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Ambassador Asserts No Evidence Of Mass Destruction Weapons Exists in Iraq
Aired December 06, 2002 - 13:25 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: Michael Okwu is at the U.N. He's been covering the meeting today, has more from there. What do you think of what the ambassador had to say, Michael?
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a typical Al-Douri style. Very calm yet very forceful, searching around, looking for the next question. And maintaining all along, as he has for the past week, as the deadline has loomed closer on the horizon, that Iraq, in fact, has no weapons of mass destruction. Making the point here that the document would be handed over at, I believe he said, 8:00 in Baghdad. And then it would make its way here to the United States.
One thing that was new in there for us, is to find out he would actually get his hands on the document and then, personally, hand it over to the Security Council himself. Making the point several times there, that everything, everything that Iraq might have had has been destroyed.
The United States, no Western power, no one on the Security Council will find that Iraq has any evidence or there is any evidence of any weapons program there. He did say there were some new elements in it. It remains to be seen what exactly he meant by that.
Of course, Hans Blix, the chief weapons inspector, is still meeting behind closed doors with the counsel. He arrived earlier this morning, osentsively, to discuss their regularly-scheduled quarterly report on Iraq. And then, we understand that he's going to be discussing this document. Once, of course, that happens, it will open up a whole new chapter, a whole new dramatic chapter here, at the United Nations, focusing on Iraq.
What is supposed to be in this document is the $64,000 question. We've already discussed the fact that it's going to be lengthy, Kira. A Western diplomat here at the United Nations telling us it will run up to 12,000 pages, mainly, if not completely in Arabic. That, including its long length it will also be will be quite heavy. We understand it will be 60 kilos or 132 pounds....
PHILLIPS: Michael, I'm going to ask you to pause for a moment. I understand that Hans Blix is getting now ready to step to the podium and brief reporters.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Exists in Iraq>
Aired December 6, 2002 - 13:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Michael Okwu is at the U.N. He's been covering the meeting today, has more from there. What do you think of what the ambassador had to say, Michael?
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a typical Al-Douri style. Very calm yet very forceful, searching around, looking for the next question. And maintaining all along, as he has for the past week, as the deadline has loomed closer on the horizon, that Iraq, in fact, has no weapons of mass destruction. Making the point here that the document would be handed over at, I believe he said, 8:00 in Baghdad. And then it would make its way here to the United States.
One thing that was new in there for us, is to find out he would actually get his hands on the document and then, personally, hand it over to the Security Council himself. Making the point several times there, that everything, everything that Iraq might have had has been destroyed.
The United States, no Western power, no one on the Security Council will find that Iraq has any evidence or there is any evidence of any weapons program there. He did say there were some new elements in it. It remains to be seen what exactly he meant by that.
Of course, Hans Blix, the chief weapons inspector, is still meeting behind closed doors with the counsel. He arrived earlier this morning, osentsively, to discuss their regularly-scheduled quarterly report on Iraq. And then, we understand that he's going to be discussing this document. Once, of course, that happens, it will open up a whole new chapter, a whole new dramatic chapter here, at the United Nations, focusing on Iraq.
What is supposed to be in this document is the $64,000 question. We've already discussed the fact that it's going to be lengthy, Kira. A Western diplomat here at the United Nations telling us it will run up to 12,000 pages, mainly, if not completely in Arabic. That, including its long length it will also be will be quite heavy. We understand it will be 60 kilos or 132 pounds....
PHILLIPS: Michael, I'm going to ask you to pause for a moment. I understand that Hans Blix is getting now ready to step to the podium and brief reporters.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Exists in Iraq>
