Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
In Iraq, At Least Five Teams Checking Sites
Aired December 30, 2002 - 08:15 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: In Iraq today, at least five teams of U.N. inspectors are out checking sites for signs of banned weapons. Among the sites being checked, a munitions facility and a water treatment facility. But while they continue their work, what is next for the Iraqi regime?
Rym Brahimi is standing by in Baghdad.
She's checking in now with the very latest on that -- hello, Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
Well, there's a lot coming up here.
Now, the inspectors have been at work for more than 30 days, as you know, and there are a couple of deadlines coming up. First off, Leon, January the 9th. This is when U.N. weapons inspectors plan to give their full assessment of the weapons declaration that Iraq submitted to the United Nations earlier this month, their full assessment. Because, as you know, there were a lot of things that haven't been, they hadn't finished going through. A lot of it was still in Arabic. So they're hoping to finish their full assessment by January the 9th and then talk to the U.N. Security Council about that.
Then January 27th. Now, this is a day that the whole world will probably have its eyes on because that's when the U.N. weapons inspectors, Leon, have to present their report on their activities. By then it will have been 60 days since the weapons inspections have resumed here in Iraq and so everybody, including U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, will be keeping an eye on what that report is.
Now, amid all that, all those deadlines, there's still a lot to cover here, namely one of the issues they're covering, those interviews with scientists. As you know, Baghdad submitted a list of more than 500 Iraqi scientists and the U.N. weapons inspectors are also going to be examining that to see what's happening there and to see if there's anybody they can start interviewing formally after the first two they did last week.
Now, meanwhile, as you were mentioning, inspections have stepped up somewhat. Yesterday they were down to three sites visited. Today they're back up to six or seven. A lot of teams going out again today, and we expect that to increase as the pace picks up after the new year holiday -- Leon.
HARRIS: Rym, I have to think that there's got to be some reaction coming out of Baghdad to what's happening here with the U.S. deciding now to take a diplomat tack in dealing with North Korea. What are you hearing about that now?
BRAHIMI: Absolutely. Leon, actually, I happen to have here the editorial of the newspaper run by the ruling Baath Party, the column here, the editorial of this newspaper, called "Al Thora (ph)," or "Revolution," denouncing what it says are double standards, saying North Korea has declared to the world that it is working on a nuclear weapons program and yet the U.S. wants to discuss with it diplomatically and "we Iraqis," it says, "have no weapons of mass destruction and the inspectors are on the ground checking that and yet the U.S. still intends to bomb us."
So definitely. And that's not only in the newspapers, Leon. A lot of Iraqi officials will tell you that and those Iraqis that actually listen or have access to international news. They will tell you that, as well. They'll ask you, why is the U.S. like this with North Korea and why do they absolutely want to attack Iraq? And one thing they say, Leon, is they say that's proof, you see, that the U.S. is not interested in disarmament, it's just interested in getting its hands on oil -- Leon.
HARRIS: Rym Brahimi reporting live for us from Baghdad.
Thanks, Rym.
Take care.
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 December 30, 2002 - 08:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq today, at least five teams of U.N. inspectors are out checking sites for signs of banned weapons. Among the sites being checked, a munitions facility and a water treatment facility. But while they continue their work, what is next for the Iraqi regime?
Rym Brahimi is standing by in Baghdad.
She's checking in now with the very latest on that -- hello, Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
Well, there's a lot coming up here.
Now, the inspectors have been at work for more than 30 days, as you know, and there are a couple of deadlines coming up. First off, Leon, January the 9th. This is when U.N. weapons inspectors plan to give their full assessment of the weapons declaration that Iraq submitted to the United Nations earlier this month, their full assessment. Because, as you know, there were a lot of things that haven't been, they hadn't finished going through. A lot of it was still in Arabic. So they're hoping to finish their full assessment by January the 9th and then talk to the U.N. Security Council about that.
Then January 27th. Now, this is a day that the whole world will probably have its eyes on because that's when the U.N. weapons inspectors, Leon, have to present their report on their activities. By then it will have been 60 days since the weapons inspections have resumed here in Iraq and so everybody, including U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, will be keeping an eye on what that report is.
Now, amid all that, all those deadlines, there's still a lot to cover here, namely one of the issues they're covering, those interviews with scientists. As you know, Baghdad submitted a list of more than 500 Iraqi scientists and the U.N. weapons inspectors are also going to be examining that to see what's happening there and to see if there's anybody they can start interviewing formally after the first two they did last week.
Now, meanwhile, as you were mentioning, inspections have stepped up somewhat. Yesterday they were down to three sites visited. Today they're back up to six or seven. A lot of teams going out again today, and we expect that to increase as the pace picks up after the new year holiday -- Leon.
HARRIS: Rym, I have to think that there's got to be some reaction coming out of Baghdad to what's happening here with the U.S. deciding now to take a diplomat tack in dealing with North Korea. What are you hearing about that now?
BRAHIMI: Absolutely. Leon, actually, I happen to have here the editorial of the newspaper run by the ruling Baath Party, the column here, the editorial of this newspaper, called "Al Thora (ph)," or "Revolution," denouncing what it says are double standards, saying North Korea has declared to the world that it is working on a nuclear weapons program and yet the U.S. wants to discuss with it diplomatically and "we Iraqis," it says, "have no weapons of mass destruction and the inspectors are on the ground checking that and yet the U.S. still intends to bomb us."
So definitely. And that's not only in the newspapers, Leon. A lot of Iraqi officials will tell you that and those Iraqis that actually listen or have access to international news. They will tell you that, as well. They'll ask you, why is the U.S. like this with North Korea and why do they absolutely want to attack Iraq? And one thing they say, Leon, is they say that's proof, you see, that the U.S. is not interested in disarmament, it's just interested in getting its hands on oil -- Leon.
HARRIS: Rym Brahimi reporting live for us from Baghdad.
Thanks, Rym.
Take care.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
