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CNN Sunday Morning
U.N. Advance Team Waits for Inspectors' Arrival
Aired November 24, 2002 - 08:02 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.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq today a U.N. advance team is busy installing computers and getting laboratories up and running ahead of the arrival of weapons inspectors tomorrow.
On Wednesday, after a six-year hiatus, inspectors are to resume their hunt for weapons of mass destruction.
CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joins us now live from Baghdad with more.
Good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Renay.
Well, that equipment beginning to pile up outside the inspection team's offices in Baghdad. Several tons of equipment have arrived so far, including computers, laboratory equipment and one quite large satellite dish we saw there, as well.
Now, the U.N. inspectors that arrive tomorrow, there will be 18 of them; six of them will be nuclear experts. The other 12 will be experts in the field of missile technology, chemical and biological weapons.
They will begin their work Wednesday. They were expected to go to sites where weapons inspectors have previously visited and left behind monitoring equipment. What they hope to do is build what they call a baseline of information from these previously monitored sites and perhaps replace some of that monitoring equipment. This baseline essentially getting a handle on what has happened at those sites over the last four years.
They're not ruling out a visit to any of the presidential palaces; however, U.N. spokesmen we have talked to say that is perhaps not going to be high on their list of priorities, not ruled out, however.
Now, late today, a letter was published from Iraq's foreign minister, Naji Sabri. That letter had been sent to Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations, sent Saturday. That letter is essentially a continuation of Iraq's acceptance of 1441, as laid out, 15 pages, very much in the form of a legal document.
And it says that the U.N. resolution 1441 contradicts international law. And it raises many issues, two of which are that Iraq has -- it says groundless allegations that Iraq has in the past deployed weapons of mass destruction, and it also raises another point. It says if there was to be any force used against Iraq in the future, that could only be done through the U.N. Security Council -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: Nic Robertson, reporting live from Baghdad. Thank you very much.
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Aired November 24, 2002 - 08:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq today a U.N. advance team is busy installing computers and getting laboratories up and running ahead of the arrival of weapons inspectors tomorrow.
On Wednesday, after a six-year hiatus, inspectors are to resume their hunt for weapons of mass destruction.
CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joins us now live from Baghdad with more.
Good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Renay.
Well, that equipment beginning to pile up outside the inspection team's offices in Baghdad. Several tons of equipment have arrived so far, including computers, laboratory equipment and one quite large satellite dish we saw there, as well.
Now, the U.N. inspectors that arrive tomorrow, there will be 18 of them; six of them will be nuclear experts. The other 12 will be experts in the field of missile technology, chemical and biological weapons.
They will begin their work Wednesday. They were expected to go to sites where weapons inspectors have previously visited and left behind monitoring equipment. What they hope to do is build what they call a baseline of information from these previously monitored sites and perhaps replace some of that monitoring equipment. This baseline essentially getting a handle on what has happened at those sites over the last four years.
They're not ruling out a visit to any of the presidential palaces; however, U.N. spokesmen we have talked to say that is perhaps not going to be high on their list of priorities, not ruled out, however.
Now, late today, a letter was published from Iraq's foreign minister, Naji Sabri. That letter had been sent to Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations, sent Saturday. That letter is essentially a continuation of Iraq's acceptance of 1441, as laid out, 15 pages, very much in the form of a legal document.
And it says that the U.N. resolution 1441 contradicts international law. And it raises many issues, two of which are that Iraq has -- it says groundless allegations that Iraq has in the past deployed weapons of mass destruction, and it also raises another point. It says if there was to be any force used against Iraq in the future, that could only be done through the U.N. Security Council -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: Nic Robertson, reporting live from Baghdad. Thank you very 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
