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CNN Live Saturday
Iraq Invites ElBaradei, Blix
Aired March 15, 2003 - 14:35 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.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Iraq today invited the chief weapons inspectors to come back to Baghdad as soon as possible. Let's talk now with senior international correspondent Nic Robertson in the Iraqi capital -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Miles, that invitation to Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei that Iraq wants to accelerate its cooperation and resolve outstanding issues.
Now, this is all language that we've heard before from Iraqi officials, when inviting the two U.N. weapons chiefs to Baghdad before. Hard to know if there's really anything substantially new in this letter.
There was one other paragraph, however, that perhaps gives some indication of Iraq's thinking at this time, saying that Iraq has made measurable progress on a number of issues that were mentioned in a U.N. working document on March the 6th, right around the time Hans Blix gave his last speech to the U.N. Security Council. But no indication in this letter from Iraqi officials that there was any major breakthrough here.
The timing, very interesting. Iraq had said a week ago, it had been thinking about doing this. We know from Iraqi officials that the cooperation they've given recently, particularly on the destruction of Al-Samoud missiles has been to win friends at the U.N. Security Council. Iraq very aware of how divided the Security Council is at this time, very aware of the critical stages of diplomacy, and the timing of this letter playing right into the middle of all of that.
In Iraq today, we've seen the demonstrations, government organized demonstrations timed to run today to match the international peace demonstrations around the world. These demonstrations not only peace demonstrations, praising support of President Saddam Hussein, many people saying they will fight if the country's invaded.
In that vein, we've seen on television this evening, President Saddam Hussein meeting with many of the leaders in the military area, not only the commanders, defense, but also in the military production, and the language there, very, very, very strong, talking about reaching the peak of preparedness for the military action. Commanders in the battlefield saying they're prepared to tear the tanks apart of the enemy, ready to rub their noses in the dirt.
Also, some interesting language coming from some of the commanders as well, saying -- referring apparently here to some of the U.S. leaflets that have been dropped to troops about quitting, putting down their weapons when -- or if and when the country's invaded, saying we know what happens to people who surrender to the United States, we know that they'll end up in Guantanamo. Very interesting language coming tonight -- Miles (sic).
SAN MIGUEL: Nic Robertson in Baghdad. Thanks very much.
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 15, 2003 - 14:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Iraq today invited the chief weapons inspectors to come back to Baghdad as soon as possible. Let's talk now with senior international correspondent Nic Robertson in the Iraqi capital -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Miles, that invitation to Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei that Iraq wants to accelerate its cooperation and resolve outstanding issues.
Now, this is all language that we've heard before from Iraqi officials, when inviting the two U.N. weapons chiefs to Baghdad before. Hard to know if there's really anything substantially new in this letter.
There was one other paragraph, however, that perhaps gives some indication of Iraq's thinking at this time, saying that Iraq has made measurable progress on a number of issues that were mentioned in a U.N. working document on March the 6th, right around the time Hans Blix gave his last speech to the U.N. Security Council. But no indication in this letter from Iraqi officials that there was any major breakthrough here.
The timing, very interesting. Iraq had said a week ago, it had been thinking about doing this. We know from Iraqi officials that the cooperation they've given recently, particularly on the destruction of Al-Samoud missiles has been to win friends at the U.N. Security Council. Iraq very aware of how divided the Security Council is at this time, very aware of the critical stages of diplomacy, and the timing of this letter playing right into the middle of all of that.
In Iraq today, we've seen the demonstrations, government organized demonstrations timed to run today to match the international peace demonstrations around the world. These demonstrations not only peace demonstrations, praising support of President Saddam Hussein, many people saying they will fight if the country's invaded.
In that vein, we've seen on television this evening, President Saddam Hussein meeting with many of the leaders in the military area, not only the commanders, defense, but also in the military production, and the language there, very, very, very strong, talking about reaching the peak of preparedness for the military action. Commanders in the battlefield saying they're prepared to tear the tanks apart of the enemy, ready to rub their noses in the dirt.
Also, some interesting language coming from some of the commanders as well, saying -- referring apparently here to some of the U.S. leaflets that have been dropped to troops about quitting, putting down their weapons when -- or if and when the country's invaded, saying we know what happens to people who surrender to the United States, we know that they'll end up in Guantanamo. Very interesting language coming tonight -- Miles (sic).
SAN MIGUEL: Nic Robertson in Baghdad. Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
