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American Morning
Uday Hussein Has Harsh Words for U.S.
Aired January 24, 2003 - 09:31 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: Now back to Baghdad, where there are more words of defiance just days before the U.N. is due to get a progress report on the weapons hunt.
Nic Robertson is standing by there now -- good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. Well, those defiant words coming from President Saddam Hussein's son, Uday Saddam Hussein, appearing on television saying that he thought ultimately the United States would be forced to sit around the negotiating table with Iraq because Iraq is so strong. Nevertheless, he had some very sharp warnings for the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: If they come, what they cried about on September 11 and what they saw as a big thing will seem like a picnic to them. A real picnic. They will be hurt and they will pay an unimaginable price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, more indications that Iraq is preparing for the possibility of war. The ruling revolutionary command council here issuing new laws saying that anyone who commits an armed robbery during war will face a death penalty, and anyone found tampering with their military identification papers will face 10 to 15 years in jail.
Also, sounds, voices of intolerance coming from Baghdad's mosques today, other mosques around Iraq. This is Friday, the Muslim holy day. Many people going to the mosques to listen to their religious leaders. Those leaders telling them today that earlier in the week, U.N. weapons inspectors violated the mosques, were very intolerant by going to the mosques, the U.N. weapons inspectors say they didn't go as part of an inspection, it was just a private visit. They were invited in.
Nevertheless, the message Iraq's people getting today from their religious leaders, do not tolerate the U.N. weapons inspectors -- Paula.
ZAHN: Nic, just wanted to see if there was any official reaction to some of the very harsh statements that Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz made yesterday, basically saying that there has been no cooperation between Iraqi scientists and the inspectors, because they know if they do cooperate, they could potentially lose their lives. And then, he also went on to say that -- that he can confirm that Iraqi intelligence officers are actually posing as Iraqi scientists. What are they saying there?
ROBERTSON: Well, we -- well, here, they put it in completely different terms, Paula. They say the reason the scientists don't want to go through with these private interviews, that in the past, the scientists have done that. Two scientists whose names were mentioned yesterday, said that they had had these interviews, that they talked to the inspectors and then the inspectors put out some information saying that this had led to very useful information, tracking down weapons of mass destruction. Iraqi scientists say they are afraid of that. That is what officials here tell us -- Paula.
ZAHN: Nic Robertson, reporting from Baghdad. Thanks so much.
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 January 24, 2003 - 09:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to Baghdad, where there are more words of defiance just days before the U.N. is due to get a progress report on the weapons hunt.
Nic Robertson is standing by there now -- good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. Well, those defiant words coming from President Saddam Hussein's son, Uday Saddam Hussein, appearing on television saying that he thought ultimately the United States would be forced to sit around the negotiating table with Iraq because Iraq is so strong. Nevertheless, he had some very sharp warnings for the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: If they come, what they cried about on September 11 and what they saw as a big thing will seem like a picnic to them. A real picnic. They will be hurt and they will pay an unimaginable price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, more indications that Iraq is preparing for the possibility of war. The ruling revolutionary command council here issuing new laws saying that anyone who commits an armed robbery during war will face a death penalty, and anyone found tampering with their military identification papers will face 10 to 15 years in jail.
Also, sounds, voices of intolerance coming from Baghdad's mosques today, other mosques around Iraq. This is Friday, the Muslim holy day. Many people going to the mosques to listen to their religious leaders. Those leaders telling them today that earlier in the week, U.N. weapons inspectors violated the mosques, were very intolerant by going to the mosques, the U.N. weapons inspectors say they didn't go as part of an inspection, it was just a private visit. They were invited in.
Nevertheless, the message Iraq's people getting today from their religious leaders, do not tolerate the U.N. weapons inspectors -- Paula.
ZAHN: Nic, just wanted to see if there was any official reaction to some of the very harsh statements that Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz made yesterday, basically saying that there has been no cooperation between Iraqi scientists and the inspectors, because they know if they do cooperate, they could potentially lose their lives. And then, he also went on to say that -- that he can confirm that Iraqi intelligence officers are actually posing as Iraqi scientists. What are they saying there?
ROBERTSON: Well, we -- well, here, they put it in completely different terms, Paula. They say the reason the scientists don't want to go through with these private interviews, that in the past, the scientists have done that. Two scientists whose names were mentioned yesterday, said that they had had these interviews, that they talked to the inspectors and then the inspectors put out some information saying that this had led to very useful information, tracking down weapons of mass destruction. Iraqi scientists say they are afraid of that. That is what officials here tell us -- Paula.
ZAHN: Nic Robertson, reporting from Baghdad. Thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
