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CNN Live Today
Baghdad Indicating It Will Destroy Missiles
Aired February 28, 2003 - 11:05 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: Also at the U.N., as Security Council members debate a second resolution on Iraq, Baghdad is indicating today that it will include destroy its illegal missiles, under orders from the United Nations.
Now, CNN's Michael Okwu is standing by at his post at the U.N. this morning. Let's check in with him right now.
Good morning, Michael.
The question now that we have is Iraq has said it's going to agree, in principle, with this command to destroy these weapons, but does any diplomat believe Iraq will destroy these missiles beginning tomorrow?
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, U.N. diplomats, Leon, are certainly hoping that they will. There's a lot at stake here. And most diplomats you talk to believe that there's no reason why Iraqis wouldn't do this. Of course, as you mentioned, they have sent a letter to the chief weapons inspector here, Hans Blix, saying that in principle they will start destroying the missile, the Al Samoud II and its related components, by March 1st, which is tomorrow.
This is what Dr. Blix had to say this morning:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS BLIX, CHIEF WEAPONS INSPECTOR: We received a letter yesterday from Dr. Al Samoud, in which he informed us that the Iraq had in principle accepted our request for the destruction of the missiles to commence on the 1st of March. That's, say, tomorrow. And my deputy executive chairman, Mr. Perricos (ph), is in Baghdad at the present time, and he will discuss with them the program for destruction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: Now, the question, of course, is what in principle means? Clearly, the Iraqis are not very happy about this. This is an effective missile system, and it's also a very expensive missile system. All of this happening, of course, as the United States preparing for war there. The letter that the Iraqis sent to the United Nations was very short. It very clearly said that they did not think that this request was very fair. But Mohammed Al Douri, the U.N. ambassador from Iraq this morning, saying that the letter is very clear. Now, several days ago, Saddam Hussein was interviewed on American television, as you know, Leon, and he said that Iraq does not have any prescribed or any illegal missiles programs, leading a lot of people here to speculate that he had absolute no intention of complying. But France, Russia, the ambassadors for those countries who have been staunchly pushing for continuing inspections possibly for the next four months have said about this issue, the missile issue, there's absolutely no argument -- Leon.
HARRIS: Michael, as we all know, it's just as important as what Iraq does with these missiles is whatever happens with the Security Council and how it overcomes the divisions right now that are in that council over this new resolution. What's the latest thinking about that?
OKWU: Well, it's still very much up in the air. This is a divided council, if there was ever a divided council. The German ambassador usually not given to making weather forecasts, said the climate inside the Security Council yesterday was very, very tense. The Bulgarian ambassador said it appeared that all the powers, the major powers, were entrenched in their position. Nobody appeared to be willing to shift on this. The Chilean ambassador went before a gaggle of reporters yesterday, in fact, quite angry, as he stood there with the Mexican ambassador. The United States, great Britain and Spain perhaps on the one hand; France, Russia, China, Germany, on the other hand, have been trying to woo some of those smaller states.
This is what he had to say yesterday, that the other countries appearing to be like bullies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUAN GABRIEL VALDES, CHILEAN AMB. TO U.N.: This divided council is, in fact, throwing the decision on the shoulders of the elected members, while the permanent members stick to their positions without making efforts to approximate their views.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: There may be some hope. The U.S. ambassador had a breakfast this morning with the Russian ambassador, part of the process, we are told.
HARRIS: That process continues. Thanks, Michael. Michael Okwu at the U.N. -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Well, turns out Hans Blix's deputies in Baghdad may give the Iraqis guidance on destroying those Al Samoud missiles.
Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is watching those developments from Baghdad. I think he is.
Do we have Nic? All right, a little dark in Baghdad right now.
We'll work on trying to find Nic. And when we do, we'll bring him to you. HARRIS: Just proves it's live TV.
KAGAN: It is live. Or not. Wait.
HARRIS: We're being told Nic is back.
KAGAN: Nic, are you with us? I think I hear him.
Go ahead, Nic Robertson in Baghdad.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, I think I'm back with you.
Dimitri Pericos (ph) will be heading the talks from the U.N. side with Iraqi officials.
Now the reason the talks are being held is because Iraqi officials said they don't know how to verifiably destroy all the missiles and associated systems. Now, verifiable destruction is the key thing here, that's what the U.N. wants to see. It wants to know that the missiles, the engines, all these parts cannot be reconstituted, put back together and in some way, reused in the future.
What they hope will come out of the talks would be a timeline to see this destruction happen, and an action plan, an action plan so Iraqi authorities know how to do it. What has to happen to the missile? What has to happen to the casting chambers that made the engine parts, all these sort of technical details?
What's not open for discussion, we understand from U.N. officials, is the items that have to be destroyed. According to the U.N. here, those items that have been outlined by the U.N., they still have to be destroyed. And we still don't have an exact time when the destruction progress will begin.
The U.N. is saying here they're going into talks with a view that after the talks happened Saturday, but still on Saturday, the destruction will begin -- Daryn.
