produced. Some of them are deployed but most of them are accounted for -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Rym Brahimi reporting live from Baghdad.

And, again, the Iraqis have said that they will begin destroying those al-Samoud 2 missiles maybe today, maybe tomorrow, but they need technical help. We're going to keep you posted through the morning here on DAYBREAK.

Coalition aircraft did bomb Iraqi military communications site in the northern and southern no fly zones. The U.S. Central Command says the sites included fiber optic, cable and microwave communication facilities. Military officials say the strikes were in retaliation for anti-aircraft fire on allied planes.

Let's talk Turkey now. Turkey's ruling party has delayed a crucial vote again on the deployment of thousands of U.S. troops on Turkish soil.

CNN's Jane Arraf joins us now from a port where hundreds of U.S. jeeps and trucks are just sitting waiting.

Why do they keep delaying this vote -- Jane?

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, basically because it's a really tough one to get through parliament. Now, officials here in Ankara have been saying that the delay is due to fact that Turkey is a democracy, in fact, the only democracy bordering Iraq, something that American officials have acknowledged.

Now, that doesn't ease U.S. impatience any. Colin Powell called the prime minister here just a couple of days ago to say basically what is the holdup, this is really urgent. But they still have to do those discussions to get it through.

The National Security Council in Ankara will be meeting in just in hours. That's the top military and political officials.

But as you mentioned, there is still activity going on here. At the port of Iskenderun, which is Turkey's Mediterranean port, the U.S. Navy ship Capella is still in dock. It's been unloading equipment destined for those bases where the troops would go and earlier this morning more Patriot missiles were moved out of here. Now, those Patriot missiles which would be used against any possible SCUD attacks by Iraq against Turkey, have been a source of contention of NATO. Germany now says it won't send Turkey any more of them -- Carol.

COSTELLO: It just gets more complicated, doesn't it?

Jane Arraf reporting live from Iskenderun, Turkey this morning.

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Aired February 28, 2003 - 05:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Within the past hour, Baghdad said it may begin destroying banned missiles as early as tomorrow. That's the U.N. imposed deadline to do so. You know, it was just yesterday Colin Powell cautioned that Saddam Hussein is just stringing the United Nations along.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Those missiles were prohibited in the first place. They should have been destroyed long ago. They were told to destroy them some days ago and they've been stringing it out till the very last minute, and we will see what this letter they are going to send in within 48 hours actually says they're going to do. It's not entirely clear yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Well, we've got a hold of the letter. That U.N. deadline, by the way, to begin destroying those missiles is tomorrow and although Iraq now says it will destroy them, the Iraqis have left the exact timing a bit murky.

We want to get more on this. Let's take you live to the center of the controversy and Rym Brahimi -- and you do have a letter from Iraqi officials, Rym.

Rym, can you hear me?

OK, she's having problems with her earpiece.

Can we cue her from the field or are we going to go back to her?

We're going to go back to her a little -- we're going to...

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've just heard from Iraqi -- sorry, informed Iraqi sources here in Baghdad that Iraq has agreed to destroy those al-Samoud missiles. Indeed, those sources tell us that that is an unjust and unfair decision, according to Iraq. They call it an abusive decision that also has political implications on the part of UNMOVIC.

That said, these sources tell CNN that Iraq may start the destruction of those al-Samoud 2 missiles tomorrow. Tomorrow, of course, 1st of March being the deadline imposed by the Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix when he requested that Iraq Saturday those missiles. Now, Iraq is also, from U.N. sources we know that Iraq has written a letter also asking for technical assistance with regard to that, the destruction. We understand that Dimitri Perricos, who is the director of planning of UNMOVIC operations, is in Baghdad to verify that destruction. He says that Iraq has to conduct the destruction and then the U.N. has to verify it and observe it.

Meanwhile, inspectors on the ground have been very busy, Carol. As you know, they've been going around tagging not only the missiles, but also all the components and the engines related to those missiles. Some of them are still being produced. Some of them are deployed but most of them are accounted for -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Rym Brahimi reporting live from Baghdad.

And, again, the Iraqis have said that they will begin destroying those al-Samoud 2 missiles maybe today, maybe tomorrow, but they need technical help. We're going to keep you posted through the morning here on DAYBREAK.

Coalition aircraft did bomb Iraqi military communications site in the northern and southern no fly zones. The U.S. Central Command says the sites included fiber optic, cable and microwave communication facilities. Military officials say the strikes were in retaliation for anti-aircraft fire on allied planes.

Let's talk Turkey now. Turkey's ruling party has delayed a crucial vote again on the deployment of thousands of U.S. troops on Turkish soil.

CNN's Jane Arraf joins us now from a port where hundreds of U.S. jeeps and trucks are just sitting waiting.

Why do they keep delaying this vote -- Jane?

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, basically because it's a really tough one to get through parliament. Now, officials here in Ankara have been saying that the delay is due to fact that Turkey is a democracy, in fact, the only democracy bordering Iraq, something that American officials have acknowledged.

Now, that doesn't ease U.S. impatience any. Colin Powell called the prime minister here just a couple of days ago to say basically what is the holdup, this is really urgent. But they still have to do those discussions to get it through.

The National Security Council in Ankara will be meeting in just in hours. That's the top military and political officials.

But as you mentioned, there is still activity going on here. At the port of Iskenderun, which is Turkey's Mediterranean port, the U.S. Navy ship Capella is still in dock. It's been unloading equipment destined for those bases where the troops would go and earlier this morning more Patriot missiles were moved out of here. Now, those Patriot missiles which would be used against any possible SCUD attacks by Iraq against Turkey, have been a source of contention of NATO. Germany now says it won't send Turkey any more of them -- Carol.

COSTELLO: It just gets more complicated, doesn't it?

Jane Arraf reporting live from Iskenderun, Turkey this morning.

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




Tomorrow>