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CNN Sunday Morning

Insight & Input

Aired February 16, 2003 - 09:32   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: All right, time now for "Insight and Input." We've asked for your e-mail questions and comments on the heightened terror alert and the showdown with Iraq. And you've been very busy, but you still have time. We don't have time. We're not taking anymore e-mails.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: You can call us, though. 800-807- 2620.

Thanks for your e-mails. I've been busy processing those.

To field those questions, screen left, Kelly McCann, security analyst, par excellence. Nic Robertson, international correspondent, par excellence. Marty Savidge, international correspondent -- what do I go from there?

COLLINS: More excellence.

O'BRIEN: Even more excellence in Kuwait City. Thanks to all three of you. Let's get right to the questions.

Nic, we'll begin with you. Dale Friesen in Burnaby with a question for you. Do you think the protests are feeding Baghdad's resolve to resist total and open disarmament?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The protests are definitely feeding Iraqi officials' view that they have a lot of the international community behind them. They would not say that they're resisting; they would not say that they're increasing their resistance either. They simply say that they have no weapons of mass destruction. The simple bottom line is yes, as long as Iraq thinks that the world is divided, that the United States is not supported, they're less likely to take seriously the threats of a possible war.

O'BRIEN: All right. Let's go to Marty with another e-mail. Here's how it goes, Marty. Listen up. It seems clear to me that the US will attack Iraq during a dark phase of the moon, or a new moon phase. This being the case, the U.S. attack will take place between 10 and 14 days. If I know this, surely the Iraqi military knows it. Doesn't the element of surprise mean anything in warfare anymore?

That's from Gabe Goldman in Milford, Pennsylvania. Marty.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we here, too, have been looking at the phases of the moon, trying to figure out exactly what would work. You don't want complete darkness. Your night vision goggles don't work so well when it's pitch dark. You need some ambient light, so a quarter moon would probably work best.

However, you don't necessarily know that the next quarter moon is when any sort of possible attack may come. The United States has said it could be weeks. So obviously, there will be some key tip-offs that the Iraqis will have. Just because they know when you may be coming, they don't know where, and they don't necessarily know exactly how, which are two key parts of that equation. There still could be a lot of surprises.

COLLINS: All right, I want to take a phone call now. We have Marie in Pennsylvania. Kelly McCann, I think this one might be best for you, talking about some of the precautions that people should be taking. Marie, why don't you go ahead.

CALLER: Good morning. At home, we're told plastic and duct tape is the answer. What are the long-term effects, once our air and water's polluted? What happens to us?


Aired February 16, 2003 - 09:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, time now for "Insight and Input." We've asked for your e-mail questions and comments on the heightened terror alert and the showdown with Iraq. And you've been very busy, but you still have time. We don't have time. We're not taking anymore e-mails.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: You can call us, though. 800-807- 2620.

Thanks for your e-mails. I've been busy processing those.

To field those questions, screen left, Kelly McCann, security analyst, par excellence. Nic Robertson, international correspondent, par excellence. Marty Savidge, international correspondent -- what do I go from there?

COLLINS: More excellence.

O'BRIEN: Even more excellence in Kuwait City. Thanks to all three of you. Let's get right to the questions.

Nic, we'll begin with you. Dale Friesen in Burnaby with a question for you. Do you think the protests are feeding Baghdad's resolve to resist total and open disarmament?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The protests are definitely feeding Iraqi officials' view that they have a lot of the international community behind them. They would not say that they're resisting; they would not say that they're increasing their resistance either. They simply say that they have no weapons of mass destruction. The simple bottom line is yes, as long as Iraq thinks that the world is divided, that the United States is not supported, they're less likely to take seriously the threats of a possible war.

O'BRIEN: All right. Let's go to Marty with another e-mail. Here's how it goes, Marty. Listen up. It seems clear to me that the US will attack Iraq during a dark phase of the moon, or a new moon phase. This being the case, the U.S. attack will take place between 10 and 14 days. If I know this, surely the Iraqi military knows it. Doesn't the element of surprise mean anything in warfare anymore?

That's from Gabe Goldman in Milford, Pennsylvania. Marty.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we here, too, have been looking at the phases of the moon, trying to figure out exactly what would work. You don't want complete darkness. Your night vision goggles don't work so well when it's pitch dark. You need some ambient light, so a quarter moon would probably work best.

However, you don't necessarily know that the next quarter moon is when any sort of possible attack may come. The United States has said it could be weeks. So obviously, there will be some key tip-offs that the Iraqis will have. Just because they know when you may be coming, they don't know where, and they don't necessarily know exactly how, which are two key parts of that equation. There still could be a lot of surprises.

COLLINS: All right, I want to take a phone call now. We have Marie in Pennsylvania. Kelly McCann, I think this one might be best for you, talking about some of the precautions that people should be taking. Marie, why don't you go ahead.

CALLER: Good morning. At home, we're told plastic and duct tape is the answer. What are the long-term effects, once our air and water's polluted? What happens to us?