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CNN Live At Daybreak

U.N. Confirms Baghdad Has Destroyed 10 Al-Samoud 2 Missiles

Aired March 03, 2003 - 05:32   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: OK, we have to talk Iraq now. We want to get you up to date on the latest developments on that global hot spot. The U.N. confirms Baghdad has destroyed 10 of the banned al-Samoud 2 missiles. Iraq has more than 100 of the missiles, though. With Turkey's rejection of Washington's request to base thousands of troops there, the Pentagon says it's moving on to Plan B. And the proposal from the United Arab Emirates that President Saddam Hussein go into exile, the proposal has the backing of Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
OK, more now on Iraq's missile destruction. Iraq says destroying those banned missiles that fly too far is proof that it is cooperating with the United Nations.

CNN's Nic Robertson joins us live from the Iraqi capital with the latest -- are they destroying more today, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, they are. That apparent cooperation continuing. U.N. inspectors here say they are supervising the destruction of more of the al-Samoud 2 missiles today. They won't say how many. This is, in the U.N.'s view here, at least, a positive step. What doesn't seem to be so positive for the U.N., yesterday they asked for another private interview with an Iraqi engineer. The engineer was unavailable, according to the U.N. According to the foreign ministry here, however, that engineer decided not to turn up for the interview.

Of nine interviews the U.N. weapons inspectors have asked for in the last three days, they have only completed three private interviews. These statistics, they said, initially looking positive, that these interviews had restarted. However, not looking so good at this stage -- Carol.

President Saddam Hussein meeting on Iraqi television last night with some of his top military commanders, discussions about tactics, the commanders saying that they were prepared for urban warfare. Also, we heard President Saddam Hussein react for the very first time to all the leaflets that are being dropped by United States aircraft telling Iraqi forces not to fire at the allied aircraft in the northern and southern no fly zones. The Iraqi leader indicating that his troops should ignore this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. SADDAM HUSSEIN, IRAQ: Americans are intentionally dropping leaflets on our division to shake it. How dare they? Do they think they can shake the 11th Division with leaflets? Bombs couldn't shake this dividends before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: The Iraqi commanders also saying that they now have ammunition with their troops for the next two months -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Let's talk more about the al-Samoud 2 missiles, because there is some sentiment that Iraq may stop destroying the missiles because of U.S. actions.

Can you tell us more about that?

ROBERTSON: General Amir al-Sadi, President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, said that if they, if Iraq sees the United States is in what he termed acting illegally, that is, outside of the framework of U.N. Resolution 1441, that Iraq would stop destroying those missiles.

Now, U.N. inspectors say that they think the destruction could take place in a matter of two weeks. Every day they meet with Iraqi officials to determine how many missiles will be destroyed. No indication from the Iraqi side how long they think it should take. But certainly they say they will stop if they think America is moving to war -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live from Baghdad.

And as Nic alluded, coalition aircraft did strike the Iraqi military while patrolling the southern no fly zone. U.S. officials say communications and mobile early warning radar sites were hit following hostile actions and threats by the Iraqis. The site are about 70 miles southeast of Baghdad. You can get the history, the geography and the makeup of Iraq and the Persian Gulf from our Web site. Be informed. Just click onto cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.

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




Missiles>


Aired March 3, 2003 - 05:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: OK, we have to talk Iraq now. We want to get you up to date on the latest developments on that global hot spot. The U.N. confirms Baghdad has destroyed 10 of the banned al-Samoud 2 missiles. Iraq has more than 100 of the missiles, though. With Turkey's rejection of Washington's request to base thousands of troops there, the Pentagon says it's moving on to Plan B. And the proposal from the United Arab Emirates that President Saddam Hussein go into exile, the proposal has the backing of Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
OK, more now on Iraq's missile destruction. Iraq says destroying those banned missiles that fly too far is proof that it is cooperating with the United Nations.

CNN's Nic Robertson joins us live from the Iraqi capital with the latest -- are they destroying more today, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, they are. That apparent cooperation continuing. U.N. inspectors here say they are supervising the destruction of more of the al-Samoud 2 missiles today. They won't say how many. This is, in the U.N.'s view here, at least, a positive step. What doesn't seem to be so positive for the U.N., yesterday they asked for another private interview with an Iraqi engineer. The engineer was unavailable, according to the U.N. According to the foreign ministry here, however, that engineer decided not to turn up for the interview.

Of nine interviews the U.N. weapons inspectors have asked for in the last three days, they have only completed three private interviews. These statistics, they said, initially looking positive, that these interviews had restarted. However, not looking so good at this stage -- Carol.

President Saddam Hussein meeting on Iraqi television last night with some of his top military commanders, discussions about tactics, the commanders saying that they were prepared for urban warfare. Also, we heard President Saddam Hussein react for the very first time to all the leaflets that are being dropped by United States aircraft telling Iraqi forces not to fire at the allied aircraft in the northern and southern no fly zones. The Iraqi leader indicating that his troops should ignore this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. SADDAM HUSSEIN, IRAQ: Americans are intentionally dropping leaflets on our division to shake it. How dare they? Do they think they can shake the 11th Division with leaflets? Bombs couldn't shake this dividends before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: The Iraqi commanders also saying that they now have ammunition with their troops for the next two months -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Let's talk more about the al-Samoud 2 missiles, because there is some sentiment that Iraq may stop destroying the missiles because of U.S. actions.

Can you tell us more about that?

ROBERTSON: General Amir al-Sadi, President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, said that if they, if Iraq sees the United States is in what he termed acting illegally, that is, outside of the framework of U.N. Resolution 1441, that Iraq would stop destroying those missiles.

Now, U.N. inspectors say that they think the destruction could take place in a matter of two weeks. Every day they meet with Iraqi officials to determine how many missiles will be destroyed. No indication from the Iraqi side how long they think it should take. But certainly they say they will stop if they think America is moving to war -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live from Baghdad.

And as Nic alluded, coalition aircraft did strike the Iraqi military while patrolling the southern no fly zone. U.S. officials say communications and mobile early warning radar sites were hit following hostile actions and threats by the Iraqis. The site are about 70 miles southeast of Baghdad. You can get the history, the geography and the makeup of Iraq and the Persian Gulf from our Web site. Be informed. Just click onto cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.

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




Missiles>