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American Morning

International Reaction to Colin Powell's Presentation to U.N.

Aired February 06, 2003 - 07:04   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: Back at the U.N. yesterday, Secretary of State Powell warned that the credibility of the Security Council was at stake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: But how much longer are we willing to put up with Iraq's noncompliance before we as a council, we as the United Nations, say enough, enough?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: But how is the speech playing around the world? Well, in Baghdad, the reaction was quick, and as you might expect, caustic, while in London, Tony Blair is losing patience with inspections.

Joining us with more, Richard Roth from London this morning, Nic Robertson in Baghdad.

Let's start off with Richard this morning -- good morning.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Behind me, 10 Downing Street, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's office, and he is talking right now with leading international arms inspectors, Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei. Blix arriving here about 30 minutes ago. This is where the road to Baghdad is now passing through.

On the plane from New York over here to London, I asked Blix about Colin Powell's presentation. He said, like everyone, he's just trying to find the truth, the reality. Blix said he heard some new aspects in Powell's presentation and some old.

I asked Blix on the plane about his third trip to Iraq in three months.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Well, I don't know. It could be. The clock is ticking on. And if the Iraqis are not really helpful on the matter of substance, then of course I would be concerned that it could be the last one. However, if there is good cooperation, if we really feel that we're getting closer and the council feels it's getting closer to being sure that the remaining things of weapons of mass destruction either are gone and it's proven and they're convinced or that they're doing it, you know, then it could be a different direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: Blix, when he said "I don't know," he was asked by me whether this would be his last trip -- Paula.

ZAHN: Richard, a lot of editorials this morning in U.S. newspapers with very strong reaction to what Secretary of State Powell said. And in the "Los Angeles Times" this morning is an editorial basically that's saying that the United Nations risks irrelevance if it does not set a deadline by which Iraqis have to comply, and if they don't meet that deadline, then in fact there will be military action.

What are the chances of that happening?

ROTH: Well, Colin Powell did say that again, reminding the Security Council that it faces irrelevance. It could happen that there would indeed be a deadline set. A lot will depend on how much Baghdad cooperates with Blix and the inspectors this weekend, whether it's U-2 reconnaissance flights or private interviews with Iraqi scientists, there are a lot of gaps in Baghdad. According to France and Russia, nations that still want to give the inspectors more time, that they are calling on Iraq to comply. And if they don't, that would move more towards possibly a second resolution with a deadline.

ZAHN: Richard Roth, thanks for the update -- a traveling man who was in Europe until late yesterday afternoon, and we find him in London this morning. See you a little bit later on this morning, Richard.

Now let's go back to Baghdad. Nic Robertson on duty there for the very latest on Iraqi reaction to the speech.

Good morning -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, full of stunts and special effects, was the characterization General Amer al-Sa'adi, President Saddam Hussein's top scientific advisor, gave Colin Powell's address. He also refuted accusations that he personally was involved in the commission, whose job it was to thwart the inspectors. He said that from the beginning, his orders had been to tell everything from the beginning.

Also, he said that the very fact that Colin Powell had put this to the U.N. Security Council, put all of these details to the Security Council, was in violation of Resolution 1441. He said this information should have gone to the weapons inspectors. He says Iraq intends to write to the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan about this, detailing much more of their rebuttals of all of these accusations.

Interestingly, today one of the sites that Colin Powell talked about -- he showed satellite photographs of a storage site, a missile storage site. He had photographs showing U.N. vehicles approaching that site. He said that Iraqis had been moving missiles around at that site. Interestingly, that is a place that a team of U.N. missile inspectors have gone to today.

Another interesting development today here at the Ministry of Information, where hundreds of Iraqi government employees work, they've worked without power this morning, apparently practicing for the possibility of war. People have had candles lit at their desks this morning -- Paula.

ZAHN: Nic Robertson, thanks for the update -- Nic reporting from Baghdad.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




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Aired February 6, 2003 - 07:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back at the U.N. yesterday, Secretary of State Powell warned that the credibility of the Security Council was at stake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: But how much longer are we willing to put up with Iraq's noncompliance before we as a council, we as the United Nations, say enough, enough?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: But how is the speech playing around the world? Well, in Baghdad, the reaction was quick, and as you might expect, caustic, while in London, Tony Blair is losing patience with inspections.

Joining us with more, Richard Roth from London this morning, Nic Robertson in Baghdad.

Let's start off with Richard this morning -- good morning.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Behind me, 10 Downing Street, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's office, and he is talking right now with leading international arms inspectors, Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei. Blix arriving here about 30 minutes ago. This is where the road to Baghdad is now passing through.

On the plane from New York over here to London, I asked Blix about Colin Powell's presentation. He said, like everyone, he's just trying to find the truth, the reality. Blix said he heard some new aspects in Powell's presentation and some old.

I asked Blix on the plane about his third trip to Iraq in three months.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Well, I don't know. It could be. The clock is ticking on. And if the Iraqis are not really helpful on the matter of substance, then of course I would be concerned that it could be the last one. However, if there is good cooperation, if we really feel that we're getting closer and the council feels it's getting closer to being sure that the remaining things of weapons of mass destruction either are gone and it's proven and they're convinced or that they're doing it, you know, then it could be a different direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: Blix, when he said "I don't know," he was asked by me whether this would be his last trip -- Paula.

ZAHN: Richard, a lot of editorials this morning in U.S. newspapers with very strong reaction to what Secretary of State Powell said. And in the "Los Angeles Times" this morning is an editorial basically that's saying that the United Nations risks irrelevance if it does not set a deadline by which Iraqis have to comply, and if they don't meet that deadline, then in fact there will be military action.

What are the chances of that happening?

ROTH: Well, Colin Powell did say that again, reminding the Security Council that it faces irrelevance. It could happen that there would indeed be a deadline set. A lot will depend on how much Baghdad cooperates with Blix and the inspectors this weekend, whether it's U-2 reconnaissance flights or private interviews with Iraqi scientists, there are a lot of gaps in Baghdad. According to France and Russia, nations that still want to give the inspectors more time, that they are calling on Iraq to comply. And if they don't, that would move more towards possibly a second resolution with a deadline.

ZAHN: Richard Roth, thanks for the update -- a traveling man who was in Europe until late yesterday afternoon, and we find him in London this morning. See you a little bit later on this morning, Richard.

Now let's go back to Baghdad. Nic Robertson on duty there for the very latest on Iraqi reaction to the speech.

Good morning -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, full of stunts and special effects, was the characterization General Amer al-Sa'adi, President Saddam Hussein's top scientific advisor, gave Colin Powell's address. He also refuted accusations that he personally was involved in the commission, whose job it was to thwart the inspectors. He said that from the beginning, his orders had been to tell everything from the beginning.

Also, he said that the very fact that Colin Powell had put this to the U.N. Security Council, put all of these details to the Security Council, was in violation of Resolution 1441. He said this information should have gone to the weapons inspectors. He says Iraq intends to write to the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan about this, detailing much more of their rebuttals of all of these accusations.

Interestingly, today one of the sites that Colin Powell talked about -- he showed satellite photographs of a storage site, a missile storage site. He had photographs showing U.N. vehicles approaching that site. He said that Iraqis had been moving missiles around at that site. Interestingly, that is a place that a team of U.N. missile inspectors have gone to today.

Another interesting development today here at the Ministry of Information, where hundreds of Iraqi government employees work, they've worked without power this morning, apparently practicing for the possibility of war. People have had candles lit at their desks this morning -- Paula.

ZAHN: Nic Robertson, thanks for the update -- Nic reporting from Baghdad.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




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