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CNN Live Event/Special
Iraqi News Conference
Aired March 18, 2003 - 12:29 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: All right, we're going to break away briefly from Ari Fleischer's press briefing to go live to Baghdad. The foreign minister of Iraq, Naji Sabri, is speaking to reporters. .
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
NAJI SABRI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): ... and that was a crown on top of 13 years of conspiratory work against international legitimacy through a series, a gradual series of measures in the context of the Security Council, until he hit a brick wall of the international will that rejected his colonizing project to wage war against Iraq in order to control it.
He was disappointed. And to change the map of the area to the benefit of Israel and to the benefit of some greed, some greedy intentions of companies that brought Bush and his aides to the presidency in the United States.
That speech that he -- that the criminal, the war criminal Bush gave exemplifies, epitomizes the pinnacle of the war against Iraq since 1990. The pretext then was Kuwait, and when Iraq withdrew from Kuwait at the end of February 1991, the United States changed the topic now to the weapons of mass destruction.
And when the weapons of mass destruction were destroyed at the end of '91, the inspection committee started. And some American and British officials in the inspection teams, they started to work around, and dragging their feet so that they can prevent the United Nations -- prevent it from implementing the resolutions that state that the embargo, the sanctions should be lifted, and its sovereignty -- the Iraq sovereignty should be respected, and to rid the area of Middle East from all WMDs, including the huge arsenal of WMDs that is present now, that Israel has now.
And then Butler (ph), the Australian, the American spy, after he finished inspecting all facilities, industrial, civil, in Iraq, he went to move on to the military bases. And after the inspection of those bases was finished, he moved on to houses and residences.
And after the inspectors were sure and confirmed that there were no weapons of mass destruction and any related activities, Butler (ph) went on and...
BLITZER: All right, we're going to break away from Naji Sabri, the foreign minister of Iraq in Baghdad, briefing reporters there, opening up with a statement.
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 March 18, 2003 - 12:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're going to break away briefly from Ari Fleischer's press briefing to go live to Baghdad. The foreign minister of Iraq, Naji Sabri, is speaking to reporters. .
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
NAJI SABRI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): ... and that was a crown on top of 13 years of conspiratory work against international legitimacy through a series, a gradual series of measures in the context of the Security Council, until he hit a brick wall of the international will that rejected his colonizing project to wage war against Iraq in order to control it.
He was disappointed. And to change the map of the area to the benefit of Israel and to the benefit of some greed, some greedy intentions of companies that brought Bush and his aides to the presidency in the United States.
That speech that he -- that the criminal, the war criminal Bush gave exemplifies, epitomizes the pinnacle of the war against Iraq since 1990. The pretext then was Kuwait, and when Iraq withdrew from Kuwait at the end of February 1991, the United States changed the topic now to the weapons of mass destruction.
And when the weapons of mass destruction were destroyed at the end of '91, the inspection committee started. And some American and British officials in the inspection teams, they started to work around, and dragging their feet so that they can prevent the United Nations -- prevent it from implementing the resolutions that state that the embargo, the sanctions should be lifted, and its sovereignty -- the Iraq sovereignty should be respected, and to rid the area of Middle East from all WMDs, including the huge arsenal of WMDs that is present now, that Israel has now.
And then Butler (ph), the Australian, the American spy, after he finished inspecting all facilities, industrial, civil, in Iraq, he went to move on to the military bases. And after the inspection of those bases was finished, he moved on to houses and residences.
And after the inspectors were sure and confirmed that there were no weapons of mass destruction and any related activities, Butler (ph) went on and...
BLITZER: All right, we're going to break away from Naji Sabri, the foreign minister of Iraq in Baghdad, briefing reporters there, opening up with a statement.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
