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CNN Sunday Morning
Weapons Inspectors Visit 9 Iraqi Sites
Aired January 26, 2003 - 11:05 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: The pressure is on for Iraq. In a last-minute flurry of activity, U.N. inspection teams went to at least nine sites just hours before their first report is due at the Security Council. The U.S. says it will be a defining moment for the future of Iraq. CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is monitoring developments from Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, hello. Well over 100 weapons inspectors in the country, five teams went out today. As you said, they went to nine sites, so not hanging around at any of the locations they went to. One of the sites just outside of Baghdad, Eban Al-Haifam (ph). This is a site that's been linked in the past to Iraq's biological weapons production. Iraq has admitted to that. The U.N. has been there before. The outstanding issue there in the past has been documentation. U.N. inspectors want more documentation so they know what happened there, to know that all the components of that production are no longer in service.
Now, the weapons team left there, but the weapons team that went there today was a missile team, although it was a biological site, and we see that from time to time. The U.N. throws a curve ball, if you like, tries to put Iraqi officials off the scent by sending a missile team to a biological site or a chemical team to a biological site. So to try and catch Iraqi officials off guard about where they're going.
Another indication of how serious the situation is here and how serious it's been regarded by top officials in Iraq, President Saddam Hussein had a meeting with the top members of the ruling revolutionary command council and the top members of the ruling Baath Party here. It is very rare that he sits down with this particular group of individuals, perhaps once every two or three months. We don't know what was said and discussed at that meeting. That is often the case here, Fredricka. We may find out in a few days.
WHITFIELD: Now, Nic, I understand there's some activity in the southern no-fly zone. Can you give us some detail about what's going on there?
ROBERTSON: Well, U.S. Central Command says that five different repeater sites, communication repeater sites were struck between the area of Alkut (ph) and Al Massera (ph). That's about 100 miles south of Baghdad, it's about 170 miles south of Baghdad. They say that these are communication nodes that can be -- that can be used to -- in conjunction with targeting allied aircraft that patrol the northern and southern no-fly zones. Now, this particular area, south of the 33rd parallel, just south of Baghdad, what we've been seeing in recent days is, yesterday in particular, a strike just about 60 miles south of Baghdad, the strikes coming very close. Iraqi news agency yesterday saying that that particular strike injured three people. They said it was a strike against a civilian infrastructure. Central Command said that it was striking an air defense facility. No word from Iraqi officials today about the five coalition air strikes 100 miles, 170 miles south of Baghdad, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Nic Robertson from Baghdad, 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 26, 2003 - 11:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The pressure is on for Iraq. In a last-minute flurry of activity, U.N. inspection teams went to at least nine sites just hours before their first report is due at the Security Council. The U.S. says it will be a defining moment for the future of Iraq. CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is monitoring developments from Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, hello. Well over 100 weapons inspectors in the country, five teams went out today. As you said, they went to nine sites, so not hanging around at any of the locations they went to. One of the sites just outside of Baghdad, Eban Al-Haifam (ph). This is a site that's been linked in the past to Iraq's biological weapons production. Iraq has admitted to that. The U.N. has been there before. The outstanding issue there in the past has been documentation. U.N. inspectors want more documentation so they know what happened there, to know that all the components of that production are no longer in service.
Now, the weapons team left there, but the weapons team that went there today was a missile team, although it was a biological site, and we see that from time to time. The U.N. throws a curve ball, if you like, tries to put Iraqi officials off the scent by sending a missile team to a biological site or a chemical team to a biological site. So to try and catch Iraqi officials off guard about where they're going.
Another indication of how serious the situation is here and how serious it's been regarded by top officials in Iraq, President Saddam Hussein had a meeting with the top members of the ruling revolutionary command council and the top members of the ruling Baath Party here. It is very rare that he sits down with this particular group of individuals, perhaps once every two or three months. We don't know what was said and discussed at that meeting. That is often the case here, Fredricka. We may find out in a few days.
WHITFIELD: Now, Nic, I understand there's some activity in the southern no-fly zone. Can you give us some detail about what's going on there?
ROBERTSON: Well, U.S. Central Command says that five different repeater sites, communication repeater sites were struck between the area of Alkut (ph) and Al Massera (ph). That's about 100 miles south of Baghdad, it's about 170 miles south of Baghdad. They say that these are communication nodes that can be -- that can be used to -- in conjunction with targeting allied aircraft that patrol the northern and southern no-fly zones. Now, this particular area, south of the 33rd parallel, just south of Baghdad, what we've been seeing in recent days is, yesterday in particular, a strike just about 60 miles south of Baghdad, the strikes coming very close. Iraqi news agency yesterday saying that that particular strike injured three people. They said it was a strike against a civilian infrastructure. Central Command said that it was striking an air defense facility. No word from Iraqi officials today about the five coalition air strikes 100 miles, 170 miles south of Baghdad, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Nic Robertson from Baghdad, 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
