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CNN Live Today

Interview With Michael Weisskopf

Aired May 05, 2003 - 11:26   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: This last war may be over, but danger remains for Iraqi citizens, particularly children. Small bomblets, about the size of a C-cell battery, but as deadly as a grenade, are sprinkled all over the landscape. "Time" magazine reports the Pentagon's use of these cluster bombs may be greater than officials have led on. Michael Weisskopf wrote the story for "Time" magazine; he joins us now live from Baghdad.
Michael, thanks for talking to us and good to see you again. Tell us what you've learned about these cluster bombs, because we were following the -- all the information we're getting from the briefings, at least, throughout the war were that these types of munitions would not be used anywhere near any civilian areas.

MICHAEL WEISSKOPF, "TIME" MAGAZINE: That's right. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff a couple weeks ago said that about 1500 cluster bombs were used throughout the war, which probably was a great underestimate. At the same time, he said only 26 of them fell within civilian areas. Anyone who travels the cities of Iraq sees how off that estimate is. I visited a little town called Karbala, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, last week and found thousands of these bombs. They had been collected at the rate of 1,000 a day by the civil defense unit, found in schools, in farms and hospital grounds and places where civilians frequent. It's a growing and very sad story because the most innocent victims of war, really, are affected most and that's children.

HARRIS: Yes, you're saying that the children are finding these things and playing with them?

WEISSKOPF: Yes. These are very usually impoverished areas where kids often play with rocks and things they find in the street. They come upon a little cylindrical item with a ribbon attached to it and it looks like a potential toy. They pick it up and play with it, it goes boom, blows them up and everyone else around them. The wounds are catastrophic. Kids in direct contact are blown in half by it, people within ten feet are badly injured with shrapnel wounds.

HARRIS: Boy, these are -- that's pretty ugly. Well, what are you hearing about what the military is doing about this? Are they informing the public of what to do? Are they planning on going out and sweeping and cleaning these -- them up themselves or what? What are you hearing?

WEISSKOPF: This has created a real public relations problem because the joint chief -- the chairman of the joint chiefs has said it isn't much of a problem, so the military is operating quite quietly. They have distributed 300,000 warnings across the country, showing pictures of cluster bombs and warning people not to pick them up and talking about great danger. There are also teams of so-called mine dogs which have gone out around the country looking for and hoping to disarm these horrible weapons and so there is an effort going on. How widespread remains to be seen.

HARRIS: Michael Weisskopf, "Time" magazine, great piece. Great reporting. We appreciate that. Hope to talk to you later on about a much more pleasant topic. Take care and be careful over there.

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 May 5, 2003 - 11:26   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: This last war may be over, but danger remains for Iraqi citizens, particularly children. Small bomblets, about the size of a C-cell battery, but as deadly as a grenade, are sprinkled all over the landscape. "Time" magazine reports the Pentagon's use of these cluster bombs may be greater than officials have led on. Michael Weisskopf wrote the story for "Time" magazine; he joins us now live from Baghdad.
Michael, thanks for talking to us and good to see you again. Tell us what you've learned about these cluster bombs, because we were following the -- all the information we're getting from the briefings, at least, throughout the war were that these types of munitions would not be used anywhere near any civilian areas.

MICHAEL WEISSKOPF, "TIME" MAGAZINE: That's right. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff a couple weeks ago said that about 1500 cluster bombs were used throughout the war, which probably was a great underestimate. At the same time, he said only 26 of them fell within civilian areas. Anyone who travels the cities of Iraq sees how off that estimate is. I visited a little town called Karbala, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, last week and found thousands of these bombs. They had been collected at the rate of 1,000 a day by the civil defense unit, found in schools, in farms and hospital grounds and places where civilians frequent. It's a growing and very sad story because the most innocent victims of war, really, are affected most and that's children.

HARRIS: Yes, you're saying that the children are finding these things and playing with them?

WEISSKOPF: Yes. These are very usually impoverished areas where kids often play with rocks and things they find in the street. They come upon a little cylindrical item with a ribbon attached to it and it looks like a potential toy. They pick it up and play with it, it goes boom, blows them up and everyone else around them. The wounds are catastrophic. Kids in direct contact are blown in half by it, people within ten feet are badly injured with shrapnel wounds.

HARRIS: Boy, these are -- that's pretty ugly. Well, what are you hearing about what the military is doing about this? Are they informing the public of what to do? Are they planning on going out and sweeping and cleaning these -- them up themselves or what? What are you hearing?

WEISSKOPF: This has created a real public relations problem because the joint chief -- the chairman of the joint chiefs has said it isn't much of a problem, so the military is operating quite quietly. They have distributed 300,000 warnings across the country, showing pictures of cluster bombs and warning people not to pick them up and talking about great danger. There are also teams of so-called mine dogs which have gone out around the country looking for and hoping to disarm these horrible weapons and so there is an effort going on. How widespread remains to be seen.

HARRIS: Michael Weisskopf, "Time" magazine, great piece. Great reporting. We appreciate that. Hope to talk to you later on about a much more pleasant topic. Take care and be careful over there.

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