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Iraq: Onus on U.S.
Aired January 20, 2003 - 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: Stand firm: that's what the U.S. is telling other members of the U.N. Security Council. In just a week, the leaders of the weapons inspections in Iraq are due to present another report. Some see it as the end of a long road to force Iraq to abandon its weapons of mass destruction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We cannot be shocked into impotence because we're afraid of the difficult choices that are ahead of us. Hopefully, there will be a peaceful solution. But if Iraq does not come into full compliance, we must not shrink from the responsibilities that we set before ourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And with that U.N. deadline approaching, Iraqi officials say weapons inspectors can go anywhere and talk to anyone they want. Critics say that should have been the policy from the beginning.
Our Senior International Correspondent, Nic Robertson, monitoring all the moves live from Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, Hans Blix, the U.N. weapons chief, wrapped up an almost two day mission here in Baghdad. Just before he left, he announced ten points of agreement with Iraqi officials.
Top among those points of agreement, that the Iraqi government would allow the U.N. inspectors to -- or encourage Iraqi scientists, rather, to allow themselves to be interviewed privately by the U.N. inspectors.
Now, this has been very important to the U.N. inspectors. They believe that they can get key information from these scientists if they interview them privately.
Now, late this evening, General Amer Al-Saadi, President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, told us how they worked out the modalities for this. He said that the inspectors -- rather the scientists, hadn't felt safe about going to have interviews with the U.N. inspectors, that they had gotten some assurances now from the U.N. and from the U.N. weapons chief, Hans Blix, about how these interviews would be conducted.
He wouldn't say what those assurances were, but he did say that they would be encouraging, not compelling, their scientists to go into these interviews.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. AMER AL-SAADI, IRAQI SCIENTIFIC ADVISER: We will never compel them, but we will encourage them, as we have -- as have happened on several occasions.
It is in our interest to answer questions relevant to Iraq's programs, past programs, and that Iraq is, as we say, is clean. Anything else, any other questions, tendentious questions, of course, it's up to them whether to respond to them or not. They will see that themselves. They are educated people, and are aware of everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, one of the other interesting points raised by General Amer Al-Saadi is everyone looks to Iraq and says the onus is on Iraq to prove that it is innocent in this case. General Amer Al- Saadi said, Look, we've come 50 percent of the way to proving we don't have weapons of mass destruction. The onus is now on you. If you have the proof, help us and show us. That proof is not forth coming, so therefore you have to believe our story -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Nic Robertson, live from Baghdad, thank you.
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 January 20, 2003 - 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: Stand firm: that's what the U.S. is telling other members of the U.N. Security Council. In just a week, the leaders of the weapons inspections in Iraq are due to present another report. Some see it as the end of a long road to force Iraq to abandon its weapons of mass destruction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We cannot be shocked into impotence because we're afraid of the difficult choices that are ahead of us. Hopefully, there will be a peaceful solution. But if Iraq does not come into full compliance, we must not shrink from the responsibilities that we set before ourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And with that U.N. deadline approaching, Iraqi officials say weapons inspectors can go anywhere and talk to anyone they want. Critics say that should have been the policy from the beginning.
Our Senior International Correspondent, Nic Robertson, monitoring all the moves live from Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, Hans Blix, the U.N. weapons chief, wrapped up an almost two day mission here in Baghdad. Just before he left, he announced ten points of agreement with Iraqi officials.
Top among those points of agreement, that the Iraqi government would allow the U.N. inspectors to -- or encourage Iraqi scientists, rather, to allow themselves to be interviewed privately by the U.N. inspectors.
Now, this has been very important to the U.N. inspectors. They believe that they can get key information from these scientists if they interview them privately.
Now, late this evening, General Amer Al-Saadi, President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, told us how they worked out the modalities for this. He said that the inspectors -- rather the scientists, hadn't felt safe about going to have interviews with the U.N. inspectors, that they had gotten some assurances now from the U.N. and from the U.N. weapons chief, Hans Blix, about how these interviews would be conducted.
He wouldn't say what those assurances were, but he did say that they would be encouraging, not compelling, their scientists to go into these interviews.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. AMER AL-SAADI, IRAQI SCIENTIFIC ADVISER: We will never compel them, but we will encourage them, as we have -- as have happened on several occasions.
It is in our interest to answer questions relevant to Iraq's programs, past programs, and that Iraq is, as we say, is clean. Anything else, any other questions, tendentious questions, of course, it's up to them whether to respond to them or not. They will see that themselves. They are educated people, and are aware of everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, one of the other interesting points raised by General Amer Al-Saadi is everyone looks to Iraq and says the onus is on Iraq to prove that it is innocent in this case. General Amer Al- Saadi said, Look, we've come 50 percent of the way to proving we don't have weapons of mass destruction. The onus is now on you. If you have the proof, help us and show us. That proof is not forth coming, so therefore you have to believe our story -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Nic Robertson, live from Baghdad, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
