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Inspectors, Iraqi Representatives Wrap Up Meeting
Aired October 01, 2002 - 14:01 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: Still not clear whether and when U.N. weapons inspectors will resume their work in Iraq, but if and when they do, they'll be ready. That's the bottom line of a two day meeting over what the chief inspector calls practical arrangements and technical matters.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour is live from Vienna with more -- Christiane.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it appears that the Iraqis have made a 180 degree reversal of their position and they have now accepted all the modalities for weapons inspectors to work inside Iraq under existing U.N. resolutions, U.N. Security Council resolutions. A short while ago, the chief U.N. weapons inspector, Hans Blix, held a press conference alongside the head of the Iraqi delegation, General Amr Al-Sadi, and they said that now all sites would be unrestricted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: On the question of access, it was clarified that all sites are subject to immediate, unconditional, and unrestricted access. However, the memorandum of understanding of 1998 establishes special procedures for access to eight presidential sites.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: Now, what that means is that these presidential sites that we have been talking about a lot, these were not even on the table at these two days of talks because, according to Hans Blix, this is something that already exists in a U.N. Security Council resolution.
It was agreed to by Secretary-General Kofi Annan with the Iraqi government back in 1998, and it would take a majority of the Security Council members to reverse that decision.
What they have told us, though, is that the so-called sensitive sites, things such as ministries, Ministry of Defense, of Intelligence, other sensitive areas that the Iraqis have deemed sensitive and have put restrictions on in the past, they have now backed off and taken off those restrictions. They say they will allow unrestricted access to all these sites.
In addition, they have provided four CD-ROMs full, apparently, of massive information, according to Hans Blix, about what's been going on at dual-use facilities in Iraq since the weapons inspectors were last there. These are facilities that can be used for civilian purposes, but that can also be used for military purposes, including the production of weapons of mass destruction.
Apparently, a huge amount of information has been provided, as they should have provided over the last several years, by the Iraqis to Hans Blix over these last two days of talks. So, in short, Hans Blix saying that in terms of his mandate, trying to get all the practical arrangements, the logistical arrangements, the unconditional, unrestricted, free and immediate access to all the sites necessary in Iraq, Hans Blix says that he has achieved that. It was not a negotiating session here in Vienna, but one in which they laid down the necessary demands to the Iraqis, and the Iraqis also confirmed that they had agreed to these things.
Now, it remains to be seen, A, whether this will be implemented on the ground, and, B, whether or not this makes any difference at all, given the fact that there is this political momentum building in the United Nations with the United States trying to get a tough new resolution passed. But at the moment, Hans Blix saying that he's ready to send his inspectors back mid-month, and the Iraqis confirming that they would have them back, mid-October -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Christiane, the issue of presidential sites has come up a lot. Why in the past, why now is this a sticking point? Why does Saddam Hussein not want inspectors in presidential sites?
AMANPOUR: Well, that's a good question. Presumably because he doesn't want them to see certain things there. These presidential sites essentially cover an area of about 30 square kilometers in eight different locations around Iraq. They have been called presidential palaces, but often they have maybe one palace on them, but a huge number, apparently according to the officials here, some 1,500 buildings such as warehouses, offices, other things which are of great interest to the inspectors and they want to be able to get in there.
Back in 1998, there was a crisis over this, and at that time, the secretary-general of the United Nations went to Iraq, and in an effort to hold off war, he came to this agreement with the Iraqis that there would be certain restrictions. In other words, that they would have to have certain amount of notice, that they would have to go with certain government monitors (ph), this and that.
Obviously, the United States wants those restrictions lifted, and so do other countries, but they were not on the table now because they do exist within a U.N. Security Council resolution.
PHILLIPS: Christiane Amanpour, thanks so much.
Well, at the White House today, their focussed not only on a U.N. resolution on inspections, but on a congressional resolution authorizing war if inspections fail.
CNN's Kelly Wallace has the latest on that -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pyra (ph) -- Kyra, the tough talk -- excuse me -- continuing here from the White House, but we can tell you, also, the White House trying to do a bit of damage control because at issue, whether the Bush administration is now encouraging the Iraqi people to assassinate Saddam Hussein.
Ari Fleischer, the president's spokesman a little bit earlier at his daily briefing was asked about the cost of any war.
