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CNN Saturday Morning News
Iraq Will Not Cooperate With New UN Resolutions
Aired September 21, 2002 - 07:35 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to update you on a story that we've been following this hour. It broke right before we went on the air with Iraq State Radio saying that Iraq says it will not cooperate with any new United Nations Security Council resolutions.
And for that -- latest -- from Baghdad, let's turn to Rula Amin.
Rula, what can you tell us?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest we have is a statement that came off Iraq's news agency. It says that after a meeting shared by Saddam Hussein and his cabinet and Iraq's leadership, they issued a statement saying they are not going to deal with a new resolution if the Security Council issues such a resolution. Now, the U.S. is trying to get the United Nations Security Council to issue a new resolution regarding Iraq, where there are going to be a specific demand as guidelines on how the inspectors are going to come and work here in Baghdad.
These resolutions are also -- this new resolution -- is anticipated also to have some kind of ultimatum to Baghdad. If Iraq doesn't comply with the Security Council resolution, there will be an authorization for the use of force.
This was the U.S. proposal. What the Iraqis are trying to do here is seen with this statement is that they are saying we are still committed to the return of the inspectors, but they say this is according to the guidelines that we -- that Iraqis and General -- the Secretary General of the Security Council of the United Nations, Kofi Annan had agreed upon, and according to previous U.N. resolutions.
Why Iraq wants these solutions, why sticking to these resolutions, because there are certain guidelines in these resolutions that first allow Iraq to preserve some kind of impunity -- immunity -- from the presidential site.
According to an agreement they struck with Kofi Annan in 1999, the inspectors cannot go to the presidential site without previous notification so that Iraqis and that they should be escorted by diplomats. This is something that the weapons inspectors' chief had said that the U.N. is still committed to and so the Iraqis want to stick to that.
Another issue is that according to the previous United Nations Security Council resolution, if Iraq cooperates after 60 days, the inspectors will report to the Security Council and if Iraq does cooperate and the inspectors verify that, then the Security Council would suspend the sanctions on Iraq for 120 days. So it seems what Baghdad is trying to do is trying to grab onto the wood before it allows the inspectors to come back.
They are not saying these are new conditions, but this new statement may be perceived as new conditions by the U.S. specifically. So far, they are saying we will comply to the U.N. resolutions that have been issued so far, but they don't want to deal with anyone. Back to you.
CALLAWAY: But, Rula, the new resolution hasn't even been drafted. It was just a discussion by U.S. authorities. You know, isn't their concern there this might not be a good PR move, internationally, how would it play out, if there are coming out now before the resolution has even been changed or drafted?
AMIN: Well, it's clear that they are trying to preempt whatever that is there and they're trying to have a say in this new draft. There has been a few drafts circulating, wording by the U.S. and British, which -- according to Iraq is tough and unacceptable. For example, there are drafts that call for armed inspectors, which means that if the inspectors at any point go to somewhere in Iraq and they're not allowed access, they may use some kind of force that will be deployed in order to have access to those places.
Other drafts, and other ideas from the French and the Russians say let's give Iraq more time. The inspectors will go there for maybe 60 days, a year -- the times vary. And then we'll give them time. If they don't cooperate for a certain time, then we will issue a new resolution. And so what the Iraqis seem to be doing is that they have been hearing a lot of tough words and talk of war from Washington and there's deep concern here that they compromise to allow the inspectors back without conditions as they have said, may not avert war. Back to you.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you. That's Rula Amin joining us from Baghdad, and she'll be back with us coming up at 9:30.
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 September 21, 2002 - 07:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to update you on a story that we've been following this hour. It broke right before we went on the air with Iraq State Radio saying that Iraq says it will not cooperate with any new United Nations Security Council resolutions.
And for that -- latest -- from Baghdad, let's turn to Rula Amin.
Rula, what can you tell us?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest we have is a statement that came off Iraq's news agency. It says that after a meeting shared by Saddam Hussein and his cabinet and Iraq's leadership, they issued a statement saying they are not going to deal with a new resolution if the Security Council issues such a resolution. Now, the U.S. is trying to get the United Nations Security Council to issue a new resolution regarding Iraq, where there are going to be a specific demand as guidelines on how the inspectors are going to come and work here in Baghdad.
These resolutions are also -- this new resolution -- is anticipated also to have some kind of ultimatum to Baghdad. If Iraq doesn't comply with the Security Council resolution, there will be an authorization for the use of force.
This was the U.S. proposal. What the Iraqis are trying to do here is seen with this statement is that they are saying we are still committed to the return of the inspectors, but they say this is according to the guidelines that we -- that Iraqis and General -- the Secretary General of the Security Council of the United Nations, Kofi Annan had agreed upon, and according to previous U.N. resolutions.
Why Iraq wants these solutions, why sticking to these resolutions, because there are certain guidelines in these resolutions that first allow Iraq to preserve some kind of impunity -- immunity -- from the presidential site.
According to an agreement they struck with Kofi Annan in 1999, the inspectors cannot go to the presidential site without previous notification so that Iraqis and that they should be escorted by diplomats. This is something that the weapons inspectors' chief had said that the U.N. is still committed to and so the Iraqis want to stick to that.
Another issue is that according to the previous United Nations Security Council resolution, if Iraq cooperates after 60 days, the inspectors will report to the Security Council and if Iraq does cooperate and the inspectors verify that, then the Security Council would suspend the sanctions on Iraq for 120 days. So it seems what Baghdad is trying to do is trying to grab onto the wood before it allows the inspectors to come back.
They are not saying these are new conditions, but this new statement may be perceived as new conditions by the U.S. specifically. So far, they are saying we will comply to the U.N. resolutions that have been issued so far, but they don't want to deal with anyone. Back to you.
CALLAWAY: But, Rula, the new resolution hasn't even been drafted. It was just a discussion by U.S. authorities. You know, isn't their concern there this might not be a good PR move, internationally, how would it play out, if there are coming out now before the resolution has even been changed or drafted?
AMIN: Well, it's clear that they are trying to preempt whatever that is there and they're trying to have a say in this new draft. There has been a few drafts circulating, wording by the U.S. and British, which -- according to Iraq is tough and unacceptable. For example, there are drafts that call for armed inspectors, which means that if the inspectors at any point go to somewhere in Iraq and they're not allowed access, they may use some kind of force that will be deployed in order to have access to those places.
Other drafts, and other ideas from the French and the Russians say let's give Iraq more time. The inspectors will go there for maybe 60 days, a year -- the times vary. And then we'll give them time. If they don't cooperate for a certain time, then we will issue a new resolution. And so what the Iraqis seem to be doing is that they have been hearing a lot of tough words and talk of war from Washington and there's deep concern here that they compromise to allow the inspectors back without conditions as they have said, may not avert war. Back to you.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you. That's Rula Amin joining us from Baghdad, and she'll be back with us coming up at 9:30.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
