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Weapons Officials Tell Senate Committee Progress Slow But Steady on Iraqi WMD
Aired July 31, 2003 - 14:28 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: In a closed and classified hearing on the Hill, two top officials are appearing before senators to testify about the elusive search for weapons and the case on war in Iraq. CNN congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl on the Hill with the latest -- Jon.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, one thing those two officials did not say is they did not say that they had found any weapons of mass destruction yet in Iraq. But they did speak for nearly three hours before the Armed Services Committee, and they did say that they have made much progress, was an upbeat report.
Much progress towards uncovering if not the weapons, evidence that Iraq had a program to develop such weapons. And much of the evidence, they say, has been developed because they have had the cooperation of Iraqis that were actually involved in the programs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID KAY, FRM. U.N. ARMS INSPECTOR: We are gaining the cooperation, the active cooperation of Iraqis who were involved in that program. We are, as we speak, involved in sensitive exploitation of sites that we are being led by Iraqis. There is solid evidence being produced. We do not intend to expose this evidence until we have full confidence that it is solid proof of what we're proposing to talk about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: That was David Kay, the former top U.N. arms inspector who is now the CIA's point person in fining the weapons of mass destruction or at least the program's in Iraq.
But Democrats are saying that the president and the president's team made the case for going to Iraq, going to war against Iraq, making the case that Iraq presented an eminent case of using weapons of mass destruction. Democrats who were at that briefing today say that that case, the case administration made to go to war, still has not been proven.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND: They're declarations of the presence of weapons of mass destruction posing an imminent threat to the United States and their statements linking the Iraqi regime to terrorists associated with al Qaeda were questionable when uttered, and, to date, have been unsubstantiated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: And now those two officials, David Kay and Keith Dayton, the top Pentagon person on this, are now testifying in another closed session before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
One thing that they also said that they have uncovered is very detailed evidence that Iraq had an elaborate program to deceive the U.N. weapons inspectors. They say they've spoken to people that were actually involved, who were told that their job was to go out and try to steer the weapons inspectors away from Iraq's program and towards something else -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jon, once again a lot of this happening behind closed doors. What's the chance of the public being able to get a glimpse of whatever is being discussed in these hearings? I'm talking the proof, specific proof about weapons of mass destruction and programs in Iraq.
KARL: Well, David Kay was asked that quite directly and he said that they are waiting to really establish their case in the kind of -- the way you could present it to a jury. Really get all the evidence lined up, documentary evidence, evidence based on interviews of people involved in the program, a solid case, a complete case before presenting the entire case to the public.
They say they don't want to do it in bits and pieces. That doing that would jeopardize their investigation. But they do say the end of this process, that the evidence will be presented in a public way. But, Kyra, they also made it clear that may be some time.
PHILLIPS: All right, Jon Karl on the Hill. 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
Steady on Iraqi WMD>
Aired July 31, 2003 - 14:28 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In a closed and classified hearing on the Hill, two top officials are appearing before senators to testify about the elusive search for weapons and the case on war in Iraq. CNN congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl on the Hill with the latest -- Jon.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, one thing those two officials did not say is they did not say that they had found any weapons of mass destruction yet in Iraq. But they did speak for nearly three hours before the Armed Services Committee, and they did say that they have made much progress, was an upbeat report.
Much progress towards uncovering if not the weapons, evidence that Iraq had a program to develop such weapons. And much of the evidence, they say, has been developed because they have had the cooperation of Iraqis that were actually involved in the programs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID KAY, FRM. U.N. ARMS INSPECTOR: We are gaining the cooperation, the active cooperation of Iraqis who were involved in that program. We are, as we speak, involved in sensitive exploitation of sites that we are being led by Iraqis. There is solid evidence being produced. We do not intend to expose this evidence until we have full confidence that it is solid proof of what we're proposing to talk about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: That was David Kay, the former top U.N. arms inspector who is now the CIA's point person in fining the weapons of mass destruction or at least the program's in Iraq.
But Democrats are saying that the president and the president's team made the case for going to Iraq, going to war against Iraq, making the case that Iraq presented an eminent case of using weapons of mass destruction. Democrats who were at that briefing today say that that case, the case administration made to go to war, still has not been proven.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND: They're declarations of the presence of weapons of mass destruction posing an imminent threat to the United States and their statements linking the Iraqi regime to terrorists associated with al Qaeda were questionable when uttered, and, to date, have been unsubstantiated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: And now those two officials, David Kay and Keith Dayton, the top Pentagon person on this, are now testifying in another closed session before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
One thing that they also said that they have uncovered is very detailed evidence that Iraq had an elaborate program to deceive the U.N. weapons inspectors. They say they've spoken to people that were actually involved, who were told that their job was to go out and try to steer the weapons inspectors away from Iraq's program and towards something else -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jon, once again a lot of this happening behind closed doors. What's the chance of the public being able to get a glimpse of whatever is being discussed in these hearings? I'm talking the proof, specific proof about weapons of mass destruction and programs in Iraq.
KARL: Well, David Kay was asked that quite directly and he said that they are waiting to really establish their case in the kind of -- the way you could present it to a jury. Really get all the evidence lined up, documentary evidence, evidence based on interviews of people involved in the program, a solid case, a complete case before presenting the entire case to the public.
They say they don't want to do it in bits and pieces. That doing that would jeopardize their investigation. But they do say the end of this process, that the evidence will be presented in a public way. But, Kyra, they also made it clear that may be some time.
PHILLIPS: All right, Jon Karl on the Hill. 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
Steady on Iraqi WMD>
