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World Reaction to Blix Report

Aired January 27, 2003 - 14:15   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: Iraqi officials say they don't understand what all the fuss is about. They say Iraq is cooperating with weapons inspectors, and has been from day one.
The view from inside Iraq now, our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it's very unusual to get quick reaction here to events such as this report to the U.N. Security Council. What we've seen on Iraqi television this evening is quite surprising.

On President Saddam Hussein's son's channel, that is the youth TV channel, Shebab (ph) TV, there was a commentary program, a commentator and an analyst. The analyst was saying that as far as he could see, that Hans Blix's report focused on all the negative issues.

So we knew that Iraqi officials here have been saying they were expecting a gray report card, if you will. It seems to have come out a darker shade of gray, perhaps, than they were expecting. Many outstanding issues that they have to address. Iraq likely looking for Blix to focus on the positive issues, on some of the findings that he's had that perhaps show where Iraq has complied, and give full cooperation.

Certainly the position of Iraq's ambassador to the U.N., Mohammad al Douri, that of Iraqi officials here as well, that Iraq does not have weapons of mass destruction, that it is doing everything in its power to help the U.N. weapons inspectors.

Indeed, he went on to point out that much of the discovery of the U.N. weapons inspectors so far has disproved allegations, he said, by the British and American governments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMAD AL DOURI, IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: All the sites that the United States and the Britain alleged in their two recent reports that were producing weapons of mass destruction were repeatedly inspected, X-rayed, and environmental samples were taken to make sure that nothing happened there. The result proved that Iraq is clear of weapons of mass destructions.

The inspectors also proved that all the intelligence information provided later by the United States and the Britain and satellite pictures were baseless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Now, despite the tone that we've been hearing from Iraqi officials over this specific issue today, they do say that they are willing to allow the U.N. weapons inspectors to continue their work. If only, they say, to prove that the United States is wrong and that they're right -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Live from Baghdad, Nic Robertson. Thank you.

Reaction around the world to the Iraq weapons report. Walter Rodgers, live in London, Jim Bittermann is live in Paris. Walt, let's begin with you.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the British are saying -- taking a very skeptical look at what they have seen here. What the British are essentially saying is that Saddam Hussein is still concealing what he has by way of an unconventional weapons arsenal, and they say it is a charade, this coming from Britain's foreign secretary, Jacques Chirac (sic) -- excuse me, Britain's foreign secretary, Jack Straw.

In the meantime, however, Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, Jeremy Thorpe (sic), is saying that -- excuse me, Jeremy Greenstock is saying that, in point of fact it's no longer a matter of time, it's matter of credibility, and the British just do not put any credibility in anything that the Iraqis are saying, despite Mr. Blix's report, which gave them at least some initially good grades for being somewhat forthcoming, at least in terms of the process. The British look at the more negative sides of Mr. Blix's report on weapons inspection, and that being the case, they're just saying flatly that the Iraqis are not being credible -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Walter Rodgers live in London, thank you. Now to Paris, our Jim Bittermann. What's the reaction there, Jim?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, Dominique de Villepin, the French foreign minister, was in front of the cameras just a little while ago, and he said that the inspectors' reports indicate how much work has been done, and how much remains to be done.

He said the inspectors are getting more efficient all the time, and he added that they -- should they reach an impasse, the Security Council should get back together again, and then decide what to do after that, clearly indicating that the French, at least, do not consider that they have reached an impasse thus far.

His spokesman was asked, after his news conference, exactly whether or not the French believed there was a violation of U.N. resolutions on Iraq, whether or not there's been a material breach, and he said that is not the way we see this situation. We want to analyze the inspectors' report, and we'll talk more about it when we get back with the other members of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday.

President Jacques Chirac of France had something to say also today about Iraq. He said something very similar to what was said by the 15 members of the European Union in joint council. They both said -- both Chirac and the European Union have said that Iraq must comply with weapons inspectors, but the inspectors should have more time -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Live from Paris, Jim Bittermann. Thanks, Jim.

On the home front now, if there is a war, could Iraqis living in the United States pose a threat? That's what the FBI is trying to ascertain by questioning tens of thousands of Iraqi immigrants.

CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena is working that story from Washington -- hi, Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra. Well, the FBI, as you said, is very busy trying to locate and interview as many as 50,000 Iraqis currently living here in the United States, both legally and illegally, who entered the country within the last ten years or so.

Now, the FBI is concerned about possible terror cells that may have been planted after the first Gulf War that could be activated if the U.S. conducts air strikes against Baghdad, but agents are also looking for individuals who may be able to provide information that would be helpful in the military effort, Iraqis who may have some connection to someone in the Iraqi military, or the government there.

The FBI is hoping that those individuals may be able to lead them to people on the ground in Iraq who are interested in defecting or providing information to the U.S. military. FBI director Robert Mueller had this to say about the effort just last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: For the FBI in general, I think we have been, and would continue to be making preparations to prevent any terrorist attacks by those who might some way be affiliated with the Iraqi regime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Officials say that this is an effort that began about a month and a half ago. The priority is to locate Iraqis whose whereabouts are unknown currently. Officials say there are about 3,000 Iraqis that officials say the government has not been able to locate. But they also point out that the interviews are voluntary, that the effort is very much aimed at developing an open line of communication with the Iraqi community. FBI officials also say that they want to reassure immigrants that the FBI will act against anyone who may retaliate against them if the U.S. does go to war -- back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So Kelli, you say this is a voluntary -- on a voluntary basis. What about the individuals that do not volunteer? ARENA: Well, the -- if they haven't done anything wrong, the FBI can't force them to cooperate. Obviously, if they're here illegally the ax of deportation hangs over their head, but it is very important to the agents that are fanning out across the country not to use a heavy-handed approach. What they really want is cooperation. They say it is vital right now to have a free line, open line of communication, so that is not the approach they want to take. So they are voluntary. Many people are stepping forward, offering information if they have any to offer. So far we haven't -- at least according to the agents that we spoke to, there hasn't been too much of a problem. It's finding them, though, Kyra, that is posing more of a problem.

PHILLIPS: Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena -- thanks, Kelli.

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 27, 2003 - 14:15   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqi officials say they don't understand what all the fuss is about. They say Iraq is cooperating with weapons inspectors, and has been from day one.
The view from inside Iraq now, our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it's very unusual to get quick reaction here to events such as this report to the U.N. Security Council. What we've seen on Iraqi television this evening is quite surprising.

On President Saddam Hussein's son's channel, that is the youth TV channel, Shebab (ph) TV, there was a commentary program, a commentator and an analyst. The analyst was saying that as far as he could see, that Hans Blix's report focused on all the negative issues.

So we knew that Iraqi officials here have been saying they were expecting a gray report card, if you will. It seems to have come out a darker shade of gray, perhaps, than they were expecting. Many outstanding issues that they have to address. Iraq likely looking for Blix to focus on the positive issues, on some of the findings that he's had that perhaps show where Iraq has complied, and give full cooperation.

Certainly the position of Iraq's ambassador to the U.N., Mohammad al Douri, that of Iraqi officials here as well, that Iraq does not have weapons of mass destruction, that it is doing everything in its power to help the U.N. weapons inspectors.

Indeed, he went on to point out that much of the discovery of the U.N. weapons inspectors so far has disproved allegations, he said, by the British and American governments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMAD AL DOURI, IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: All the sites that the United States and the Britain alleged in their two recent reports that were producing weapons of mass destruction were repeatedly inspected, X-rayed, and environmental samples were taken to make sure that nothing happened there. The result proved that Iraq is clear of weapons of mass destructions.

The inspectors also proved that all the intelligence information provided later by the United States and the Britain and satellite pictures were baseless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Now, despite the tone that we've been hearing from Iraqi officials over this specific issue today, they do say that they are willing to allow the U.N. weapons inspectors to continue their work. If only, they say, to prove that the United States is wrong and that they're right -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Live from Baghdad, Nic Robertson. Thank you.

