Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Latest on Standoff Between U.S., Iraq
Aired February 17, 2003 - 07:38 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: We're going to turn our attention now to the latest on the stand-off between the U.S. and Iraq. The Bush administration may submit a second Iraq resolution this week to the U.N. Security Council. Sources close to the process say it would likely declare Iraq in material breach of requirements to disarm. The renewed pressure comes as U.N. inspection teams head into eight sites today around Baghdad.
Let's check in with Rym Brahimi, who joins us from Baghdad with the very latest developments -- good morning, Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.
Well, the inspectors on their way out met a group of Boy Scouts who were actually demonstrating in front of the United Nations headquarters, many of them brandishing banners, waving portraits of President Saddam Hussein. They eventually asked to be let in and their representative ended up meeting the U.N. representative here in charge of the humanitarian Oil For Food program.
Now, as you mentioned, Paula, inspectors are out and about. At least eight sites being checked out today. But recently what they've been focusing on, Paula, are the sites involved with missiles. And, of course, the missile known as al-Samoud 2, which was cited in the latest report by Hans Blix, and cited by a panel of experts at the United Nations as exceeding the authorized range allowed by Iraq of 150 kilometers, or 93 miles.
Now, what the inspectors have been doing there, they've been tagging those missiles and also tagging engines. They're imported engines known as SA-2 engines. They've been tagging them. This is just a way of counting them, making sure they know where they are.
Of course, that's the subject of some controversy. Iraq says that those missiles don't go beyond the range if they are equipped with guidance systems and with munitions. Hans Blix will have to decide what to do with them, and that's going to be another issue soon -- Paula.
ZAHN: Rym, as you probably know, there was a great deal of focus in a lot of different countries on all the anti-war protests that were spawned all over the world. I'm wondering just how much mileage the Iraqi regime got out of those protests. How did they cover them?
BRAHIMI: Well, definitely, Paula, those protests were seen and shown on Iraqi TV all day. Some of them were actually even broadcast live. And, of course, it has given the people a sense that there is a lot of support out there against a U.S.-led war -- back to you, Paula.
ZAHN: Rym Brahimi, thanks for the update out of Baghdad this morning.
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 17, 2003 - 07:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to turn our attention now to the latest on the stand-off between the U.S. and Iraq. The Bush administration may submit a second Iraq resolution this week to the U.N. Security Council. Sources close to the process say it would likely declare Iraq in material breach of requirements to disarm. The renewed pressure comes as U.N. inspection teams head into eight sites today around Baghdad.
Let's check in with Rym Brahimi, who joins us from Baghdad with the very latest developments -- good morning, Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.
Well, the inspectors on their way out met a group of Boy Scouts who were actually demonstrating in front of the United Nations headquarters, many of them brandishing banners, waving portraits of President Saddam Hussein. They eventually asked to be let in and their representative ended up meeting the U.N. representative here in charge of the humanitarian Oil For Food program.
Now, as you mentioned, Paula, inspectors are out and about. At least eight sites being checked out today. But recently what they've been focusing on, Paula, are the sites involved with missiles. And, of course, the missile known as al-Samoud 2, which was cited in the latest report by Hans Blix, and cited by a panel of experts at the United Nations as exceeding the authorized range allowed by Iraq of 150 kilometers, or 93 miles.
Now, what the inspectors have been doing there, they've been tagging those missiles and also tagging engines. They're imported engines known as SA-2 engines. They've been tagging them. This is just a way of counting them, making sure they know where they are.
Of course, that's the subject of some controversy. Iraq says that those missiles don't go beyond the range if they are equipped with guidance systems and with munitions. Hans Blix will have to decide what to do with them, and that's going to be another issue soon -- Paula.
ZAHN: Rym, as you probably know, there was a great deal of focus in a lot of different countries on all the anti-war protests that were spawned all over the world. I'm wondering just how much mileage the Iraqi regime got out of those protests. How did they cover them?
BRAHIMI: Well, definitely, Paula, those protests were seen and shown on Iraqi TV all day. Some of them were actually even broadcast live. And, of course, it has given the people a sense that there is a lot of support out there against a U.S.-led war -- back to you, Paula.
ZAHN: Rym Brahimi, thanks for the update out of Baghdad this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
