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Busy Day for Arms Inspectors

Aired February 11, 2003 - 13:17   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.


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: It wasn't a day off for U.N. weapons inspectors. They were at work in Iraq.
CNN's Nic Robertson standing by there -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Marty, the same here, a holiday for most people in this country, certainly for most government officials, taking the day off, expected to be a four-day break here, very slow in the political circles. But on the peace circles, some movements here. The papal envoy, Cardinal Roger Atche Gorai (ph), arrived here in Baghdad a few hours ago. He said the very fact the pope had sent him at this critical time to Iraq was an indication of the lengths the pope wanted to go to bring peace here. He said that the message he came with for President Saddam Hussein and for Iraqi officials is that they should increase and improve there and strengthen their cooperation with the u.n. Weapons inspectors. He said that was critical at this time.

Another peace envoy left today, South Africa's Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Fahad (ph). He had talks with President Saddam Hussein in the last few days, where he'd outlined to the Iraqi leader how South Africa had set about dismantling its weapons of mass destruction, saying that he had some ideas to offer the Iraqi leader, how he could boost the cooperation, boost the confidence in the international community, that what he was doing with the weapons inspectors was very positive and was cooperative.

So he said, South Africa's deputy foreign minister, said when he was leaving, said he felt some hope that that message was understood and that perhaps some initiatives may be taken on it. Also, a lot of attention being paid here in Iraq to developments -- NATO, one of the editorials in a newspaper here, saying that the veto of NATO, they said, could lead on to a veto at the U.N. Security Council. They said in the newspapers today that this was just an indication that President Bush's aggression on Iraq, they said, was being rejected by other countries -- Marty.

SAVIDGE: Nic Robertson, live in Baghdad, thank you very 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 February 11, 2003 - 13:17   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: It wasn't a day off for U.N. weapons inspectors. They were at work in Iraq.
CNN's Nic Robertson standing by there -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Marty, the same here, a holiday for most people in this country, certainly for most government officials, taking the day off, expected to be a four-day break here, very slow in the political circles. But on the peace circles, some movements here. The papal envoy, Cardinal Roger Atche Gorai (ph), arrived here in Baghdad a few hours ago. He said the very fact the pope had sent him at this critical time to Iraq was an indication of the lengths the pope wanted to go to bring peace here. He said that the message he came with for President Saddam Hussein and for Iraqi officials is that they should increase and improve there and strengthen their cooperation with the u.n. Weapons inspectors. He said that was critical at this time.

Another peace envoy left today, South Africa's Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Fahad (ph). He had talks with President Saddam Hussein in the last few days, where he'd outlined to the Iraqi leader how South Africa had set about dismantling its weapons of mass destruction, saying that he had some ideas to offer the Iraqi leader, how he could boost the cooperation, boost the confidence in the international community, that what he was doing with the weapons inspectors was very positive and was cooperative.

So he said, South Africa's deputy foreign minister, said when he was leaving, said he felt some hope that that message was understood and that perhaps some initiatives may be taken on it. Also, a lot of attention being paid here in Iraq to developments -- NATO, one of the editorials in a newspaper here, saying that the veto of NATO, they said, could lead on to a veto at the U.N. Security Council. They said in the newspapers today that this was just an indication that President Bush's aggression on Iraq, they said, was being rejected by other countries -- Marty.

SAVIDGE: Nic Robertson, live in Baghdad, thank you very 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