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CNN Saturday Morning News
Anti-war Protest Begin in Baghdad
Aired February 15, 2003 - 07:08 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.
HIEDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yesterday in New York, the action was inside the United Nations headquarters. Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix delivered his latest report to the Security Council. He said Iraq was not fully cooperating with weapons monitors, but that no weapons of mass destruction had been found.
Blix reported Saddam Hussein was taking some positive steps. But according to Secretary of State Colin Powell, the U.S. hasn't seen enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Robust inspections have to be matched by cooperation and compliance. And no matter how robust you make the inspections, no matter how many inspectors you put in, unless there is compliance and cooperation on the part of the Iraqi regime, then you really haven't accomplished anything. And while we noted some progress on process, frankly, I was not satisfied that we have seen anything with respect to real progress on substance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei tells CNN weapons inspectors would need another six months to complete their work in Iraq.
For some reactions from Iraq, we are joined now by CNN's Rym Brahimi in Baghdad. Good morning once again, Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again to you.
Well, indeed, this morning many people we spoke to at this wide demonstration here in Baghdad believe that the Blix report may have provided them some respite. People don't think that war has gone away, but they do think that it might be delayed slightly. They see Hans Blix's report as having been rather positive, or more positive than it was negative.
They also went out in the streets saying that this was part of the worldwide demonstration. Of course, they're in Baghdad. These demonstrations are widely orchestrated. They were overseen by the oil minister.
Tens of thousands of people on the street, known here as Palestine street. They were waving banners, hoisting portraits of President Saddam Hussein, also brandishing guns, a lot of them members of the ruling Baath Party, many of them also volunteers from Jeshal Kuts (ph), or the Jerusalem Army.
And many of them had the same thing to say. They say they don't want war, they want peace, but if attacked, they will fight, they say, to defend their country and their leader.
Back to you.
COLLINS: All right, Rym Brahimi this morning from Baghdad. Thank you. We will check in with you a little bit later as well.
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 February 15, 2003 - 07:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HIEDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yesterday in New York, the action was inside the United Nations headquarters. Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix delivered his latest report to the Security Council. He said Iraq was not fully cooperating with weapons monitors, but that no weapons of mass destruction had been found.
Blix reported Saddam Hussein was taking some positive steps. But according to Secretary of State Colin Powell, the U.S. hasn't seen enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Robust inspections have to be matched by cooperation and compliance. And no matter how robust you make the inspections, no matter how many inspectors you put in, unless there is compliance and cooperation on the part of the Iraqi regime, then you really haven't accomplished anything. And while we noted some progress on process, frankly, I was not satisfied that we have seen anything with respect to real progress on substance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei tells CNN weapons inspectors would need another six months to complete their work in Iraq.
For some reactions from Iraq, we are joined now by CNN's Rym Brahimi in Baghdad. Good morning once again, Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again to you.
Well, indeed, this morning many people we spoke to at this wide demonstration here in Baghdad believe that the Blix report may have provided them some respite. People don't think that war has gone away, but they do think that it might be delayed slightly. They see Hans Blix's report as having been rather positive, or more positive than it was negative.
They also went out in the streets saying that this was part of the worldwide demonstration. Of course, they're in Baghdad. These demonstrations are widely orchestrated. They were overseen by the oil minister.
Tens of thousands of people on the street, known here as Palestine street. They were waving banners, hoisting portraits of President Saddam Hussein, also brandishing guns, a lot of them members of the ruling Baath Party, many of them also volunteers from Jeshal Kuts (ph), or the Jerusalem Army.
And many of them had the same thing to say. They say they don't want war, they want peace, but if attacked, they will fight, they say, to defend their country and their leader.
Back to you.
COLLINS: All right, Rym Brahimi this morning from Baghdad. Thank you. We will check in with you a little bit later as well.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
