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American Morning
Iraq Asks Top U.N. Inspectors to Return to Baghdad
Aired January 31, 2003 - 07:31 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: And back to the subject of Iraq. Iraq has asked the top U.N. inspectors to return to Baghdad. But Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei say they won't consider it unless Baghdad makes some changes.
Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson on duty in Baghdad.
He has the very latest from there -- good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, those two changes, something we've heard a lot about recently, that is, the U.N. inspectors here want to be able to have private interviews with Iraqi scientists and they also want to get an agreement with Iraqi officials to fly the U2 surveillance aircraft here. Both of those issues become serious sticking issues now. Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, we understand, indicating that even if they do come back under those conditions of agreement, that they would want to have meetings at the highest level. And, Paula, the highest level here tends to mean President Saddam Hussein. Absolutely no indications from the Iraqis that that is an option at this time.
We have, however, heard today some opinion about what -- some Iraqi official opinion about what Colin Powell may tell the U.N. next week. General Hussam Amin, the head of the group of Iraqi officials that deals with the U.N. here, saying that he expects it to be void of evidence, to be groundless, to be something that they've already heard. Indeed, he extended an invitation to the CIA. This is something the Iraqis have done before. He said look, send the CIA here. They can come and show us if we have weapons of mass destruction. That's the atmosphere in which Colin Powell's statements are going to be received -- Paula.
ZAHN: So, as Mr. Powell lays out stuff next week, which we are told by some published accounts this morning includes information gotten from detainees at Guantanamo Bay, they're pretty much saying it doesn't matter what he presents, they're going to say it's fraudulent?
ROBERTSON: That's what they're saying right now, groundless, void, that's, those are their expectations and this would be very much in keeping with everything that we've heard from Iraqi officials up to now.
It is, and I know I've said this a lot of times, but this is the position from Baghdad. They believe the United States is only using U.N. Resolution 1441 as a means to start a war or aggression against Iraq -- Paula.
ZAHN: Nic Robertson, thanks for that update.
See you in our next hour.
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 31, 2003 - 07:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: And back to the subject of Iraq. Iraq has asked the top U.N. inspectors to return to Baghdad. But Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei say they won't consider it unless Baghdad makes some changes.
Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson on duty in Baghdad.
He has the very latest from there -- good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, those two changes, something we've heard a lot about recently, that is, the U.N. inspectors here want to be able to have private interviews with Iraqi scientists and they also want to get an agreement with Iraqi officials to fly the U2 surveillance aircraft here. Both of those issues become serious sticking issues now. Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, we understand, indicating that even if they do come back under those conditions of agreement, that they would want to have meetings at the highest level. And, Paula, the highest level here tends to mean President Saddam Hussein. Absolutely no indications from the Iraqis that that is an option at this time.
We have, however, heard today some opinion about what -- some Iraqi official opinion about what Colin Powell may tell the U.N. next week. General Hussam Amin, the head of the group of Iraqi officials that deals with the U.N. here, saying that he expects it to be void of evidence, to be groundless, to be something that they've already heard. Indeed, he extended an invitation to the CIA. This is something the Iraqis have done before. He said look, send the CIA here. They can come and show us if we have weapons of mass destruction. That's the atmosphere in which Colin Powell's statements are going to be received -- Paula.
ZAHN: So, as Mr. Powell lays out stuff next week, which we are told by some published accounts this morning includes information gotten from detainees at Guantanamo Bay, they're pretty much saying it doesn't matter what he presents, they're going to say it's fraudulent?
ROBERTSON: That's what they're saying right now, groundless, void, that's, those are their expectations and this would be very much in keeping with everything that we've heard from Iraqi officials up to now.
It is, and I know I've said this a lot of times, but this is the position from Baghdad. They believe the United States is only using U.N. Resolution 1441 as a means to start a war or aggression against Iraq -- Paula.
ZAHN: Nic Robertson, thanks for that update.
See you in our next hour.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
