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'Dr. Germ' Surrenders
Aired May 12, 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: They've got Dr. Germ, Rihab (ph) Taha, former leader of Saddam Hussein's biological weapons program, has surrendered to U.S. officials in Baghdad. Taha is known for her work in weaponizing anthrax. Ibrahim Mohammed Al Tikriti, the former Iraqi armed forces chief, is also believed to be in U.S. hands. but it's the surrender of Dr. Germ that has folks talking.
Mike Boettcher joins us live with more on what's happening -- Mike.
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it has folks talking, because Dr. Germ knows the nuts and bolts of the entire Iraqi WMD program, the weapons of mass destruction. She headed the biological program for several years. We have her private papers from tests in 1990, where she coolly describes how small animals were killed in weaponized, botulinum toxin fired from missiles. She is considered by weapons inspectors to be a key piece of the puzzle to put together how far the Iraqis had gone in the weapons of mass destruction program, specifically the biological weapons.
Also, the general who was reportedly captured today, turned himself in. That is the jack of spades, General Mohammed Al Tikriti. He, of course, judging by his name, hails from the same city as Saddam Hussein, in Tikrit. He is considered to be a big catch, number 11 on the list. He would have information about why the Iraqi military behaved the way it did during the war, why they didn't launch certain officials that were expected, why they didn't launch certain missiles that were expected to be launched.
So both of these people put together, another key piece in the puzzle to explain what was going on before the war and what went on during the war -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Mike, what about Taha? How cooperative do you believe she'll be? And what's the quid pro quo if she is cooperative?
BOETTCHER: I think a lot of the negotiations going on could hinge around whether these people would face war crimes charges. Certainly, Dr. Taha in the past has been accused by some in the Iraqi exile field of conducting tests on human beings. Now, she denies ever conducting any sort of tests like that. She also says that Iraq had the right to develop chemical and biological weapons for self defense.
So some of those negotiations could center on that, and also with General Mohammed as well.
PHILLIPS: Mike Boettcher, thank you -- Miles. 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 May 12, 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: They've got Dr. Germ, Rihab (ph) Taha, former leader of Saddam Hussein's biological weapons program, has surrendered to U.S. officials in Baghdad. Taha is known for her work in weaponizing anthrax. Ibrahim Mohammed Al Tikriti, the former Iraqi armed forces chief, is also believed to be in U.S. hands. but it's the surrender of Dr. Germ that has folks talking.
Mike Boettcher joins us live with more on what's happening -- Mike.
MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it has folks talking, because Dr. Germ knows the nuts and bolts of the entire Iraqi WMD program, the weapons of mass destruction. She headed the biological program for several years. We have her private papers from tests in 1990, where she coolly describes how small animals were killed in weaponized, botulinum toxin fired from missiles. She is considered by weapons inspectors to be a key piece of the puzzle to put together how far the Iraqis had gone in the weapons of mass destruction program, specifically the biological weapons.
Also, the general who was reportedly captured today, turned himself in. That is the jack of spades, General Mohammed Al Tikriti. He, of course, judging by his name, hails from the same city as Saddam Hussein, in Tikrit. He is considered to be a big catch, number 11 on the list. He would have information about why the Iraqi military behaved the way it did during the war, why they didn't launch certain officials that were expected, why they didn't launch certain missiles that were expected to be launched.
So both of these people put together, another key piece in the puzzle to explain what was going on before the war and what went on during the war -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Mike, what about Taha? How cooperative do you believe she'll be? And what's the quid pro quo if she is cooperative?
BOETTCHER: I think a lot of the negotiations going on could hinge around whether these people would face war crimes charges. Certainly, Dr. Taha in the past has been accused by some in the Iraqi exile field of conducting tests on human beings. Now, she denies ever conducting any sort of tests like that. She also says that Iraq had the right to develop chemical and biological weapons for self defense.
So some of those negotiations could center on that, and also with General Mohammed as well.
PHILLIPS: Mike Boettcher, thank you -- Miles. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
