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American Morning

Interview with IAEA Director General

Aired October 21, 2002 - 09:36   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.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: As for Iraq, the U.S. backed off its demands for a strongly worded U.N. resolution. Will inspectors soon be back in Baghdad? Joining us now from London is Mohammed Al- Baradei, director general of the International Atomic Agency.
Thank you very much for being with us, sir.

MOHAMED EL BARADEI, IAEA DIR. GENERAL: Thank you very much, Paula.

ZAHN: I want to start off this morning by you reading something that was in "The New York Times," when they're talking about the Bush administration -- quote -- "pushing harder than ever for inspections of Iraq's weapons programs to be carried out quickly and forcefully. How long do you think it will take to get inspectors back into the country?

EL BARADEI: Well, I hope, Paula, once the Security Council adopts the resolution negotiated in New York and the indication that this will happen within a week. We should be able to be back on the ground within a couple weeks after that. So hopefully by the end of the month, early November, we should be back to Iraq.

ZAHN: Mr. El Baradei, I apologize. We need to go to some breaking news out of Richmond, Virginia.

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 October 21, 2002 - 09:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: As for Iraq, the U.S. backed off its demands for a strongly worded U.N. resolution. Will inspectors soon be back in Baghdad? Joining us now from London is Mohammed Al- Baradei, director general of the International Atomic Agency.
Thank you very much for being with us, sir.

MOHAMED EL BARADEI, IAEA DIR. GENERAL: Thank you very much, Paula.

ZAHN: I want to start off this morning by you reading something that was in "The New York Times," when they're talking about the Bush administration -- quote -- "pushing harder than ever for inspections of Iraq's weapons programs to be carried out quickly and forcefully. How long do you think it will take to get inspectors back into the country?

EL BARADEI: Well, I hope, Paula, once the Security Council adopts the resolution negotiated in New York and the indication that this will happen within a week. We should be able to be back on the ground within a couple weeks after that. So hopefully by the end of the month, early November, we should be back to Iraq.

ZAHN: Mr. El Baradei, I apologize. We need to go to some breaking news out of Richmond, Virginia.

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