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American Morning
Hans Blix Will be in New York to Brief Security Council
Aired November 25, 2002 - 08:03 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: While the first group of weapons inspectors arrives this morning in Iraq, their boss, Hans Blix, head of the U.N. team, will be in New York to brief the Security Council.
Let's turn to our own Richard Roth, who joins us from the U.N. right now to give us a preview -- good morning, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Hans Blix, chief weapons inspector, back from his visit to Baghdad, will brief the United Nations Security Council. Don't expect much fireworks at this briefing. Maybe some return visits from Blix will provide some heat. But this is more just a briefing on what he met and heard in Baghdad, in the Iraqi capital.
There you see the Iraqi foreign minister, Naji Sabri. Blix talked with him. Blix's inspectors will begin their true inspections this week for the first time in four years. The Iraqi foreign minister, Naji Sabri, sent a letter over the weekend to the United Nations in which he complained about the resolution that puts the inspectors back in. Baghdad still not backing down on its tough talk.
In a letter to the Security Council, the Iraqis say the aim of the resolution passed by the Council is very clear, and that is to provide pretexts in order to distort the position of Iraq. Basically, Iraq says there are thousands of pages that it could be tripped up on, not enough for a war, so it says considering leaving out some information to be a material breach means there is premeditation to target Iraq.
This is what Iraq is continuing to harp on in its letters and its communications. While it says it's going to cooperate, Paula, with the inspectors, Baghdad says it's an illegitimate resolution not based on international law -- Paula.
ZAHN: Well, as you know, we've had some guests on throughout the morning who say that that statement from the Iraqis is not only disturbing, but as Richard Butler described it, the former U.N. weapons inspector himself, as absolutely hilarious. What are you being told privately about the reaction to the statement by the Iraqis?
ROTH: Well, there's not much reaction because they knew this letter was coming and they've heard this type of talk, bellicose talk from Baghdad before, even when Baghdad was agreeing with the U.N. and either accepting inspectors or accepting the oil for food humanitarian program. The real test December 8, that deadline for Iraq's declaration of any weapons of mass destruction program. This is a minor blip in the communication between the U.N. and Baghdad.
ZAHN: Richard Roth, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
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 November 25, 2002 - 08:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: While the first group of weapons inspectors arrives this morning in Iraq, their boss, Hans Blix, head of the U.N. team, will be in New York to brief the Security Council.
Let's turn to our own Richard Roth, who joins us from the U.N. right now to give us a preview -- good morning, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Hans Blix, chief weapons inspector, back from his visit to Baghdad, will brief the United Nations Security Council. Don't expect much fireworks at this briefing. Maybe some return visits from Blix will provide some heat. But this is more just a briefing on what he met and heard in Baghdad, in the Iraqi capital.
There you see the Iraqi foreign minister, Naji Sabri. Blix talked with him. Blix's inspectors will begin their true inspections this week for the first time in four years. The Iraqi foreign minister, Naji Sabri, sent a letter over the weekend to the United Nations in which he complained about the resolution that puts the inspectors back in. Baghdad still not backing down on its tough talk.
In a letter to the Security Council, the Iraqis say the aim of the resolution passed by the Council is very clear, and that is to provide pretexts in order to distort the position of Iraq. Basically, Iraq says there are thousands of pages that it could be tripped up on, not enough for a war, so it says considering leaving out some information to be a material breach means there is premeditation to target Iraq.
This is what Iraq is continuing to harp on in its letters and its communications. While it says it's going to cooperate, Paula, with the inspectors, Baghdad says it's an illegitimate resolution not based on international law -- Paula.
ZAHN: Well, as you know, we've had some guests on throughout the morning who say that that statement from the Iraqis is not only disturbing, but as Richard Butler described it, the former U.N. weapons inspector himself, as absolutely hilarious. What are you being told privately about the reaction to the statement by the Iraqis?
ROTH: Well, there's not much reaction because they knew this letter was coming and they've heard this type of talk, bellicose talk from Baghdad before, even when Baghdad was agreeing with the U.N. and either accepting inspectors or accepting the oil for food humanitarian program. The real test December 8, that deadline for Iraq's declaration of any weapons of mass destruction program. This is a minor blip in the communication between the U.N. and Baghdad.
ZAHN: Richard Roth, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
