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American Morning

Talk with Former Weapons Inspector Terry Taylor

Aired April 08, 2003 - 08:37   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: So this is another key question of the day, is it or is it not weapons of mass destruction or something similar to that? Terry Taylor is a former inspector on the ground in Iraq. He's been with us many times over the past several months. He's back with us live in D.C.
Good to have you back. Barrels underneath the bunker, this part of the country, how likely or not?

TERRY TAYLOR, FMR. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: It's so hard to tell. There are indicators there. You saw the pictures of the suits and the respirators. It seems extraordinary that drums of this chemical would be buried in the way and covered up and hidden away in the way described in the report there. So that is suspicious.

Also suspicious is a site nearby where there were clearly a training camp or a base with weapons for what looked like to me some kind of special security organization, which are the kind of troops or organization that looks after weapons of mass destruction capabilities.

But on the other hand, the kind of chemicals so far found there, which would be a pesticides nearby, which are of the same chemical family as you would find for nerve agents, for chemical warfare agents. That is some kind of organic phosphorous compound. So I don't think we've got a clear enough indication here. If there is anything there, it would be bulk agent, that is in drums, that might be used for filling munitions. But there are no munitions, no delivery means, and I think that's what the brigadier general meant when he said it not weaponized. So I think we're still in an unclear situation with these reports.

HEMMER: Terry, if it's unclear to us, do you think they already know? I mean, testing yesterday, perhaps more today. Perhaps they already know yes or no, true?

TAYLOR: It's hard to tell. I think what they want to do is proper laboratory testing. The kind of equipment you saw in your report is very basic and crude, gives warning for troops, they need to be careful, they need to mask up, this kind of thing, maybe decontaminate. But it's not -- doesn't determine absolutely the nature of the chemical and the precise chemical composition. This will be have to be done with much higher grade equipment than are available to the forward troops in the field. So I think we'll have to wait a little while yet. But this is not a clear-cut case at the moment. HEMMER: Listen, we're watching some videotape earlier about the U.S. Army going through the barrels and drums. They have the gas masks on, some are seen wearing gloves. Is that ample protection in the event this positive test continues to be positive?

TAYLOR: Well, certainly they are taking the basic precautions. Clearly (UNINTELLIGIBLE) chemicals as a vapor hazard. You know, toxic vapors can be given off, particularly even in insecticides. So one needs to be very careful. So gloves and respirators are an absolute must.

If it's a stronger agent than that, perhaps it's sarin or something like that, then perhaps one needs to be even more careful.

HEMMER: Terry, quickly about 15 seconds here, it's almost three weeks, almost day 21 tomorrow. Today's day 20 of this war. Are you surprised in any way that weapons of mass destruction have not been, a, used or, b, found in Iraq?

TAYLOR: Well,. I always felt we wouldn't fine any of these weapons,. or the coalition wouldn't find weapons until the very last, and probably not until they get key figures who control these weapons and know where they are and where they're hidden. So I'm not surprised the coalition hasn't found them yet.

On the fact of them being used, I think there was more caution on the part of the leadership, which is just my speculation, because it would change the whole character, the political landscape. if the regime ordered use of chemical or biological weapons in these circumstances, because the world would turn against them. But one can't calculate what individual commanders might do. So there's still a risk they might be used, even now.

HEMMER: Thank you. Terry Taylor, former weapons inspector, in D.C. Appreciate your thoughts today.

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 April 8, 2003 - 08:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: So this is another key question of the day, is it or is it not weapons of mass destruction or something similar to that? Terry Taylor is a former inspector on the ground in Iraq. He's been with us many times over the past several months. He's back with us live in D.C.
Good to have you back. Barrels underneath the bunker, this part of the country, how likely or not?

TERRY TAYLOR, FMR. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: It's so hard to tell. There are indicators there. You saw the pictures of the suits and the respirators. It seems extraordinary that drums of this chemical would be buried in the way and covered up and hidden away in the way described in the report there. So that is suspicious.

Also suspicious is a site nearby where there were clearly a training camp or a base with weapons for what looked like to me some kind of special security organization, which are the kind of troops or organization that looks after weapons of mass destruction capabilities.

But on the other hand, the kind of chemicals so far found there, which would be a pesticides nearby, which are of the same chemical family as you would find for nerve agents, for chemical warfare agents. That is some kind of organic phosphorous compound. So I don't think we've got a clear enough indication here. If there is anything there, it would be bulk agent, that is in drums, that might be used for filling munitions. But there are no munitions, no delivery means, and I think that's what the brigadier general meant when he said it not weaponized. So I think we're still in an unclear situation with these reports.

HEMMER: Terry, if it's unclear to us, do you think they already know? I mean, testing yesterday, perhaps more today. Perhaps they already know yes or no, true?

TAYLOR: It's hard to tell. I think what they want to do is proper laboratory testing. The kind of equipment you saw in your report is very basic and crude, gives warning for troops, they need to be careful, they need to mask up, this kind of thing, maybe decontaminate. But it's not -- doesn't determine absolutely the nature of the chemical and the precise chemical composition. This will be have to be done with much higher grade equipment than are available to the forward troops in the field. So I think we'll have to wait a little while yet. But this is not a clear-cut case at the moment. HEMMER: Listen, we're watching some videotape earlier about the U.S. Army going through the barrels and drums. They have the gas masks on, some are seen wearing gloves. Is that ample protection in the event this positive test continues to be positive?

TAYLOR: Well, certainly they are taking the basic precautions. Clearly (UNINTELLIGIBLE) chemicals as a vapor hazard. You know, toxic vapors can be given off, particularly even in insecticides. So one needs to be very careful. So gloves and respirators are an absolute must.

If it's a stronger agent than that, perhaps it's sarin or something like that, then perhaps one needs to be even more careful.

HEMMER: Terry, quickly about 15 seconds here, it's almost three weeks, almost day 21 tomorrow. Today's day 20 of this war. Are you surprised in any way that weapons of mass destruction have not been, a, used or, b, found in Iraq?

TAYLOR: Well,. I always felt we wouldn't fine any of these weapons,. or the coalition wouldn't find weapons until the very last, and probably not until they get key figures who control these weapons and know where they are and where they're hidden. So I'm not surprised the coalition hasn't found them yet.

On the fact of them being used, I think there was more caution on the part of the leadership, which is just my speculation, because it would change the whole character, the political landscape. if the regime ordered use of chemical or biological weapons in these circumstances, because the world would turn against them. But one can't calculate what individual commanders might do. So there's still a risk they might be used, even now.

HEMMER: Thank you. Terry Taylor, former weapons inspector, in D.C. Appreciate your thoughts today.

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