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CNN Live Event/Special
Showdown Iraq: Live From Baghdad
Aired October 29, 2002 - 12:08 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get the view now from inside Iraq, now that all of this is unfolding.
Our international correspondent, Rym Brahimi, is in Baghdad. She's joining us now live.
What are they saying there -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it's not clear yet what the Iraqis would do if there were a resolution. They have said for now that they'll cross that bridge when they get to it. But it could be also that, according to the wording of the resolution, they may or may not have to reject or accept it.
What is sure, Wolf, is that the Iraqis do not seem convinced at all at what some members of the Council are trying to tell them, which is that a resolution is better than no resolution at all. The logic here in Iraq that seems to prevail, and indeed, some Iraqi officials have gone on record saying that they think the U.S. will attack them no matter what. And so, why give them an international mandate from the United Nations if that's the case?
Now, of course, there are also all of the technical aspects in this resolution that Iraq is not happy about, mainly the issue of the palaces, the issue of families of Iraqi scientists being made to go abroad, along with those scientists to be interviewed during the inspections. Iraq remains firmly opposed to any change in the way that inspections should be carried out that could be formulated in that resolution.
And also, there's been a lot of strong wording in the state media these days, Wolf. Today, there was an article, an editorial in the state-run newspaper calling on the international community to reject what it says was the U.S.'s desire to dominate the world, and what it called the U.S.' desire to actually use dictatorial approaches on foreign policy, calling on all of the countries to support Iraq and not allow the U.S. to prevail -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Rym Brahimi, CNN's eyes and ears in Baghdad right now. Thanks for that report. We'll be checking back with you, of course, as the news unfolds.
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 October 29, 2002 - 12:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get the view now from inside Iraq, now that all of this is unfolding.
Our international correspondent, Rym Brahimi, is in Baghdad. She's joining us now live.
What are they saying there -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it's not clear yet what the Iraqis would do if there were a resolution. They have said for now that they'll cross that bridge when they get to it. But it could be also that, according to the wording of the resolution, they may or may not have to reject or accept it.
What is sure, Wolf, is that the Iraqis do not seem convinced at all at what some members of the Council are trying to tell them, which is that a resolution is better than no resolution at all. The logic here in Iraq that seems to prevail, and indeed, some Iraqi officials have gone on record saying that they think the U.S. will attack them no matter what. And so, why give them an international mandate from the United Nations if that's the case?
Now, of course, there are also all of the technical aspects in this resolution that Iraq is not happy about, mainly the issue of the palaces, the issue of families of Iraqi scientists being made to go abroad, along with those scientists to be interviewed during the inspections. Iraq remains firmly opposed to any change in the way that inspections should be carried out that could be formulated in that resolution.
And also, there's been a lot of strong wording in the state media these days, Wolf. Today, there was an article, an editorial in the state-run newspaper calling on the international community to reject what it says was the U.S.'s desire to dominate the world, and what it called the U.S.' desire to actually use dictatorial approaches on foreign policy, calling on all of the countries to support Iraq and not allow the U.S. to prevail -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Rym Brahimi, CNN's eyes and ears in Baghdad right now. Thanks for that report. We'll be checking back with you, of course, as the news unfolds.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
