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Security Council Meets for Further Discussion on Weapons Report
Aired January 29, 2003 - 10:12 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: As we mentioned at the top of the hour, the United Nations Security Council meets this morning for further discussion on the Iraq weapons report.
Chief inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed Elbaradei are going open the closed-door meeting next hour by answering questions. Let's go pose a couple now to our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth. He joins us now with more.
Good morning, Richard. What's the word there?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. This time, as you noted, Blix and Elbaradei get to answer questions after they delivered a major report on Monday, updating the level of cooperation with the inspection teams.
It's likely that they will face questions on how long the inspections should go, and a lot about what President Bush brought up last evening. Hans Blix entering U.N. headquarters was like another day, inside a little bit of a hailstorm there, and Blix was asked about U.S. newspaper reports about intelligence agencies saying that his inspections agency could be compromised by Iraqi intelligence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: We haven't seen any detail of the reports, but we have a good discussion in the United States and a good relation with the people on the intelligence side, and I don't think anyone at the high level would contend there were leaks.
QUESTION: Do you think there going to ask you about these security leaks?
BLIX: I don't know, maybe they will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Blix says he welcomes the arrival of Colin Powell next Wednesday when Powell briefs the United Nations Security Council. President Bush said Powell would be coming here with information and intelligence about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and how Baghdad is trying to hide the weapons, plus links terrorist groups.
Leon, there's still a lot of skepticism here among countries about what the U.S. has been saying in the last few months. They really want to see proof. Maybe they will get it with Colin Powell -- Leon.
HARRIS: Well, Richard, as you know, there was lots of skepticism across the country about whether or not there is a solid case to be made about going to war with Iraq, and in doing so now instead of doing so later on.
And President Bush last night set out to address that and changed some minds here domestically.
Any sense this morning that any minds there either within the Security Council, within the general assembly there, has been changed, after what we heard last night?
ROTH: A little too early to say. Most are probably not going to be changed. But Kofi Annan, it is known, believes that the threat of war is better than war itself. We've seen Iraq crack under various tougher measures the U.S. has moved on. They are allowing inspectors back in. Maybe they will show movement in the next few weeks or months.
HARRIS: Perhaps after we see that presentation by Secretary Powell, too, next week. Who knows.
Richard Roth, thanks, appreciate it. You've been quite busy at the U.N., and you're going to be busy today, too.
See you later on.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Report>
Aired January 29, 2003 - 10:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: As we mentioned at the top of the hour, the United Nations Security Council meets this morning for further discussion on the Iraq weapons report.
Chief inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed Elbaradei are going open the closed-door meeting next hour by answering questions. Let's go pose a couple now to our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth. He joins us now with more.
Good morning, Richard. What's the word there?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. This time, as you noted, Blix and Elbaradei get to answer questions after they delivered a major report on Monday, updating the level of cooperation with the inspection teams.
It's likely that they will face questions on how long the inspections should go, and a lot about what President Bush brought up last evening. Hans Blix entering U.N. headquarters was like another day, inside a little bit of a hailstorm there, and Blix was asked about U.S. newspaper reports about intelligence agencies saying that his inspections agency could be compromised by Iraqi intelligence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: We haven't seen any detail of the reports, but we have a good discussion in the United States and a good relation with the people on the intelligence side, and I don't think anyone at the high level would contend there were leaks.
QUESTION: Do you think there going to ask you about these security leaks?
BLIX: I don't know, maybe they will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Blix says he welcomes the arrival of Colin Powell next Wednesday when Powell briefs the United Nations Security Council. President Bush said Powell would be coming here with information and intelligence about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and how Baghdad is trying to hide the weapons, plus links terrorist groups.
Leon, there's still a lot of skepticism here among countries about what the U.S. has been saying in the last few months. They really want to see proof. Maybe they will get it with Colin Powell -- Leon.
HARRIS: Well, Richard, as you know, there was lots of skepticism across the country about whether or not there is a solid case to be made about going to war with Iraq, and in doing so now instead of doing so later on.
And President Bush last night set out to address that and changed some minds here domestically.
Any sense this morning that any minds there either within the Security Council, within the general assembly there, has been changed, after what we heard last night?
ROTH: A little too early to say. Most are probably not going to be changed. But Kofi Annan, it is known, believes that the threat of war is better than war itself. We've seen Iraq crack under various tougher measures the U.S. has moved on. They are allowing inspectors back in. Maybe they will show movement in the next few weeks or months.
HARRIS: Perhaps after we see that presentation by Secretary Powell, too, next week. Who knows.
Richard Roth, thanks, appreciate it. You've been quite busy at the U.N., and you're going to be busy today, too.
See you later on.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Report>