He said the president has not made any decision, but then he threw out this point, saying, the cost of a bullet would be less than the cost of a war.
He was pressed repeatedly by reporters about what he meant, and whether this White House is encouraging the Iraqi people to eliminate Saddam Hussein. Here's a bit of that exchange from a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: I'm asking you if you intend to advocate from that podium that some Iraqis, you know, person put a bullet in his head?
FLEISCHER: Regime change is welcome in whatever form that it takes.
QUESTION: So the answer is yes?
FLEISCHER: Thank you. Regime change is welcome in whatever form it takes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: But I can tell you, I spoke with Ari Fleischer just a short time ago, and he is trying to clarify his comments. He is saying that he is not articulating any new policy of this administration. He said he was making a rhetorical point. He said, also, that if the Iraqi people chose to eliminate Saddam Hussein in that way, that no one around the world would shed any tears, and he also stressed that the policy of this administration by executive order bars any U.S. official from assassinating any world leaders.
Now, meantime, a lot of focus, of course, on a congressional resolution. The president met with Democratic and Republican lawmakers earlier today, his focus there was on terrorism insurance, but he will be meeting with some House members later today to talk about this resolution.
There is this bipartisan compromise proposal floating around the Senate, pushed by two prominent senators, Democratic Senator Biden, Republican Senator Lugar. Basically, it would restrict the president's authority to use force solely to dismantle Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. The president was asked about this earlier today. He made it clear he believes he needs much broader authority.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't want to get a resolution which ties my hands. A resolution which is weaker than that which was passed out of the Congress in 1998. Congress in 1998 passed a very strong resolution. It wisely recognized that Saddam Hussein is a threat. Was a threat in '98, and he's more of a threat four years later.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Important to note, though, that resolution the president talks about in 1998 did not call for the use of military force, but it did call for regime change in Iraq.
Now, Senator Lugar met earlier today with Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser. Al Gonzales, the White House counsel, will be up on the Hill later today. More work on the language of this resolution. The hope is by a breakfast meeting tomorrow, they will have some final agreement -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kelly Wallace at the White House. Thanks, Kelly.
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 October 1, 2002 - 14:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Still not clear whether and when U.N. weapons inspectors will resume their work in Iraq, but if and when they do, they'll be ready. That's the bottom line of a two day meeting over what the chief inspector calls practical arrangements and technical matters.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour is live from Vienna with more -- Christiane.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it appears that the Iraqis have made a 180 degree reversal of their position and they have now accepted all the modalities for weapons inspectors to work inside Iraq under existing U.N. resolutions, U.N. Security Council resolutions. A short while ago, the chief U.N. weapons inspector, Hans Blix, held a press conference alongside the head of the Iraqi delegation, General Amr Al-Sadi, and they said that now all sites would be unrestricted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: On the question of access, it was clarified that all sites are subject to immediate, unconditional, and unrestricted access. However, the memorandum of understanding of 1998 establishes special procedures for access to eight presidential sites.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: Now, what that means is that these presidential sites that we have been talking about a lot, these were not even on the table at these two days of talks because, according to Hans Blix, this is something that already exists in a U.N. Security Council resolution.
It was agreed to by Secretary-General Kofi Annan with the Iraqi government back in 1998, and it would take a majority of the Security Council members to reverse that decision.
What they have told us, though, is that the so-called sensitive sites, things such as ministries, Ministry of Defense, of Intelligence, other sensitive areas that the Iraqis have deemed sensitive and have put restrictions on in the past, they have now backed off and taken off those restrictions. They say they will allow unrestricted access to all these sites.
In addition, they have provided four CD-ROMs full, apparently, of massive information, according to Hans Blix, about what's been going on at dual-use facilities in Iraq since the weapons inspectors were last there. These are facilities that can be used for civilian purposes, but that can also be used for military purposes, including the production of weapons of mass destruction.
Apparently, a huge amount of information has been provided, as they should have provided over the last several years, by the Iraqis to Hans Blix over these last two days of talks. So, in short, Hans Blix saying that in terms of his mandate, trying to get all the practical arrangements, the logistical arrangements, the unconditional, unrestricted, free and immediate access to all the sites necessary in Iraq, Hans Blix says that he has achieved that. It was not a negotiating session here in Vienna, but one in which they laid down the necessary demands to the Iraqis, and the Iraqis also confirmed that they had agreed to these things.
