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UN Weighs Inspections and Resolutions
Aired September 18, 2002 - 14:07 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: At the United Nations, the talk is all about the Iraq inspections, and resolutions, old and new. We're also hearing of some high-profile meetings, one between the Secretary General and Iraq's foreign minister.
Our Senior UN Correspondent Richard Roth joins us with details.
Tell us about that meeting, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, SENIOR UN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra, Iraq has requested another meeting between its foreign minister, Naji Sabri, and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. That'll take place at 5:30 New York time today. No word on exactly what is being discussed, but it was those two men that really hammered out that latest Iraqi letter, saying that the inspectors can return to Baghdad without any conditions. And that letter, some people on U.S. side are a little upset with, saying it didn't specify enough, where they can go, what kind of access they could have.
Also, Hans Blix, the chairman of the UN Weapons Inspection Agency on Iraq, will meet the Security Council at 4:00 New York time. It's a key meeting because Blix may get guidance from the Security Council, his bosses, before he flies to Vienna in nine days for meetings with Iraqi officials on the technical, practical arrangements that get those inspectors back in.
Kyra?
PHILLIPS: I'm with you, Richard.
ROTH: You were stunned at watching Hans Blix walking into the Security Council although that happened a few months ago, he will be walking that same line tomorrow.
PHILLIPS: He was so handsome, I was taken by sheer beauty.
On a serious note, weapons inspectors, the safety of the weapons inspectors. Let's go back to the war 10 years ago. They were pulled out of there before bombs were dropped, right?
There has been kind of inaccurate information tossed around.
ROTH: Yes, on our air, Don -- Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, said when asked about the -- by the Congressional panel there after those protesters put up banners denouncing the U.S. and war plans he said look, it was Iraq, he said, that booted out, kicked out those weapons inspectors. That's not exactly accurate. It was the UN and the Weapons Inspections Agency that withdrew them under pressure from the U.S. because, they had barely gotten out with their bags when U.S. military strikes occurred.
There have been occasion where there have been missile strikes, and the UN inspectors have been on the ground there. In 1993, President Bill Clinton at the time lobbed some missiles into Iraq in response to a assassination attempt against President -- former President Bush in Kuwait.
So the inspectors have been through thick and thin, obstructions on the Baghdad side and having to live out missile attacks from Western forces on the other side.
PHILLIPS: Definitely intense job. Richard Roth, thank you so 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 September 18, 2002 - 14:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: At the United Nations, the talk is all about the Iraq inspections, and resolutions, old and new. We're also hearing of some high-profile meetings, one between the Secretary General and Iraq's foreign minister.
Our Senior UN Correspondent Richard Roth joins us with details.
Tell us about that meeting, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, SENIOR UN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra, Iraq has requested another meeting between its foreign minister, Naji Sabri, and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. That'll take place at 5:30 New York time today. No word on exactly what is being discussed, but it was those two men that really hammered out that latest Iraqi letter, saying that the inspectors can return to Baghdad without any conditions. And that letter, some people on U.S. side are a little upset with, saying it didn't specify enough, where they can go, what kind of access they could have.
Also, Hans Blix, the chairman of the UN Weapons Inspection Agency on Iraq, will meet the Security Council at 4:00 New York time. It's a key meeting because Blix may get guidance from the Security Council, his bosses, before he flies to Vienna in nine days for meetings with Iraqi officials on the technical, practical arrangements that get those inspectors back in.
Kyra?
PHILLIPS: I'm with you, Richard.
ROTH: You were stunned at watching Hans Blix walking into the Security Council although that happened a few months ago, he will be walking that same line tomorrow.
PHILLIPS: He was so handsome, I was taken by sheer beauty.
On a serious note, weapons inspectors, the safety of the weapons inspectors. Let's go back to the war 10 years ago. They were pulled out of there before bombs were dropped, right?
There has been kind of inaccurate information tossed around.
ROTH: Yes, on our air, Don -- Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, said when asked about the -- by the Congressional panel there after those protesters put up banners denouncing the U.S. and war plans he said look, it was Iraq, he said, that booted out, kicked out those weapons inspectors. That's not exactly accurate. It was the UN and the Weapons Inspections Agency that withdrew them under pressure from the U.S. because, they had barely gotten out with their bags when U.S. military strikes occurred.
There have been occasion where there have been missile strikes, and the UN inspectors have been on the ground there. In 1993, President Bill Clinton at the time lobbed some missiles into Iraq in response to a assassination attempt against President -- former President Bush in Kuwait.
So the inspectors have been through thick and thin, obstructions on the Baghdad side and having to live out missile attacks from Western forces on the other side.
PHILLIPS: Definitely intense job. Richard Roth, thank you so 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
