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CNN Live At Daybreak

Baghdad Reacts to Bush's Address

Aired January 31, 2002 - 06:14   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: Iraq accuses the United States of being the source of evil aggression towards the entire world. That's at response to President Bush's description of Iraq, Iran and North Korea as an "axis of evil". Mr. Bush made the comment during his State of the Union address. Iraq calls the statement "stupid."

CNN's Jane Arraf has more reaction from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This reaction from an Iraqi leader was as pointed as the U.S. warning.

TAHA YASSIN RAMADAN, IRAQI VICE PRESIDENT (through translator): The statement of President Bush is stupid and does not befit the president of a major country.

ARRAF: The vice president earlier told a legal conference that President Bush was falsely accusing Iraq of having weapons of mass destruction.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a regime that agreed to international inspections, then kicked out the inspectors.

ARRAF: In fact, as Iraq points out, it didn't kick out the inspectors. The chief U.N. weapons inspector pulled them out in December 1998, just hours before the U.S. and Britain bombed Baghdad. There was no official reaction, though, to President Bush's comments, and no comment from the only one who really matters, President Saddam Hussein. Instead, the president appeared on the main evening news discussing plans for a new monument in Baghdad.

(on camera): Iraqi officials seem to be taking the latest U.S. threat in stride. But behind the scenes, there are signs that Baghdad is taking seriously the possibility of a major U.S. attack.

(voice-over): In the last month, the Iraqi leadership has taken some dramatic steps, which appear aimed at warding off a strike. Regarding the weapons inspector, it sent a message through Arab Leagues Chief Amre Moussa that Baghdad would like to reopen a dialogue with the U.N. Diplomats say those talks could eventually lead to the inspector's return. And it's improving ties with old foes. Iraq's foreign minister flew to Iran this week, for only the second visit in a decade, to discuss normalizing relations. With President Bush listing Iran as another of the countries to be dealt with in the U.S. war on terror, Iran and Iraq -- two traditional enemies -- now have something else in common.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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