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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iraq Holds Firm Despite Bush's Strong Words

Aired November 27, 2001 - 05:20   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is scheduled to meet today with the president of Yemen. That government has been working closely with U.S. investigators in the war on terrorism. As the White House tries to strengthen its coalition, there's a warning for other countries that may be harboring terrorism, including strong words from President Bush yesterday to Iraq's Saddam Hussein.

CNN's Jane Arraf is in Baghdad this morning with reaction -- Jane, are they preparing? Are they thinking that there will be a threat of bombing in Iraq?

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Donna, Iraq's position for the last three years since we've last saw weapons inspectors here has been that weapons inspectors will not come back in until sanctions are lifted. And there's absolutely no indication now that this latest threat from the U.S. president is going to change that.

Now, Colin Powell, the U.S. secretary of state, has also said recently that before the U.S. does anything it will consult with the coalition. Now, if it consults with the coalition, what Iraq is counting on is that many of the key members of that coalition are going to tell the United States that they don't want a strike on Iraq.

It's what we're hearing from across the Arab world, not just from the street, but from Arab leaders from the Arab League and from key neighbors of Iraq that the U.S. would need to make any sort of strike work in deterring Iraq from doing anything that it wants to deter it from doing.

Now, Iraq has said that it is holding firm, that it won't change its position. And its feeling is that it has enough support, among the Arabs particularly, who feel that if there is another U.S. bombing on Iraq, that will make things even worse. It will backfire and make the feeling in the Middle East that the U.S. is even more anti-Arab and more anti-Islam stick even more than it had been before the strikes -- Donna.

KELLEY: From Baghdad, our Jane Arraf. Thanks very much.

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