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CNN Live At Daybreak
Iraq Agrees to Destroy Banned Missiles
Aired February 28, 2003 - 06:32 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 question we have to ask right now is: Will Iraq follow through and destroy those Al Samoud 2 missiles?
We want to take you live to the center of this controversy, Baghdad, and Rym Brahimi.
When are they expected to start destroying these missiles -- Rym?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, it's looking more and more like it might happen tomorrow on Saturday.
Now, what we know, we've just heard this, Carol, from U.N. officials here at U.N. headquarters in Baghdad that a series of technical talks is due to begin tomorrow morning between Iraqi officials and U.N. officials. On the U.N. side, Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector's deputy, Dimitrios Perricos, is in Baghdad to verify the process of destruction. Well, he'll be involved in those talks.
The aim of the talks, we're told, Carol, is obviously with a view that that destruction will begin tomorrow, Saturday, to set a timetable for that destruction, but also to discuss the means and how to destroy the timetable -- to destroy those missiles, those Al Samoud 2 missiles that you remember. A letter sent by President Saddam Hussein's top scientific advisor to Hans Blix mentioned that Iraq didn't know how to proceed with that destruction.
Now, this, of course, also follows this news from U.N. headquarters, it follows information we received from Iraqi sources saying that -- confirming, rather, that Iraq is indeed agreeing to destroy those missiles, but also saying that it's an unfair and unjust decision or request on the part of Hans Blix, and that it's politically motivated.
Carol -- back to you.
COSTELLO: Understand. Rym Brahimi reporting live from Baghdad.
Of course, we're not talking about just one missile. There could be as many as 130 Al Samoud 2 missiles.
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 28, 2003 - 06:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The question we have to ask right now is: Will Iraq follow through and destroy those Al Samoud 2 missiles?
We want to take you live to the center of this controversy, Baghdad, and Rym Brahimi.
When are they expected to start destroying these missiles -- Rym?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, it's looking more and more like it might happen tomorrow on Saturday.
Now, what we know, we've just heard this, Carol, from U.N. officials here at U.N. headquarters in Baghdad that a series of technical talks is due to begin tomorrow morning between Iraqi officials and U.N. officials. On the U.N. side, Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector's deputy, Dimitrios Perricos, is in Baghdad to verify the process of destruction. Well, he'll be involved in those talks.
The aim of the talks, we're told, Carol, is obviously with a view that that destruction will begin tomorrow, Saturday, to set a timetable for that destruction, but also to discuss the means and how to destroy the timetable -- to destroy those missiles, those Al Samoud 2 missiles that you remember. A letter sent by President Saddam Hussein's top scientific advisor to Hans Blix mentioned that Iraq didn't know how to proceed with that destruction.
Now, this, of course, also follows this news from U.N. headquarters, it follows information we received from Iraqi sources saying that -- confirming, rather, that Iraq is indeed agreeing to destroy those missiles, but also saying that it's an unfair and unjust decision or request on the part of Hans Blix, and that it's politically motivated.
Carol -- back to you.
COSTELLO: Understand. Rym Brahimi reporting live from Baghdad.
Of course, we're not talking about just one missile. There could be as many as 130 Al Samoud 2 missiles.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
