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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iraq Says It's Destroying More Banned Missiles Today

Aired March 04, 2003 - 05:02   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: Now for the latest developments in the showdown with Iraq. Iraq says it is destroying more of those banned missiles today. The U.N. says Baghdad did destroy six al- Samoud 2 missiles yesterday. And CNN has learned that Secretary of State Colin Powell met secretly with Mexico's foreign minister in the hopes of winning support for a second U.N. resolution against Iraq. One source says the meeting, and I'm quoting here, "did not produce any results."
And on Friday, U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix reports to the Security Council on Iraq.

Saddam Hussein had a message for his people on Iraqi TV just about two hours ago.

We want to get more on that and the destruction of more of those al-Samoud 2 missiles.

Joining us live from Baghdad, Nic Robertson -- good morning.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, more missiles are being destroyed, we are told. The U.N. says they are observing that. According to Iraqi officials some two to three missiles will be destroyed today. Also, Iraqi officials saying that a missile launcher will be partially destroyed. Now, it isn't the whole launcher that has to be destroyed. The U.N. has said it's only the parts of the launcher that are used for al-Samoud 2 missile.

Also, Iraqi officials saying that today the final casting chamber will be destroyed. This is a piece of engineering equipment that makes the solid rocket propellant for a different type of missile, not for al-Samoud 2, but this is something the U.N. also said had to be destroyed. That being destroyed.

Iraqi officials indicating that the pace of destruction today may be a little slower because it's the Islamic new year. President Saddam Hussein had a speech read by a news anchor on Iraqi television a little while ago. It was full of quotations from the Quran. The apparent reference towards the current tensions and the current situation, saying that the people of Iraq, if they are armed with their faith, will be victorious and that the despots will be defeated and that their arrogance will not benefit them, an apparent reference to the current tensions and the possibility of war -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

Thank you.

In the next hour of DAYBREAK, we'll see how the Bush administration plans to push its case on Iraq when we give a wake up call to our Senior White House Correspondent John King. And you won't want to miss AMERICAN MORNING just about two hours from now. In the showdown with Iraq, Paula Zahn and company will examine this question -- what would the cost of a war be for the United States? AMERICAN MORNING begins at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific Time.

Washington had been counting on using Turkey as the launch pad for an offensive on Iraq from the north. But as you know, Turkey's parliament shot down that plan over the weekend. However, there is still talk of bringing the matter up for another vote.

Let's see if there is anything to that this morning.

We take you now live to Ankara, Turkey's capital, and Jane Arraf -- any word on a vote?

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, we're here at parliament and while it's not impossible that a vote could be sent to parliament to discuss this afternoon, it looks increasingly unlikely that that will have to happen today. Before parliament discusses that question again, if they do, on whether to allow the 62,000 U.S. troops, the government actually has to draft the legislation and send it here.

It hasn't done that yet and the prime minister is heading off to Qatar in the Gulf for an emergency summit this afternoon, back tomorrow. There are intense talks, obviously, here among parliamentarians and the ruling Justice and Development Party. Anything could happen, but it may not necessarily happen this afternoon -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Good enough.

Jane Arraf reporting live from Ankara, Turkey this morning.

For the latest on Iraq troop deployments and the Turkey vote, which prompted the Pentagon to consider a Plan B, log onto our Web site at cnn.com.

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 4, 2003 - 05:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now for the latest developments in the showdown with Iraq. Iraq says it is destroying more of those banned missiles today. The U.N. says Baghdad did destroy six al- Samoud 2 missiles yesterday. And CNN has learned that Secretary of State Colin Powell met secretly with Mexico's foreign minister in the hopes of winning support for a second U.N. resolution against Iraq. One source says the meeting, and I'm quoting here, "did not produce any results."
And on Friday, U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix reports to the Security Council on Iraq.

Saddam Hussein had a message for his people on Iraqi TV just about two hours ago.

We want to get more on that and the destruction of more of those al-Samoud 2 missiles.

Joining us live from Baghdad, Nic Robertson -- good morning.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, more missiles are being destroyed, we are told. The U.N. says they are observing that. According to Iraqi officials some two to three missiles will be destroyed today. Also, Iraqi officials saying that a missile launcher will be partially destroyed. Now, it isn't the whole launcher that has to be destroyed. The U.N. has said it's only the parts of the launcher that are used for al-Samoud 2 missile.

Also, Iraqi officials saying that today the final casting chamber will be destroyed. This is a piece of engineering equipment that makes the solid rocket propellant for a different type of missile, not for al-Samoud 2, but this is something the U.N. also said had to be destroyed. That being destroyed.

Iraqi officials indicating that the pace of destruction today may be a little slower because it's the Islamic new year. President Saddam Hussein had a speech read by a news anchor on Iraqi television a little while ago. It was full of quotations from the Quran. The apparent reference towards the current tensions and the current situation, saying that the people of Iraq, if they are armed with their faith, will be victorious and that the despots will be defeated and that their arrogance will not benefit them, an apparent reference to the current tensions and the possibility of war -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

Thank you.

In the next hour of DAYBREAK, we'll see how the Bush administration plans to push its case on Iraq when we give a wake up call to our Senior White House Correspondent John King. And you won't want to miss AMERICAN MORNING just about two hours from now. In the showdown with Iraq, Paula Zahn and company will examine this question -- what would the cost of a war be for the United States? AMERICAN MORNING begins at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific Time.

Washington had been counting on using Turkey as the launch pad for an offensive on Iraq from the north. But as you know, Turkey's parliament shot down that plan over the weekend. However, there is still talk of bringing the matter up for another vote.

Let's see if there is anything to that this morning.

We take you now live to Ankara, Turkey's capital, and Jane Arraf -- any word on a vote?

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, we're here at parliament and while it's not impossible that a vote could be sent to parliament to discuss this afternoon, it looks increasingly unlikely that that will have to happen today. Before parliament discusses that question again, if they do, on whether to allow the 62,000 U.S. troops, the government actually has to draft the legislation and send it here.

It hasn't done that yet and the prime minister is heading off to Qatar in the Gulf for an emergency summit this afternoon, back tomorrow. There are intense talks, obviously, here among parliamentarians and the ruling Justice and Development Party. Anything could happen, but it may not necessarily happen this afternoon -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Good enough.

Jane Arraf reporting live from Ankara, Turkey this morning.

For the latest on Iraq troop deployments and the Turkey vote, which prompted the Pentagon to consider a Plan B, log onto our Web site at cnn.com.

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