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Iraq Saying Tomorrow it Will Begin to Destroy Al-Samoud Missiles
Aired February 28, 2003 - 08:03 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: More on our top story now out of Iraq, Iraq saying that starting tomorrow it will begin to cooperate with the U.N. order to destroy its al-Samoud missiles. The U.N. says those missiles violate its rules. But Baghdad calls the demand unfair. It says it doesn't know how to get rid of the missiles.
Let's get more now from Nic Robertson in Baghdad -- good morning, Nic.
When is the destruction expected to begin?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, before the destruction there's going to be a round of technical talks here in Baghdad, U.N. inspectors sitting down with Iraqi officials. The reason that these talks were going ahead is because Iraqi officials have said they don't know how to destroy the al-Samoud II missiles in a way that the U.N. feels is verifiable.
Now, the U.N. inspectors say that they expect these round of talks will take place with a view to the destruction beginning Saturday after the talks have completed. What the U.N. says it wants to see and it expects to see coming out of these talks are an action plan for the destruction and a timetable for the destruction of these missiles.
Now, Iraq's acceptance is seen to be a very, very reluctant acceptance. They still stick to the line that they don't have any missiles that go beyond the U.N. range, that these missiles were never intended to go beyond the 93 mile range. But they say this does, from the U.N.'s point of view here, seem to be a very positive step forward towards the destruction of the missiles and they are expecting the destruction to begin Saturday.
However, there is yet to be a very clear, definitive time set for that first destruction process to start -- Paula.
ZAHN: And Hans Blix is expected to go before the Security Council today and say that the Iraqis are not cooperating at a pace that was expected. Any reaction there to what Hans Blix is expected to say?
ROBERTSON: Well, Iraqi officials here have always looked at Hans Blix's statements in this vein, as what they, as how they see it, as succumbing to U.S. pressure. They say that at times Hans Blix has focused on the negative when rather he should focus, he should not put so much emphasis on the negative. Iraqi officials would likely point to the fact that they have begun to dig up some biological bombs recently, the fact that they have given U.N. officials here a list of chemical scientists recently, biological scientists, a recent number of documents that have been handed over to U.N. officials. The U.N., for their part here, would point to the lack of movement on private interviews with Iraqi scientists and a number of other issues here, as well.
So from Iraq's point of view, they've been doing, giving all the cooperation they believe that they should be giving -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Nic.
Nic Robertson reporting from Baghdad for us today.
Meanwhile, Russia is talking tough about the proposed U.N. resolution that would authorize war against Iraq. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov says Moscow will strike down the resolution if necessary in order to maintain "world stability."
For more on this, let's head to Moscow, where our bureau chief there, Jill Dougherty, is standing by -- good morning, Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, this really is the strongest statement so far from any Russian official concerning Iraq (AUDIO GAP)...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IGOR IVANOV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Russia has the right of veto. If the interests of international stability demands it, Russia, of course, will exercise its right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Did we just lose the line?
We can see Jill, but we can't hear her. It is interesting that this is the action the Russians are expected to take. What a difference 24 hours makes.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Missiles>
Aired February 28, 2003 - 08:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More on our top story now out of Iraq, Iraq saying that starting tomorrow it will begin to cooperate with the U.N. order to destroy its al-Samoud missiles. The U.N. says those missiles violate its rules. But Baghdad calls the demand unfair. It says it doesn't know how to get rid of the missiles.
Let's get more now from Nic Robertson in Baghdad -- good morning, Nic.
When is the destruction expected to begin?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, before the destruction there's going to be a round of technical talks here in Baghdad, U.N. inspectors sitting down with Iraqi officials. The reason that these talks were going ahead is because Iraqi officials have said they don't know how to destroy the al-Samoud II missiles in a way that the U.N. feels is verifiable.
Now, the U.N. inspectors say that they expect these round of talks will take place with a view to the destruction beginning Saturday after the talks have completed. What the U.N. says it wants to see and it expects to see coming out of these talks are an action plan for the destruction and a timetable for the destruction of these missiles.
Now, Iraq's acceptance is seen to be a very, very reluctant acceptance. They still stick to the line that they don't have any missiles that go beyond the U.N. range, that these missiles were never intended to go beyond the 93 mile range. But they say this does, from the U.N.'s point of view here, seem to be a very positive step forward towards the destruction of the missiles and they are expecting the destruction to begin Saturday.
However, there is yet to be a very clear, definitive time set for that first destruction process to start -- Paula.
ZAHN: And Hans Blix is expected to go before the Security Council today and say that the Iraqis are not cooperating at a pace that was expected. Any reaction there to what Hans Blix is expected to say?
ROBERTSON: Well, Iraqi officials here have always looked at Hans Blix's statements in this vein, as what they, as how they see it, as succumbing to U.S. pressure. They say that at times Hans Blix has focused on the negative when rather he should focus, he should not put so much emphasis on the negative. Iraqi officials would likely point to the fact that they have begun to dig up some biological bombs recently, the fact that they have given U.N. officials here a list of chemical scientists recently, biological scientists, a recent number of documents that have been handed over to U.N. officials. The U.N., for their part here, would point to the lack of movement on private interviews with Iraqi scientists and a number of other issues here, as well.
So from Iraq's point of view, they've been doing, giving all the cooperation they believe that they should be giving -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Nic.
Nic Robertson reporting from Baghdad for us today.
Meanwhile, Russia is talking tough about the proposed U.N. resolution that would authorize war against Iraq. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov says Moscow will strike down the resolution if necessary in order to maintain "world stability."
For more on this, let's head to Moscow, where our bureau chief there, Jill Dougherty, is standing by -- good morning, Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, this really is the strongest statement so far from any Russian official concerning Iraq (AUDIO GAP)...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IGOR IVANOV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Russia has the right of veto. If the interests of international stability demands it, Russia, of course, will exercise its right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Did we just lose the line?
We can see Jill, but we can't hear her. It is interesting that this is the action the Russians are expected to take. What a difference 24 hours makes.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Missiles>
