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CNN Saturday Morning News
Tariq Aziz Speaks Out on War, Weapons, White House
Aired February 15, 2003 - 16:18 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Saddam Hussein's right hand man, Tariq Aziz, is talking to CNN's Alessio Vinci about war, weapons and the White House. And Alessio joins us live from Rome with a lot more. He was feeling very outspoken, wanted to clearly get a message across to the world, Alessio.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, definitely, Carol. Ever since -- ever since Tariq Aziz arrived here in Rome on Thursday morning, he's been repeating over and over again that Iraq was doing all it could to cooperate with U.N. inspectors in Iraq and to fulfill the obligations set by U.N. Resolution 1441.
But today, when I had this exclusive interview with him, the deputy prime minister told me that Iraq also needed more time to fulfill these obligations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARIQ AZIZ, IRAQI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: The second report shows that there is progress in the work. It also tells that they haven't found any weapons of mass destruction, which is the most important fact in the situation. We're ready to continue the work with the inspectors in order to settle the outstanding issues. But this needs time. It cannot be done in an atmosphere of harassment and atmosphere of threat of war as the American government is doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VINCI: Mr. Aziz also during the interview said that the United States government is insisting on the fact that time was running out for Iraq, simply because, in his words, "the United States government did not want to give a chance to the U.N. inspectors in Baghdad to eventually certify in several months' time that Iraq does not possess weapons of mass destruction."
I also asked him about those (UNINTELLIGIBLE) missiles. You may recall yesterday, on Friday, during the report by the U.N. chief inspector, Hans Blix, where he reported that Iraq does possess several missiles, which are capable of flying beyond the 90-mile range allowed by previous U.N. resolutions. And Mr. Aziz said that those missiles did only accidentally fly over that and that was only by you a few miles (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AZIZ: It will be quite unfair and unacceptable by any scientific and security standards to destroy a missile which is supposed to be 150 kilometers range, it is 160. Where is the danger in that, you see? Where is the danger if is it 10 or five or seven kilometers longer in range than that? Destruction should be based on a reason, on a reason, reason linked with the questions of security and peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VINCI: He also said that the inspectors will be encouraged to talk to the scientists in Baghdad privately. Back to you, Carol.
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Alessio Vinci live from Rome.
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 - 16:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Saddam Hussein's right hand man, Tariq Aziz, is talking to CNN's Alessio Vinci about war, weapons and the White House. And Alessio joins us live from Rome with a lot more. He was feeling very outspoken, wanted to clearly get a message across to the world, Alessio.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, definitely, Carol. Ever since -- ever since Tariq Aziz arrived here in Rome on Thursday morning, he's been repeating over and over again that Iraq was doing all it could to cooperate with U.N. inspectors in Iraq and to fulfill the obligations set by U.N. Resolution 1441.
But today, when I had this exclusive interview with him, the deputy prime minister told me that Iraq also needed more time to fulfill these obligations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARIQ AZIZ, IRAQI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: The second report shows that there is progress in the work. It also tells that they haven't found any weapons of mass destruction, which is the most important fact in the situation. We're ready to continue the work with the inspectors in order to settle the outstanding issues. But this needs time. It cannot be done in an atmosphere of harassment and atmosphere of threat of war as the American government is doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VINCI: Mr. Aziz also during the interview said that the United States government is insisting on the fact that time was running out for Iraq, simply because, in his words, "the United States government did not want to give a chance to the U.N. inspectors in Baghdad to eventually certify in several months' time that Iraq does not possess weapons of mass destruction."
I also asked him about those (UNINTELLIGIBLE) missiles. You may recall yesterday, on Friday, during the report by the U.N. chief inspector, Hans Blix, where he reported that Iraq does possess several missiles, which are capable of flying beyond the 90-mile range allowed by previous U.N. resolutions. And Mr. Aziz said that those missiles did only accidentally fly over that and that was only by you a few miles (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AZIZ: It will be quite unfair and unacceptable by any scientific and security standards to destroy a missile which is supposed to be 150 kilometers range, it is 160. Where is the danger in that, you see? Where is the danger if is it 10 or five or seven kilometers longer in range than that? Destruction should be based on a reason, on a reason, reason linked with the questions of security and peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VINCI: He also said that the inspectors will be encouraged to talk to the scientists in Baghdad privately. Back to you, Carol.
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Alessio Vinci live from Rome.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