Reaction around the world to the Iraq weapons report. Walter Rodgers, live in London, Jim Bittermann is live in Paris. Walt, let's begin with you.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the British are saying -- taking a very skeptical look at what they have seen here. What the British are essentially saying is that Saddam Hussein is still concealing what he has by way of an unconventional weapons arsenal, and they say it is a charade, this coming from Britain's foreign secretary, Jacques Chirac (sic) -- excuse me, Britain's foreign secretary, Jack Straw.

In the meantime, however, Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, Jeremy Thorpe (sic), is saying that -- excuse me, Jeremy Greenstock is saying that, in point of fact it's no longer a matter of time, it's matter of credibility, and the British just do not put any credibility in anything that the Iraqis are saying, despite Mr. Blix's report, which gave them at least some initially good grades for being somewhat forthcoming, at least in terms of the process. The British look at the more negative sides of Mr. Blix's report on weapons inspection, and that being the case, they're just saying flatly that the Iraqis are not being credible -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Walter Rodgers live in London, thank you. Now to Paris, our Jim Bittermann. What's the reaction there, Jim?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, Dominique de Villepin, the French foreign minister, was in front of the cameras just a little while ago, and he said that the inspectors' reports indicate how much work has been done, and how much remains to be done.

He said the inspectors are getting more efficient all the time, and he added that they -- should they reach an impasse, the Security Council should get back together again, and then decide what to do after that, clearly indicating that the French, at least, do not consider that they have reached an impasse thus far.

His spokesman was asked, after his news conference, exactly whether or not the French believed there was a violation of U.N. resolutions on Iraq, whether or not there's been a material breach, and he said that is not the way we see this situation. We want to analyze the inspectors' report, and we'll talk more about it when we get back with the other members of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday.

President Jacques Chirac of France had something to say also today about Iraq. He said something very similar to what was said by the 15 members of the European Union in joint council. They both said -- both Chirac and the European Union have said that Iraq must comply with weapons inspectors, but the inspectors should have more time -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Live from Paris, Jim Bittermann. Thanks, Jim.

On the home front now, if there is a war, could Iraqis living in the United States pose a threat? That's what the FBI is trying to ascertain by questioning tens of thousands of Iraqi immigrants.

CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena is working that story from Washington -- hi, Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra. Well, the FBI, as you said, is very busy trying to locate and interview as many as 50,000 Iraqis currently living here in the United States, both legally and illegally, who entered the country within the last ten years or so.

Now, the FBI is concerned about possible terror cells that may have been planted after the first Gulf War that could be activated if the U.S. conducts air strikes against Baghdad, but agents are also looking for individuals who may be able to provide information that would be helpful in the military effort, Iraqis who may have some connection to someone in the Iraqi military, or the government there.

The FBI is hoping that those individuals may be able to lead them to people on the ground in Iraq who are interested in defecting or providing information to the U.S. military. FBI director Robert Mueller had this to say about the effort just last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: For the FBI in general, I think we have been, and would continue to be making preparations to prevent any terrorist attacks by those who might some way be affiliated with the Iraqi regime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Officials say that this is an effort that began about a month and a half ago. The priority is to locate Iraqis whose whereabouts are unknown currently. Officials say there are about 3,000 Iraqis that officials say the government has not been able to locate. But they also point out that the interviews are voluntary, that the effort is very much aimed at developing an open line of communication with the Iraqi community. FBI officials also say that they want to reassure immigrants that the FBI will act against anyone who may retaliate against them if the U.S. does go to war -- back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So Kelli, you say this is a voluntary -- on a voluntary basis. What about the individuals that do not volunteer? ARENA: Well, the -- if they haven't done anything wrong, the FBI can't force them to cooperate. Obviously, if they're here illegally the ax of deportation hangs over their head, but it is very important to the agents that are fanning out across the country not to use a heavy-handed approach. What they really want is cooperation. They say it is vital right now to have a free line, open line of communication, so that is not the approach they want to take. So they are voluntary. Many people are stepping forward, offering information if they have any to offer. So far we haven't -- at least according to the agents that we spoke to, there hasn't been too much of a problem. It's finding them, though, Kyra, that is posing more of a problem.

PHILLIPS: Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena -- thanks, Kelli.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com