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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Garth Whitty

Aired December 08, 2002 - 07:08   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.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Now let's talk more about the specifics surrounding the Iraqi document. A lot of questions that we have, some Miles has already asked. Let's see if we can get some answers now from former United Nations weapons inspector Garth Whitty, joining us from London this morning.
Thanks for being with us.

GARTH WHITTY, FRMR. U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Good morning.

CALLAWAY: Good morning to you.

First, let me ask you about the length of this document. It is some 11,000 pages long. Is there going to really be anything there that the United Nations is going to learn anything from these documents?

WHITTY: I think that is probably fairly doubtful. I think most of the information that is in there the U.N. will have already have received in the past. I don't think there are any surprises. Although, of course, it is very early, it is going to take some considerable time to go through it very carefully.

CALLAWAY: Dr. Whitty, what is the first thing that they are going to look for when they get these documents? Will there be one particular area that they will head for immediately?

WHITTY: Well, they certainly look for any variation between this document and the information that they have received previously. Though, I think, what it does suggest is the supreme confidence on the part of the Iraqi government that the inspectors aren't going to find anything.

CALLAWAY: If there was anything groundbreaking from these documents would the U.N. not already know it?

WHITTY: They certainly should do, but as I said, I think what we know of the document thus far -- and of course it is very early days -- suggests that the Iraq believe that the inspectors, despite their best efforts, aren't going to actually find any weapons of mass destruction, certainly, not at the sites that they have visited for far and not the sites that they are likely to visit in the future.

CALLAWAY: You were one of these inspectors back in 1992. Would this type of information that the Iraqi government submitted have helped you do your job at all? WHITTY: I think in many ways it was much easier then because in '92 the information that was forthcoming was fairly extensive. And that was the best information, I suspect, that the inspectors are ever likely to have received.

CALLAWAY: First, since your previous involvement in the situation there. What was your reaction to the move yesterday, by the Iraqi government to actually apologize to Kuwait?

WHITTY: I think this is really positioning Iraq and the Arab world in terms of being prepared for an attack by the U.S. and the U.K. at some stage in the future. It is in their interest to get Arab sympathy and Arab support.

CALLAWAY: What now? What, after this point, that the document has been released, although granted they have not been thoroughly looked through yet. Will it change the work at all of these weapons inspectors?

WHITTY: I think they are in a very difficult position. But so, too, are the U.S. and the U.K. governments. Because both governments have claimed that they have intelligence suggesting that they know that there is a weapons of mass destruction capability in progress. They are now really in a position of having to pass that information to the inspectors so the inspectors can inspect those sites. If then, the inspectors go to those sites and find that there is nothing there, then the justification for war would seem to have disappeared.

CALLAWAY: You said that your job was a little bit easier back then. What advantage, if any, do the inspectors have this go around?

WHITTY: They've got better technology. And in terms of detecting weaponry, but they need the right start points. Unless you are in the right area it doesn't matter how sophisticated detection systems are, they're not going to pick up the signatures of either chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

CALLAWAY: Your final thoughts then, Mr. Whitty, on how this is all going to turn out with the inspections underway now?

WHITTY: I think the onus is on everyone to hope that the inspectors will achieve their objectives. I think it seems increasingly unlikely and I fear at some stage in the future we will have a war.

CALLAWAY: Former United Nations weapons inspectors Garth Whitty's prediction. Thank you, sir, for being with us this morning.

WHITTY: Thank you.

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 December 8, 2002 - 07:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Now let's talk more about the specifics surrounding the Iraqi document. A lot of questions that we have, some Miles has already asked. Let's see if we can get some answers now from former United Nations weapons inspector Garth Whitty, joining us from London this morning.
Thanks for being with us.

GARTH WHITTY, FRMR. U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Good morning.

CALLAWAY: Good morning to you.

First, let me ask you about the length of this document. It is some 11,000 pages long. Is there going to really be anything there that the United Nations is going to learn anything from these documents?

WHITTY: I think that is probably fairly doubtful. I think most of the information that is in there the U.N. will have already have received in the past. I don't think there are any surprises. Although, of course, it is very early, it is going to take some considerable time to go through it very carefully.

CALLAWAY: Dr. Whitty, what is the first thing that they are going to look for when they get these documents? Will there be one particular area that they will head for immediately?

WHITTY: Well, they certainly look for any variation between this document and the information that they have received previously. Though, I think, what it does suggest is the supreme confidence on the part of the Iraqi government that the inspectors aren't going to find anything.

CALLAWAY: If there was anything groundbreaking from these documents would the U.N. not already know it?

WHITTY: They certainly should do, but as I said, I think what we know of the document thus far -- and of course it is very early days -- suggests that the Iraq believe that the inspectors, despite their best efforts, aren't going to actually find any weapons of mass destruction, certainly, not at the sites that they have visited for far and not the sites that they are likely to visit in the future.

CALLAWAY: You were one of these inspectors back in 1992. Would this type of information that the Iraqi government submitted have helped you do your job at all? WHITTY: I think in many ways it was much easier then because in '92 the information that was forthcoming was fairly extensive. And that was the best information, I suspect, that the inspectors are ever likely to have received.

CALLAWAY: First, since your previous involvement in the situation there. What was your reaction to the move yesterday, by the Iraqi government to actually apologize to Kuwait?

WHITTY: I think this is really positioning Iraq and the Arab world in terms of being prepared for an attack by the U.S. and the U.K. at some stage in the future. It is in their interest to get Arab sympathy and Arab support.

CALLAWAY: What now? What, after this point, that the document has been released, although granted they have not been thoroughly looked through yet. Will it change the work at all of these weapons inspectors?

WHITTY: I think they are in a very difficult position. But so, too, are the U.S. and the U.K. governments. Because both governments have claimed that they have intelligence suggesting that they know that there is a weapons of mass destruction capability in progress. They are now really in a position of having to pass that information to the inspectors so the inspectors can inspect those sites. If then, the inspectors go to those sites and find that there is nothing there, then the justification for war would seem to have disappeared.

CALLAWAY: You said that your job was a little bit easier back then. What advantage, if any, do the inspectors have this go around?

WHITTY: They've got better technology. And in terms of detecting weaponry, but they need the right start points. Unless you are in the right area it doesn't matter how sophisticated detection systems are, they're not going to pick up the signatures of either chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

CALLAWAY: Your final thoughts then, Mr. Whitty, on how this is all going to turn out with the inspections underway now?

WHITTY: I think the onus is on everyone to hope that the inspectors will achieve their objectives. I think it seems increasingly unlikely and I fear at some stage in the future we will have a war.

CALLAWAY: Former United Nations weapons inspectors Garth Whitty's prediction. Thank you, sir, for being with us this morning.

WHITTY: Thank you.

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