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American Morning

Baghdad Giving In?

Aired February 28, 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: More on our top story now. As we've been reporting, Iraq says it will destroy missiles banned by the United Nations perhaps as soon as tomorrow. But Baghdad calls the demand unfair, and says it doesn't even know how to get rid of its Al Samoud missiles.
Let's get more now from Rym Brahimi in Baghdad.

Good morning -- Rym.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.

Well, we've just heard from U.N. officials here in Baghdad, Paula, that there will be technical discussions held tomorrow, Saturday, between U.N. officials and Iraqi officials with a view that the process of destruction of the Al Samoud 2 missile will indeed begin tomorrow.

Now, involved on the U.N. side in those discussions will be Dimitrios Perricos. He's the deputy of chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix. We understand that the discussions that they'll hold will have something to do with a timetable, a plan of action for that destruction, but also to reply to all of those questions that Iraq says it has with regard to how this destruction process has to be carried out.

As you just pointed out, Iraq sent a letter to chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix, saying it didn't know how to destroy those missiles. But also we heard earlier -- we got information earlier from the Iraqi sources saying that indeed Iraq had agreed to destroy those missiles. It did say also that the decision or the request by Hans Blix to destroy the missiles was unfair and politically motivated, but said that the destruction may start tomorrow -- Paula.

ZAHN: Rym Brahimi, thanks so much.

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 28, 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: More on our top story now. As we've been reporting, Iraq says it will destroy missiles banned by the United Nations perhaps as soon as tomorrow. But Baghdad calls the demand unfair, and says it doesn't even know how to get rid of its Al Samoud missiles.
Let's get more now from Rym Brahimi in Baghdad.

Good morning -- Rym.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.

Well, we've just heard from U.N. officials here in Baghdad, Paula, that there will be technical discussions held tomorrow, Saturday, between U.N. officials and Iraqi officials with a view that the process of destruction of the Al Samoud 2 missile will indeed begin tomorrow.

Now, involved on the U.N. side in those discussions will be Dimitrios Perricos. He's the deputy of chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix. We understand that the discussions that they'll hold will have something to do with a timetable, a plan of action for that destruction, but also to reply to all of those questions that Iraq says it has with regard to how this destruction process has to be carried out.

As you just pointed out, Iraq sent a letter to chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix, saying it didn't know how to destroy those missiles. But also we heard earlier -- we got information earlier from the Iraqi sources saying that indeed Iraq had agreed to destroy those missiles. It did say also that the decision or the request by Hans Blix to destroy the missiles was unfair and politically motivated, but said that the destruction may start tomorrow -- Paula.

ZAHN: Rym Brahimi, thanks so much.

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