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CNN Live At Daybreak

Missile Destruction Presses Ahead

Aired March 03, 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: We take you now to Iraq, though, where the bulldozers are revving up again to roll over and destroy more Al Samoud 2 missiles, but that may change.
CNN's Nic Robertson is in the Iraqi capital.

Tell us -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, as it stands right now, those bulldozers are still in place, still doing their work -- that's what the U.N. says. Iraqi officials saying between seven and nine of those big Al Samoud 2 missiles are being destroyed today.

However, President Saddam Hussein's top scientific advisor has warned that if the United States, as he says, acts in an illegal way -- that is, outside of the United Nations Resolution 1441, moves towards war -- then that destruction could stop.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. AMER AL-SAADI, IRAQI SCENTIFIC ADVISOR: If it turns out at an early stage during this month that America is not going the legal way, then why should we continue?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Faltering progress on another of the U.N.'s key issues there -- that is, private interviews with Iraqi scientists of nine requests in the last three days -- only three private interviews have taken place. An Iraqi engineer called for an interview by U.N. inspectors late yesterday failed to show up for that interview.

Also, some interesting details coming out of President Saddam Hussein's meeting with some of his top military commanders. They are training for urban warfare. The Iraqi leader says that they should now have enough ammunition at their front lines for the next two months.

And he says that they should essentially ignore, because they will not be defeated, by all of the leaflets that are being dropped by U.S. aircraft, telling Iraq's ground defenses not to fire on coalition aircraft -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live from Baghdad this morning. Thanks to you.

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 March 3, 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: We take you now to Iraq, though, where the bulldozers are revving up again to roll over and destroy more Al Samoud 2 missiles, but that may change.
CNN's Nic Robertson is in the Iraqi capital.

Tell us -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, as it stands right now, those bulldozers are still in place, still doing their work -- that's what the U.N. says. Iraqi officials saying between seven and nine of those big Al Samoud 2 missiles are being destroyed today.

However, President Saddam Hussein's top scientific advisor has warned that if the United States, as he says, acts in an illegal way -- that is, outside of the United Nations Resolution 1441, moves towards war -- then that destruction could stop.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. AMER AL-SAADI, IRAQI SCENTIFIC ADVISOR: If it turns out at an early stage during this month that America is not going the legal way, then why should we continue?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Faltering progress on another of the U.N.'s key issues there -- that is, private interviews with Iraqi scientists of nine requests in the last three days -- only three private interviews have taken place. An Iraqi engineer called for an interview by U.N. inspectors late yesterday failed to show up for that interview.

Also, some interesting details coming out of President Saddam Hussein's meeting with some of his top military commanders. They are training for urban warfare. The Iraqi leader says that they should now have enough ammunition at their front lines for the next two months.

And he says that they should essentially ignore, because they will not be defeated, by all of the leaflets that are being dropped by U.S. aircraft, telling Iraq's ground defenses not to fire on coalition aircraft -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live from Baghdad this morning. Thanks to you.

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