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American Morning
Iraq: The Weapons Hunt: Intensifying the Search
Aired January 10, 2003 - 09:32 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: Just one day after chief weapons inspector Hans Blix delivered a critical report on Iraq to the Security Council, weapons inspectors fanned out from Baghdad for more inspections today.
Let's turn to Rym Brahimi to find out what they think they might find -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, I'm not sure what they think they might find, but they have been looking in various directions. One of them missile factories. They went back to a missile factory visited several times by missile experts. The nuclear experts in the past few days have been focusing on cement factories. Something they;re focusing on is some explosion material.
But today, most of the teams went to a warehouse that stores food for the government, a drug research place, and the airborne mission that was supposed to take place on the helicopter didn't happen because of poor weather conditions.
Now, Paula, as you know, Hans Blix, the U.N. chief weapons inspector and Mohammad El Baradei, the chief nuclear expert, are planning to come to Baghdad in about 10 days. There are going to be a lot of issues to discuss there. As you know, Hans Blix says there is a lot that Iraq needs to answer for. Iraq says they can answer those questions, but they don't think, however, that they have left any gaps in the weapons declaration, but there will be a lot of things to discuss, including, of course, that issue of scientists. There was a lot of reports about the possibility of scientists, Iraqi scientists, being interviewed abroad.
Iraq, so far, says it has not received a formal question or request about interviewing Iraqi scientists in Cyprus. However, one inspector had asked the question. Iraqi officials say, however, that they haven't yet -- they don't believe Iraqi scientists will be -- will actually want to travel abroad for that.
Now at the same time, Paula, there has been a lot of peace delegations coming in and, today, business delegation coming from Turkey, and of course, today, the Muslim day of rest, so there's been a lot of talk in the mosques again about the United States, trying to conquer the entire region -- Paula.
ZAHN: Rym Brahimi, we're going to have to leave it there this morning. Thanks so much for the update.
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Aired January 10, 2003 - 09:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Just one day after chief weapons inspector Hans Blix delivered a critical report on Iraq to the Security Council, weapons inspectors fanned out from Baghdad for more inspections today.
Let's turn to Rym Brahimi to find out what they think they might find -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, I'm not sure what they think they might find, but they have been looking in various directions. One of them missile factories. They went back to a missile factory visited several times by missile experts. The nuclear experts in the past few days have been focusing on cement factories. Something they;re focusing on is some explosion material.
But today, most of the teams went to a warehouse that stores food for the government, a drug research place, and the airborne mission that was supposed to take place on the helicopter didn't happen because of poor weather conditions.
Now, Paula, as you know, Hans Blix, the U.N. chief weapons inspector and Mohammad El Baradei, the chief nuclear expert, are planning to come to Baghdad in about 10 days. There are going to be a lot of issues to discuss there. As you know, Hans Blix says there is a lot that Iraq needs to answer for. Iraq says they can answer those questions, but they don't think, however, that they have left any gaps in the weapons declaration, but there will be a lot of things to discuss, including, of course, that issue of scientists. There was a lot of reports about the possibility of scientists, Iraqi scientists, being interviewed abroad.
Iraq, so far, says it has not received a formal question or request about interviewing Iraqi scientists in Cyprus. However, one inspector had asked the question. Iraqi officials say, however, that they haven't yet -- they don't believe Iraqi scientists will be -- will actually want to travel abroad for that.
Now at the same time, Paula, there has been a lot of peace delegations coming in and, today, business delegation coming from Turkey, and of course, today, the Muslim day of rest, so there's been a lot of talk in the mosques again about the United States, trying to conquer the entire region -- Paula.
ZAHN: Rym Brahimi, we're going to have to leave it there this morning. Thanks so much for the update.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
