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American Morning
Iraq Says U.S. Has No Smoking Gun
Aired February 04, 2003 - 08:39 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq right now, on the eve of Colin Powell's important presentation before the Security Council tomorrow, officials in Iraq are now saying the U.S. has no smoking gun, and that the evidence will not show that Iraq has any weapons programs or ties to Al Qaeda.
More reaction in Iraq and Rym Brahimi who is watching things there in Baghdad.
Rym, hello.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.
Well, indeed, we were at a meeting where President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, General Ahmed Assadi (ph), met with a group of 30 European members of parliament. He told them about the inspection process, and they asked him, what do you expect U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to come up with when he meets the U.N. Security Council? General Ahmed Assadi (ph) said, we're not worried at all, we have nothing to hide, we know that there is nothing they can pin on us, and we have no weapons of mass destruction. He also spoke about the fact that he felt it was very important to avert war, and that Iraqi -- Iraq was doing all it could, that he was prepared to cooperate even more and talk about this when chief U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohammed Elbaradei come to Baghdad on the weekend.
Now as Iraqi officials work to avert war, they are also preparing for the possibility of one. Iraqis are ready, that's what President Saddam Hussein told his top military commanders. He also said that to Iraqi people at large, a meeting broadcast by state-run Iraqi TV, in which President Saddam Hussein said all Iraqi men and women would respond to an emergency called to defend the country. The members of the ruling Baath Party were also shown on Iraqi TV training in various provinces of Iraq, and an Army newspaper says that in addition to the armed forces, 10 million Iraqis would be prepared to lose their lives to defend their country -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym Brahimi in Baghdad. Rym, thanks to you.
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 February 4, 2003 - 08:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq right now, on the eve of Colin Powell's important presentation before the Security Council tomorrow, officials in Iraq are now saying the U.S. has no smoking gun, and that the evidence will not show that Iraq has any weapons programs or ties to Al Qaeda.
More reaction in Iraq and Rym Brahimi who is watching things there in Baghdad.
Rym, hello.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.
Well, indeed, we were at a meeting where President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, General Ahmed Assadi (ph), met with a group of 30 European members of parliament. He told them about the inspection process, and they asked him, what do you expect U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to come up with when he meets the U.N. Security Council? General Ahmed Assadi (ph) said, we're not worried at all, we have nothing to hide, we know that there is nothing they can pin on us, and we have no weapons of mass destruction. He also spoke about the fact that he felt it was very important to avert war, and that Iraqi -- Iraq was doing all it could, that he was prepared to cooperate even more and talk about this when chief U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohammed Elbaradei come to Baghdad on the weekend.
Now as Iraqi officials work to avert war, they are also preparing for the possibility of one. Iraqis are ready, that's what President Saddam Hussein told his top military commanders. He also said that to Iraqi people at large, a meeting broadcast by state-run Iraqi TV, in which President Saddam Hussein said all Iraqi men and women would respond to an emergency called to defend the country. The members of the ruling Baath Party were also shown on Iraqi TV training in various provinces of Iraq, and an Army newspaper says that in addition to the armed forces, 10 million Iraqis would be prepared to lose their lives to defend their country -- Bill.
HEMMER: Rym Brahimi in Baghdad. Rym, thanks to you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
