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CNN Live Today
Iraq Accuses Bush Administration of Misleading World
Aired March 12, 2003 - 11:11 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Iraq today accused the Bush administration of misleading the world about a pilotless plane it possesses. To prove its point, Iraq took Nic Robertson and others reporters to see the drone today.
Nic joins us live from Baghdad.
Hello, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi.
Well, one of the real points of contention over this RPV, remotely piloted vehicle or drone, this small aircraft is the fact that when Iraq declared it to the United Nations' inspectors back in January earlier this year, they declared this particular aircraft as having a wing span of 4.4 meters. Now when the inspectors went there on the 17th of February, they discovered it had a wing span of 7.4 meters.
Now the very next day, Iraq sent a letter off to the U.N. weapons inspectors apologizing, saying that it had made a typo, and that the wing span was in fact 7.4 meters 25 feet.
Now what Iraqi officials have tried to do by taking journalists out to see this remotely piloted vehicle today is put their point of view across.
Now, according to U.N. inspectors, there's still a question mark over this remotely piloted vehicle, that is, is it capable of use with chemical and biological weapons? Can it fly beyond the U.N.'s limited range of 93 miles? Now those questions are outstanding. Iraqi officials say that no, it's not designed for use with chemical or biological weapons. It's designed purely as a surveillance aircraft, and they say that its limit is about 120 kilometers, about 80 miles or so, and it's only designed to fly in small circles.
So Iraqi officials trying very hard to put their view across. That is, that this particular aircraft, there was a mistake, a misunderstanding, and that it's not breaking any of the U.N. resolutions.
Another interesting detail today, President Saddam Hussein meeting with top ministers, and at that meeting issuing an order that Iraqi government officials, civil servants and people in the military, the army here in Iraq, will now have their loans reduced. Instead of paying 8 percent interest, they will pay only 1 percent interest, an apparent effort there at least to reduce some fiscal burden on government officials and the military. A very interesting move at this time -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Nic Robertson, live from Baghdad. Thank 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 12, 2003 - 11:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Iraq today accused the Bush administration of misleading the world about a pilotless plane it possesses. To prove its point, Iraq took Nic Robertson and others reporters to see the drone today.
Nic joins us live from Baghdad.
Hello, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi.
Well, one of the real points of contention over this RPV, remotely piloted vehicle or drone, this small aircraft is the fact that when Iraq declared it to the United Nations' inspectors back in January earlier this year, they declared this particular aircraft as having a wing span of 4.4 meters. Now when the inspectors went there on the 17th of February, they discovered it had a wing span of 7.4 meters.
Now the very next day, Iraq sent a letter off to the U.N. weapons inspectors apologizing, saying that it had made a typo, and that the wing span was in fact 7.4 meters 25 feet.
Now what Iraqi officials have tried to do by taking journalists out to see this remotely piloted vehicle today is put their point of view across.
Now, according to U.N. inspectors, there's still a question mark over this remotely piloted vehicle, that is, is it capable of use with chemical and biological weapons? Can it fly beyond the U.N.'s limited range of 93 miles? Now those questions are outstanding. Iraqi officials say that no, it's not designed for use with chemical or biological weapons. It's designed purely as a surveillance aircraft, and they say that its limit is about 120 kilometers, about 80 miles or so, and it's only designed to fly in small circles.
So Iraqi officials trying very hard to put their view across. That is, that this particular aircraft, there was a mistake, a misunderstanding, and that it's not breaking any of the U.N. resolutions.
Another interesting detail today, President Saddam Hussein meeting with top ministers, and at that meeting issuing an order that Iraqi government officials, civil servants and people in the military, the army here in Iraq, will now have their loans reduced. Instead of paying 8 percent interest, they will pay only 1 percent interest, an apparent effort there at least to reduce some fiscal burden on government officials and the military. A very interesting move at this time -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Nic Robertson, live from Baghdad. Thank 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
