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American Morning

Inspectors Persist in Hunt for Weapons of Mass Destruction

Aired February 20, 2003 - 08:09   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, we are going to move along to Baghdad, where hundreds of protesters marched today in the streets of Baghdad, calling on the U.N. to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. And inspectors persisted in their hunt for weapons of mass destruction.
Let's catch up with Nic Robertson, who's standing by live in Baghdad with the very latest -- good morning, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, the very latest, President Saddam Hussein appearing on television with top ministers today, also the minister of defense, who had been rumored recently to be under house arrest. He was there. Seemed to be smiling around a long table with President Saddam Hussein. The talk there at that table today about preparations for war.

We haven't heard this sort of talk on television for at least the last few days, maybe a week or so, so that's a bit of a change here. Also, the discussion at the table, how the people of Iraq could be prepared and ready, they said, to defend the sovereignty of their country. This sort of subtle mood swing, it's the first time we've heard this sort of debate raising the possibility of war again, the first time we've heard it for a little while.

Also, the weapons inspectors here, at least four missile teams concentrating. Again, this is the fifth day that they've been out concentrating on the newly prescribed al-Samoud 2 missiles, those missiles the U.N. recently said went beyond their allowed range -- Paula.

ZAHN: Tell us a little bit more about these protests today.

ROBERTSON: They went to the U.N. offices here in Baghdad. It was a group of Muslim clerics and Christian priests. They went in a joint demonstration. Their mission there was to try and draw attention to the fact that the religious leaders here are pushing for a peaceful solution to what's happening about Iraq at the moment. And it was a very visible sign of them delivering that message.

We have seen this same message delivered in a number of different ways, in big demonstrations here at the weekend, smaller demonstrations more recently by some of the peace, international peace groups who have come to Baghdad. But it's a continuing theme here, that is, that Iraqi people, whether they be religious, Christian, Muslim, whatever, they say that they want peace at this time -- Paula. ZAHN: And how closely are they following the debate at the U.N.? I mean there's so much talk here today about the U.S. and Britain going for a second resolution. Is that something that they're even privy to?

ROBERTSON: People are very much aware of it. The overriding feeling at the moment is that the United States is isolated. We see this in a lot of the newspaper articles here. They repeatedly say that the United States and Great Britain are out of step with the rest of the world. There's been an appeal recently following the meeting of foreign ministers from different Arab, different countries in the region, in Cairo recently. There's calls in the newspapers for the Arab countries here to take a stronger stand, they say, with some of the European countries, perhaps a level of disappointment there. Not a clear position has been put forward by the different Arab leaders at this time -- Paula.

ZAHN: Nic Robertson, thanks for that update.

Appreciate it.

We'll 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




Destruction>


Aired February 20, 2003 - 08:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now, we are going to move along to Baghdad, where hundreds of protesters marched today in the streets of Baghdad, calling on the U.N. to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. And inspectors persisted in their hunt for weapons of mass destruction.
Let's catch up with Nic Robertson, who's standing by live in Baghdad with the very latest -- good morning, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, the very latest, President Saddam Hussein appearing on television with top ministers today, also the minister of defense, who had been rumored recently to be under house arrest. He was there. Seemed to be smiling around a long table with President Saddam Hussein. The talk there at that table today about preparations for war.

We haven't heard this sort of talk on television for at least the last few days, maybe a week or so, so that's a bit of a change here. Also, the discussion at the table, how the people of Iraq could be prepared and ready, they said, to defend the sovereignty of their country. This sort of subtle mood swing, it's the first time we've heard this sort of debate raising the possibility of war again, the first time we've heard it for a little while.

Also, the weapons inspectors here, at least four missile teams concentrating. Again, this is the fifth day that they've been out concentrating on the newly prescribed al-Samoud 2 missiles, those missiles the U.N. recently said went beyond their allowed range -- Paula.

ZAHN: Tell us a little bit more about these protests today.

ROBERTSON: They went to the U.N. offices here in Baghdad. It was a group of Muslim clerics and Christian priests. They went in a joint demonstration. Their mission there was to try and draw attention to the fact that the religious leaders here are pushing for a peaceful solution to what's happening about Iraq at the moment. And it was a very visible sign of them delivering that message.

We have seen this same message delivered in a number of different ways, in big demonstrations here at the weekend, smaller demonstrations more recently by some of the peace, international peace groups who have come to Baghdad. But it's a continuing theme here, that is, that Iraqi people, whether they be religious, Christian, Muslim, whatever, they say that they want peace at this time -- Paula. ZAHN: And how closely are they following the debate at the U.N.? I mean there's so much talk here today about the U.S. and Britain going for a second resolution. Is that something that they're even privy to?

ROBERTSON: People are very much aware of it. The overriding feeling at the moment is that the United States is isolated. We see this in a lot of the newspaper articles here. They repeatedly say that the United States and Great Britain are out of step with the rest of the world. There's been an appeal recently following the meeting of foreign ministers from different Arab, different countries in the region, in Cairo recently. There's calls in the newspapers for the Arab countries here to take a stronger stand, they say, with some of the European countries, perhaps a level of disappointment there. Not a clear position has been put forward by the different Arab leaders at this time -- Paula.

ZAHN: Nic Robertson, thanks for that update.

Appreciate it.

We'll 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




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