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CNN Sunday Morning

Iraqi Officials Try to Build International Support

Aired September 01, 2002 - 11:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Baghdad issued a statement today saying the U.S. is trying to mislead the world into supporting a military attack. Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have been busy building international support for themselves. CNN's James Martone reports from Baghdad.
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JAMES MARTONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Diplomats in Baghdad say Iraq's top officials are at odds over how to deal with U.S. threats of an attack, which Hussein says has nothing to do with weapons inspections. Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan says Iraq expects another U.S. bombing campaign, whether Baghdad allows U.N. weapons inspections again or not.

But at this meeting in the capital with Jordanian union leaders, Mr. Ramadan spoke of his country's readiness to discuss the issue of inspections. He also chastised Arab countries for not doing enough against the threats on Baghdad. This, even though most Arab governments have publicly said they oppose such threats.

Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark met twice here last week with Iraq's most senior diplomat, Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz. Mr. Clark describes Aziz as -- quote -- "consumed" in an effort to prevent any U.S. attack.

RAMSEY CLARK, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: He knows that it's critically important to prevent a raid or an attack of any kind, because he knows the costs. He knows that tens of thousands were killed in 1991.

MARTONE: In an attempt to drum up international support, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri traveled to China where he was able to secure a Chinese condemnation of any U.S. strike, but Beijing called on his country to let U.N. weapons inspectors back in.

In front of a United Nations building in Baghdad, Jordanian unionists rallied in support of Iraqi demands for -- quote -- "a timetable for the ending of the U.N. embargo."

(on-camera): Almost all of the countries supporting Iraq in its standoff with Washington also say Baghdad should let in the U.N. weapons inspectors. But as one diplomat here said, "If they're going to get clobbered anyway, why should they?"

James Martone, CNN, Baghdad. (END VIDEOTAPE)

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