Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
U.N. Weapons Inspectors Visit Several Sites in Iraq
Aired January 12, 2003 - 10:07 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: On now to discussions about the issue of Iraq.
Half a dozen sites, from the far north to the south, were targets as United Nations weapons inspectors went out in force today.
The latest on the weapons hunt from CNN's Rym Brahimi in Baghdad -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. Weapons inspectors have been going out and about. Quite a few sites today.
Let me just specify. Iraq's vice president, Taha Yassin Ramadan, who was the first person to bring up those allegations that the inspectors are gathering intelligence rather than doing their work as inspectors. Well, he's now saying that despite that, Iraq is willing to cooperate because, he says, he would like -- he doesn't want to provide the U.S. with an excuse to attack Iraq.
Weapons inspectors, at least five or six sites were visited. Among those that we know of, one site, a biological team went to the University of Baghdad to check out the pharmacology department there, asking for lists of heads of department, as well.
And then one team, a missile team, or rather, maybe, a joint team, went to a site that's been known for its missile testing.
Now the team seemed to also witness an experiment. We're not sure what kind of experiment so far, but they have witnessed in the past couple of months at least two other static tests of missiles. Now, that site of particular importance, of course, because Iraq is only allowed to produce missiles of a limited range.
Now, meanwhile, there's been a flurry of activity here, political and diplomatic activity, Fredricka. Iraq's president, Saddam Hussein, he met earlier on in the day with a Turkish envoy, the Turkish trade secretary to the foreign minister.
That envoy brought to him a letter from Turkey's prime minister to president Saddam Hussein. Turkish officials are saying that that letter was likely to contain reassurances that Turkey does not want a war to take place, and calling on President Saddam Hussein to help avoid such a war in the region.
And then another envoy was met by President Saddam Hussein, interestingly enough, an envoy from the state of Qatar, which in the light of this huge military buildup by U.S. troops in the region, and mainly in the state of Qatar, is an interesting development we'll have to follow and bring you details of that later -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, Rym, that's very interesting about the Turkish perspective, because perhaps that expects why the U.S. is not getting definitive assurances as to whether U.S. military can, indeed, put their air men and their troops on the ground in Turkey. Because Turkey is still not committing to that.
BRAHIMI: It's a difficult situation for Turkey, Fredricka. As you know, the trade envoy that arrived in Baghdad a couple of days ago has arrived with something like 300 businessmen.
There are a lot of trade relations between Iraq and Turkey, and a lot of the people involved in trade, as well as even high level officials, have said in the past few months that they do not want to see the scenario of 1991 happen again, when they lost a lot of trade with Iraq because of that war. So they're treading on very thin ice here.
Of course, they have to maintain their good relations with the U.S. They're keen to get as much backing as they can because they also want to enter the European Union. On the other hand, they're next to a very problematic neighbor with which they also have very strong trade relations -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Rym Brahimi 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
Aired January 12, 2003 - 10:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: On now to discussions about the issue of Iraq.
Half a dozen sites, from the far north to the south, were targets as United Nations weapons inspectors went out in force today.
The latest on the weapons hunt from CNN's Rym Brahimi in Baghdad -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. Weapons inspectors have been going out and about. Quite a few sites today.
Let me just specify. Iraq's vice president, Taha Yassin Ramadan, who was the first person to bring up those allegations that the inspectors are gathering intelligence rather than doing their work as inspectors. Well, he's now saying that despite that, Iraq is willing to cooperate because, he says, he would like -- he doesn't want to provide the U.S. with an excuse to attack Iraq.
Weapons inspectors, at least five or six sites were visited. Among those that we know of, one site, a biological team went to the University of Baghdad to check out the pharmacology department there, asking for lists of heads of department, as well.
And then one team, a missile team, or rather, maybe, a joint team, went to a site that's been known for its missile testing.
Now the team seemed to also witness an experiment. We're not sure what kind of experiment so far, but they have witnessed in the past couple of months at least two other static tests of missiles. Now, that site of particular importance, of course, because Iraq is only allowed to produce missiles of a limited range.
Now, meanwhile, there's been a flurry of activity here, political and diplomatic activity, Fredricka. Iraq's president, Saddam Hussein, he met earlier on in the day with a Turkish envoy, the Turkish trade secretary to the foreign minister.
That envoy brought to him a letter from Turkey's prime minister to president Saddam Hussein. Turkish officials are saying that that letter was likely to contain reassurances that Turkey does not want a war to take place, and calling on President Saddam Hussein to help avoid such a war in the region.
And then another envoy was met by President Saddam Hussein, interestingly enough, an envoy from the state of Qatar, which in the light of this huge military buildup by U.S. troops in the region, and mainly in the state of Qatar, is an interesting development we'll have to follow and bring you details of that later -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, Rym, that's very interesting about the Turkish perspective, because perhaps that expects why the U.S. is not getting definitive assurances as to whether U.S. military can, indeed, put their air men and their troops on the ground in Turkey. Because Turkey is still not committing to that.
BRAHIMI: It's a difficult situation for Turkey, Fredricka. As you know, the trade envoy that arrived in Baghdad a couple of days ago has arrived with something like 300 businessmen.
There are a lot of trade relations between Iraq and Turkey, and a lot of the people involved in trade, as well as even high level officials, have said in the past few months that they do not want to see the scenario of 1991 happen again, when they lost a lot of trade with Iraq because of that war. So they're treading on very thin ice here.
Of course, they have to maintain their good relations with the U.S. They're keen to get as much backing as they can because they also want to enter the European Union. On the other hand, they're next to a very problematic neighbor with which they also have very strong trade relations -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Rym Brahimi 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
