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CNN Sunday Morning
More U.N. Inspectors Arrive in Iraq Today
Aired December 15, 2002 - 07:19 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.
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: More U.N. weapons inspectors arriving in Iraq from Cyprus today. And actor Sean Penn has bolstered the ranks of anti-war protesters there. CNN's Nic Robertson is live in Baghdad with more -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: That's right, 20 more inspectors arriving; 98 here already, yesterday their busiest day. And 12 teams visiting 14 different sites. Already today we know teams have gone to several sites. Sites some of them have visited before, to the north and south of Baghdad.
The Iraqi News Agency here, noting that many of the sites visits have been to sites where Iraq makes missiles. Of course, Iraq is allowed to make missiles up to a range of 90 miles.
Also, a letter coming from Iraq's foreign minister Naji Sabri, overnight, going to Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations, complaining about violations of Iraqi airspace. Talking about the northern and southern no-fly zones. He says that since November 9 and December 6 there had been 11,041 violations of Iraq's airspace.
Now that comes less than 24 hours after coalition aircraft patrolling those no-fly zones, firing in three different areas, at what they saw as aggressive maneuvers by Iraqi air defense systems. Iraqi News Agency says it was only civilian infrastructures and services that were hit.
Now, Baghdad is receiving some very high-profile attention at this time. Sean Penn, the Hollywood actor, is here. So far, he's visited a children's hospital and he's had a meeting with Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.
But when I talked to him, a little earlier, he said that this was very much a visit for him to find out personally what is happening here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN PENN, ACTOR, ANTI-WAR PROTESTER: My position here is simply -- in the most personal sense. I feel as somebody who considers himself a patriot, considers himself obligated to my fellow citizens, as a person who has experienced privileges, who has prospered as a citizen of the United States, that I have -- that I will be partly responsible, as a citizen who deserves the government that he gets. And I do believe that. That if I am to be partly responsible, which I will accept, and if there is going to be blood on my hands, be it the blood of American soldiers, or of Iraqis, be they military or civilian, that to live with myself, I don't want that blood to be invisible. I want it have a human face on both sides.
And so that is entirely, at the moment, the purpose of this trip.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, Sean Penn says he'll take time to think about what he's seen here. And he may talk more about it when he gets home. But right now, not saying too much -- Charles.
MOLINEAUX: OK. Thank you, Nic Robertson.
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 15, 2002 - 07:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: More U.N. weapons inspectors arriving in Iraq from Cyprus today. And actor Sean Penn has bolstered the ranks of anti-war protesters there. CNN's Nic Robertson is live in Baghdad with more -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: That's right, 20 more inspectors arriving; 98 here already, yesterday their busiest day. And 12 teams visiting 14 different sites. Already today we know teams have gone to several sites. Sites some of them have visited before, to the north and south of Baghdad.
The Iraqi News Agency here, noting that many of the sites visits have been to sites where Iraq makes missiles. Of course, Iraq is allowed to make missiles up to a range of 90 miles.
Also, a letter coming from Iraq's foreign minister Naji Sabri, overnight, going to Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations, complaining about violations of Iraqi airspace. Talking about the northern and southern no-fly zones. He says that since November 9 and December 6 there had been 11,041 violations of Iraq's airspace.
Now that comes less than 24 hours after coalition aircraft patrolling those no-fly zones, firing in three different areas, at what they saw as aggressive maneuvers by Iraqi air defense systems. Iraqi News Agency says it was only civilian infrastructures and services that were hit.
Now, Baghdad is receiving some very high-profile attention at this time. Sean Penn, the Hollywood actor, is here. So far, he's visited a children's hospital and he's had a meeting with Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.
But when I talked to him, a little earlier, he said that this was very much a visit for him to find out personally what is happening here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN PENN, ACTOR, ANTI-WAR PROTESTER: My position here is simply -- in the most personal sense. I feel as somebody who considers himself a patriot, considers himself obligated to my fellow citizens, as a person who has experienced privileges, who has prospered as a citizen of the United States, that I have -- that I will be partly responsible, as a citizen who deserves the government that he gets. And I do believe that. That if I am to be partly responsible, which I will accept, and if there is going to be blood on my hands, be it the blood of American soldiers, or of Iraqis, be they military or civilian, that to live with myself, I don't want that blood to be invisible. I want it have a human face on both sides.
And so that is entirely, at the moment, the purpose of this trip.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now, Sean Penn says he'll take time to think about what he's seen here. And he may talk more about it when he gets home. But right now, not saying too much -- Charles.
MOLINEAUX: OK. Thank you, Nic Robertson.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
