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CNN Live At Daybreak
New U.S. Military Chief Leading Search in Iraq
Aired June 03, 2003 - 06:05 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: Turning our attention now to Iraq and the search for weapons of mass destruction, which were the justification for the war. But many now are asking, where's the proof?
In a final report to the U.N. Security Council, chief weapons inspector Hans Blix says his inspectors found no evidence that Iraq had a program for weapons of mass destruction. The report also indicates inspectors did not find mobile laboratories, which the U.S. contends were intended to produce biological weapons. And Blix says several investigations were interrupted, and inspectors didn't have enough time to complete their work because they were yanked out of the country because of the war.
Despite that report, the Bush administration seems more determined than ever to prove its point. It's now sent a top intelligence analyst over to streamline another intensified effort to find any suspected weapons of mass destruction.
We take you live to Baghdad now and Jane Arraf.
How is this taking shape -- Jane?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Carol, the head of that task force, Major General Keith Dayton, says this will be a new page in weapons inspections, and really it is sort of a turning point. Now, what we've seen in the past -- the past years actually of U.N. weapons inspections -- have been standoffs, disagreements, all sorts of things going on that basically obstructed, according to those inspectors, their work. Now, obviously, it's a whole different ball game.
And towards the end of this week we will be seeing General Dayton arrive here with the beginnings of what will be a 1,200 member task force. Now, he comes from an intelligence background, intelligence analysis, and a lot of what they will be doing is basically interrogating people, looking at those documents and coordinating the information within different intelligence agencies.
Now, here on the ground, the U.S. administrator, J. Paul Bremer, says that he's still convinced that even though they haven't found anything yet that those weapons, those banned weapons are out there somewhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BREMER, CIVIL ADMINISTRATOR, IRAQ: It is in my view a very important priority of the coalition. I think we will find something at some point. It seems very hard to believe that Saddam Hussein would have put his people through the misery he put them through for 12 years, given up billions and billions of dollars of revenue if he didn't have something to hide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, those are suspicions at this point. Proving it is going to be an entirely different matter, but certainly the U.S. seems to be putting a lot of resources behind that -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It seems so. Jane Arraf live from Baghdad.
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 June 3, 2003 - 06:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Turning our attention now to Iraq and the search for weapons of mass destruction, which were the justification for the war. But many now are asking, where's the proof?
In a final report to the U.N. Security Council, chief weapons inspector Hans Blix says his inspectors found no evidence that Iraq had a program for weapons of mass destruction. The report also indicates inspectors did not find mobile laboratories, which the U.S. contends were intended to produce biological weapons. And Blix says several investigations were interrupted, and inspectors didn't have enough time to complete their work because they were yanked out of the country because of the war.
Despite that report, the Bush administration seems more determined than ever to prove its point. It's now sent a top intelligence analyst over to streamline another intensified effort to find any suspected weapons of mass destruction.
We take you live to Baghdad now and Jane Arraf.
How is this taking shape -- Jane?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Carol, the head of that task force, Major General Keith Dayton, says this will be a new page in weapons inspections, and really it is sort of a turning point. Now, what we've seen in the past -- the past years actually of U.N. weapons inspections -- have been standoffs, disagreements, all sorts of things going on that basically obstructed, according to those inspectors, their work. Now, obviously, it's a whole different ball game.
And towards the end of this week we will be seeing General Dayton arrive here with the beginnings of what will be a 1,200 member task force. Now, he comes from an intelligence background, intelligence analysis, and a lot of what they will be doing is basically interrogating people, looking at those documents and coordinating the information within different intelligence agencies.
Now, here on the ground, the U.S. administrator, J. Paul Bremer, says that he's still convinced that even though they haven't found anything yet that those weapons, those banned weapons are out there somewhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BREMER, CIVIL ADMINISTRATOR, IRAQ: It is in my view a very important priority of the coalition. I think we will find something at some point. It seems very hard to believe that Saddam Hussein would have put his people through the misery he put them through for 12 years, given up billions and billions of dollars of revenue if he didn't have something to hide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, those are suspicions at this point. Proving it is going to be an entirely different matter, but certainly the U.S. seems to be putting a lot of resources behind that -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It seems so. Jane Arraf live from Baghdad.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