KAGAN: All right, Nic Robertson, thanks for the extra effort to make that live call happen 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
Aired February 28, 2003 - 11:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Also at the U.N., as Security Council members debate a second resolution on Iraq, Baghdad is indicating today that it will include destroy its illegal missiles, under orders from the United Nations.
Now, CNN's Michael Okwu is standing by at his post at the U.N. this morning. Let's check in with him right now.
Good morning, Michael.
The question now that we have is Iraq has said it's going to agree, in principle, with this command to destroy these weapons, but does any diplomat believe Iraq will destroy these missiles beginning tomorrow?
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, U.N. diplomats, Leon, are certainly hoping that they will. There's a lot at stake here. And most diplomats you talk to believe that there's no reason why Iraqis wouldn't do this. Of course, as you mentioned, they have sent a letter to the chief weapons inspector here, Hans Blix, saying that in principle they will start destroying the missile, the Al Samoud II and its related components, by March 1st, which is tomorrow.
This is what Dr. Blix had to say this morning:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS BLIX, CHIEF WEAPONS INSPECTOR: We received a letter yesterday from Dr. Al Samoud, in which he informed us that the Iraq had in principle accepted our request for the destruction of the missiles to commence on the 1st of March. That's, say, tomorrow. And my deputy executive chairman, Mr. Perricos (ph), is in Baghdad at the present time, and he will discuss with them the program for destruction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: Now, the question, of course, is what in principle means? Clearly, the Iraqis are not very happy about this. This is an effective missile system, and it's also a very expensive missile system. All of this happening, of course, as the United States preparing for war there. The letter that the Iraqis sent to the United Nations was very short. It very clearly said that they did not think that this request was very fair. But Mohammed Al Douri, the U.N. ambassador from Iraq this morning, saying that the letter is very clear. Now, several days ago, Saddam Hussein was interviewed on American television, as you know, Leon, and he said that Iraq does not have any prescribed or any illegal missiles programs, leading a lot of people here to speculate that he had absolute no intention of complying. But France, Russia, the ambassadors for those countries who have been staunchly pushing for continuing inspections possibly for the next four months have said about this issue, the missile issue, there's absolutely no argument -- Leon.
HARRIS: Michael, as we all know, it's just as important as what Iraq does with these missiles is whatever happens with the Security Council and how it overcomes the divisions right now that are in that council over this new resolution. What's the latest thinking about that?
OKWU: Well, it's still very much up in the air. This is a divided council, if there was ever a divided council. The German ambassador usually not given to making weather forecasts, said the climate inside the Security Council yesterday was very, very tense. The Bulgarian ambassador said it appeared that all the powers, the major powers, were entrenched in their position. Nobody appeared to be willing to shift on this. The Chilean ambassador went before a gaggle of reporters yesterday, in fact, quite angry, as he stood there with the Mexican ambassador. The United States, great Britain and Spain perhaps on the one hand; France, Russia, China, Germany, on the other hand, have been trying to woo some of those smaller states.
This is what he had to say yesterday, that the other countries appearing to be like bullies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUAN GABRIEL VALDES, CHILEAN AMB. TO U.N.: This divided council is, in fact, throwing the decision on the shoulders of the elected members, while the permanent members stick to their positions without making efforts to approximate their views.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: There may be some hope. The U.S. ambassador had a breakfast this morning with the Russian ambassador, part of the process, we are told.
HARRIS: That process continues. Thanks, Michael. Michael Okwu at the U.N. -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Well, turns out Hans Blix's deputies in Baghdad may give the Iraqis guidance on destroying those Al Samoud missiles.
Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is watching those developments from Baghdad. I think he is.
Do we have Nic? All right, a little dark in Baghdad right now.
We'll work on trying to find Nic. And when we do, we'll bring him to you. HARRIS: Just proves it's live TV.
KAGAN: It is live. Or not. Wait.
HARRIS: We're being told Nic is back.
KAGAN: Nic, are you with us? I think I hear him.
Go ahead, Nic Robertson in Baghdad.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, I think I'm back with you.
Dimitri Pericos (ph) will be heading the talks from the U.N. side with Iraqi officials.
Now the reason the talks are being held is because Iraqi officials said they don't know how to verifiably destroy all the missiles and associated systems. Now, verifiable destruction is the key thing here, that's what the U.N. wants to see. It wants to know that the missiles, the engines, all these parts cannot be reconstituted, put back together and in some way, reused in the future.
What they hope will come out of the talks would be a timeline to see this destruction happen, and an action plan, an action plan so Iraqi authorities know how to do it. What has to happen to the missile? What has to happen to the casting chambers that made the engine parts, all these sort of technical details?
What's not open for discussion, we understand from U.N. officials, is the items that have to be destroyed. According to the U.N. here, those items that have been outlined by the U.N., they still have to be destroyed. And we still don't have an exact time when the destruction progress will begin.
The U.N. is saying here they're going into talks with a view that after the talks happened Saturday, but still on Saturday, the destruction will begin -- Daryn.
KAGAN: All right, Nic Robertson, thanks for the extra effort to make that live call happen 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