Now, it remains to be seen, A, whether this will be implemented on the ground, and, B, whether or not this makes any difference at all, given the fact that there is this political momentum building in the United Nations with the United States trying to get a tough new resolution passed. But at the moment, Hans Blix saying that he's ready to send his inspectors back mid-month, and the Iraqis confirming that they would have them back, mid-October -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Christiane, the issue of presidential sites has come up a lot. Why in the past, why now is this a sticking point? Why does Saddam Hussein not want inspectors in presidential sites?
AMANPOUR: Well, that's a good question. Presumably because he doesn't want them to see certain things there. These presidential sites essentially cover an area of about 30 square kilometers in eight different locations around Iraq. They have been called presidential palaces, but often they have maybe one palace on them, but a huge number, apparently according to the officials here, some 1,500 buildings such as warehouses, offices, other things which are of great interest to the inspectors and they want to be able to get in there.
Back in 1998, there was a crisis over this, and at that time, the secretary-general of the United Nations went to Iraq, and in an effort to hold off war, he came to this agreement with the Iraqis that there would be certain restrictions. In other words, that they would have to have certain amount of notice, that they would have to go with certain government monitors (ph), this and that.
Obviously, the United States wants those restrictions lifted, and so do other countries, but they were not on the table now because they do exist within a U.N. Security Council resolution.
PHILLIPS: Christiane Amanpour, thanks so much.
Well, at the White House today, their focussed not only on a U.N. resolution on inspections, but on a congressional resolution authorizing war if inspections fail.
CNN's Kelly Wallace has the latest on that -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pyra (ph) -- Kyra, the tough talk -- excuse me -- continuing here from the White House, but we can tell you, also, the White House trying to do a bit of damage control because at issue, whether the Bush administration is now encouraging the Iraqi people to assassinate Saddam Hussein.
Ari Fleischer, the president's spokesman a little bit earlier at his daily briefing was asked about the cost of any war.
He said the president has not made any decision, but then he threw out this point, saying, the cost of a bullet would be less than the cost of a war.
He was pressed repeatedly by reporters about what he meant, and whether this White House is encouraging the Iraqi people to eliminate Saddam Hussein. Here's a bit of that exchange from a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: I'm asking you if you intend to advocate from that podium that some Iraqis, you know, person put a bullet in his head?
FLEISCHER: Regime change is welcome in whatever form that it takes.
QUESTION: So the answer is yes?
FLEISCHER: Thank you. Regime change is welcome in whatever form it takes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: But I can tell you, I spoke with Ari Fleischer just a short time ago, and he is trying to clarify his comments. He is saying that he is not articulating any new policy of this administration. He said he was making a rhetorical point. He said, also, that if the Iraqi people chose to eliminate Saddam Hussein in that way, that no one around the world would shed any tears, and he also stressed that the policy of this administration by executive order bars any U.S. official from assassinating any world leaders.
Now, meantime, a lot of focus, of course, on a congressional resolution. The president met with Democratic and Republican lawmakers earlier today, his focus there was on terrorism insurance, but he will be meeting with some House members later today to talk about this resolution.
There is this bipartisan compromise proposal floating around the Senate, pushed by two prominent senators, Democratic Senator Biden, Republican Senator Lugar. Basically, it would restrict the president's authority to use force solely to dismantle Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. The president was asked about this earlier today. He made it clear he believes he needs much broader authority.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't want to get a resolution which ties my hands. A resolution which is weaker than that which was passed out of the Congress in 1998. Congress in 1998 passed a very strong resolution. It wisely recognized that Saddam Hussein is a threat. Was a threat in '98, and he's more of a threat four years later.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Important to note, though, that resolution the president talks about in 1998 did not call for the use of military force, but it did call for regime change in Iraq.
Now, Senator Lugar met earlier today with Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser. Al Gonzales, the White House counsel, will be up on the Hill later today. More work on the language of this resolution. The hope is by a breakfast meeting tomorrow, they will have some final agreement -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kelly Wallace at the White House. Thanks, Kelly.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
