Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Blix, El-Baradei Arrive in Baghdad
Aired January 19, 2003 - 08:01 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Back to this hour's top story now. Chief United Nations weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed El- Baradei arrived in Baghdad a short time ago. CNN's Nic Robertson is live in the Iraqi capital with the latest. Good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Well right now those top officials due to sit down with senior Iraqi officials here. We know they're meeting with President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser; Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations will be at the meeting, too, along with General Husam Amin (ph), who is the main interlocutor on the ground here for the U.N. weapons inspection teams.
Now we know that Dr. Blix and Mr. El-Baradei have with them a list; a very specific list of questions and things that they want Iraq to address. But very much at the top of that list Hans Blix saying improved cooperation is a must at this time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: We have had access everywhere so far, and we hope there will be access everywhere so far. And there's been prompt access. And that has been good. But there needs to also be further cooperation. And we will discuss that with them.
And inspection is not a prelude to war. It is an alternative to war. And that is what we want to achieve.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now Blix is due to address the U.N. Security Council in a little over a week's time. He will give his report to those senior figures on how Iraq has been complying so far. Mohamed El- Baradei pointing out -- he said that he would tell Iraqi officials that the timing of this meeting very important.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMED EL-BARADEI, DIRECTOR, IAEA: The timing of our visit is very important. We would like to see an inspection to work. For an inspection to work, we still need a lot of additional information. And we are going to impress on our Iraqi counterpart the importance of providing as much information, as much documentation, as much physical evidence as possible. This will help (UNINTELLIGIBLE) submit our report this week to the Security Council. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now Blix and El-Baradei are only in Baghdad for a day and a half. What they hope to achieve in that time is to convince Iraqi officials to give that improved cooperation, proactive cooperation, and show that visibly before Hans Blix has to make his report to the U.N. Security Council in a little over a week -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Nic Robertson live from Baghdad this morning, 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 January 19, 2003 - 08:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Back to this hour's top story now. Chief United Nations weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed El- Baradei arrived in Baghdad a short time ago. CNN's Nic Robertson is live in the Iraqi capital with the latest. Good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Well right now those top officials due to sit down with senior Iraqi officials here. We know they're meeting with President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser; Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations will be at the meeting, too, along with General Husam Amin (ph), who is the main interlocutor on the ground here for the U.N. weapons inspection teams.
Now we know that Dr. Blix and Mr. El-Baradei have with them a list; a very specific list of questions and things that they want Iraq to address. But very much at the top of that list Hans Blix saying improved cooperation is a must at this time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: We have had access everywhere so far, and we hope there will be access everywhere so far. And there's been prompt access. And that has been good. But there needs to also be further cooperation. And we will discuss that with them.
And inspection is not a prelude to war. It is an alternative to war. And that is what we want to achieve.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now Blix is due to address the U.N. Security Council in a little over a week's time. He will give his report to those senior figures on how Iraq has been complying so far. Mohamed El- Baradei pointing out -- he said that he would tell Iraqi officials that the timing of this meeting very important.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMED EL-BARADEI, DIRECTOR, IAEA: The timing of our visit is very important. We would like to see an inspection to work. For an inspection to work, we still need a lot of additional information. And we are going to impress on our Iraqi counterpart the importance of providing as much information, as much documentation, as much physical evidence as possible. This will help (UNINTELLIGIBLE) submit our report this week to the Security Council. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now Blix and El-Baradei are only in Baghdad for a day and a half. What they hope to achieve in that time is to convince Iraqi officials to give that improved cooperation, proactive cooperation, and show that visibly before Hans Blix has to make his report to the U.N. Security Council in a little over a week -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Nic Robertson live from Baghdad this morning, 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
