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CNN Saturday Morning News

New U.N. Resolution Will Set Deadline for Iraq to Disarm

Aired March 08, 2003 - 07:03   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: With the clock ticking, the Bush administration has launched an intense lobbying effort this weekend. The president and his top aides are trying to win support for the new U.N. resolution, which now sets a deadline for Iraq to disarm.
Here's a look at what we can expect in the days ahead. On Monday, Iraq may report to weapons inspectors on a plan to confirm that it destroyed its chemical and biological weapons in the 1990s, as diplomats meet at the United Nations. On Monday, or more likely Tuesday, the Security Council may vote on a new draft resolution which sets a March 17 deadline for Iraq to comply.

The resolution, if passed, says Iraq will have failed to comply if it does not act by the 17th.

So that leaves Baghdad just nine days to comply.

Let's get reaction now from Iraq. CNN's Rym Brahimi is in Baghdad this morning. Good morning to you, Rym.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.

Well, Iraq has resumed the destruction of Al Samoud missiles. Iraqi officials say six of those Al Samoud 2 missiles are to be destroyed today after a pause yesterday. Nothing was destroyed. The full pace of the weapons inspections is also resuming today. Yesterday, only two sites were being checked out, today, at least 11 sites. One missile team also at the site where missiles are being destroyed.

Now, if, indeed, by the end of the day, six Al Samoud missiles are destroyed, that will bring to 40 the number of missiles destroyed since they began that process exactly a week ago.

U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix, as you know, spoke to the U.N. Security Council. He said the destruction of the Al Samoud missiles was -- represented significant progress.

People here have been following events at the U.N. Security Council, and when you talk to people here, many people believe that Hans Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei presented a fair report. They do believe, however, that no matter what, the U.S. does intend to bomb, and it will bomb very soon now.

That said, a lot of people say that the U.N. Security Council now has a chance to maybe show its relevance, and they are looking to other countries in the world to try and avert war, Heidi.

COLLINS: Rym, I'm wondering, we are learning an estimation, anyway, of how many Al Samoud 2 missiles Iraq apparently has, an estimation between 100 and 120. Forty are now destroyed, but they seem to be doing it just maybe four or five or 10 at a time. Why is it that way? Why can't we just take 50 or 60 and smash them, as they have been doing with that process?

BRAHIMI: Heidi, well, U.N. officials have said that physically it wouldn't be possible to have destroyed all of Iraq's Al Samoud 2 missiles in four days. There's an estimated 120, 130 of those missiles. That said, while the U.N. officials haven't given Iraq a timeline or a specific deadline for the completion of those -- that destruction, they have suggested that it is in Iraq's interests to go as fast as it can.

As fast as it can, according to U.N. officials, well, that could be up to two weeks, roughly. At the pace that they're going now, which is six missiles destroyed a day, well, they're going to reach that probably -- they're probably going to finish in the next three weeks, which isn't that much more, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, CNN's Rym Brahimi live in Baghdad this morning. 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







HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: With the clock ticking, the Bush administration has launched an intense lobbying effort this weekend. The president and his top aides are trying to win support for the new U.N. resolution, which now sets a deadline for Iraq to disarm.>


Aired March 8, 2003 - 07:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: With the clock ticking, the Bush administration has launched an intense lobbying effort this weekend. The president and his top aides are trying to win support for the new U.N. resolution, which now sets a deadline for Iraq to disarm.
Here's a look at what we can expect in the days ahead. On Monday, Iraq may report to weapons inspectors on a plan to confirm that it destroyed its chemical and biological weapons in the 1990s, as diplomats meet at the United Nations. On Monday, or more likely Tuesday, the Security Council may vote on a new draft resolution which sets a March 17 deadline for Iraq to comply.

The resolution, if passed, says Iraq will have failed to comply if it does not act by the 17th.

So that leaves Baghdad just nine days to comply.

Let's get reaction now from Iraq. CNN's Rym Brahimi is in Baghdad this morning. Good morning to you, Rym.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.

Well, Iraq has resumed the destruction of Al Samoud missiles. Iraqi officials say six of those Al Samoud 2 missiles are to be destroyed today after a pause yesterday. Nothing was destroyed. The full pace of the weapons inspections is also resuming today. Yesterday, only two sites were being checked out, today, at least 11 sites. One missile team also at the site where missiles are being destroyed.

Now, if, indeed, by the end of the day, six Al Samoud missiles are destroyed, that will bring to 40 the number of missiles destroyed since they began that process exactly a week ago.

U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix, as you know, spoke to the U.N. Security Council. He said the destruction of the Al Samoud missiles was -- represented significant progress.

People here have been following events at the U.N. Security Council, and when you talk to people here, many people believe that Hans Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei presented a fair report. They do believe, however, that no matter what, the U.S. does intend to bomb, and it will bomb very soon now.

That said, a lot of people say that the U.N. Security Council now has a chance to maybe show its relevance, and they are looking to other countries in the world to try and avert war, Heidi.

COLLINS: Rym, I'm wondering, we are learning an estimation, anyway, of how many Al Samoud 2 missiles Iraq apparently has, an estimation between 100 and 120. Forty are now destroyed, but they seem to be doing it just maybe four or five or 10 at a time. Why is it that way? Why can't we just take 50 or 60 and smash them, as they have been doing with that process?

BRAHIMI: Heidi, well, U.N. officials have said that physically it wouldn't be possible to have destroyed all of Iraq's Al Samoud 2 missiles in four days. There's an estimated 120, 130 of those missiles. That said, while the U.N. officials haven't given Iraq a timeline or a specific deadline for the completion of those -- that destruction, they have suggested that it is in Iraq's interests to go as fast as it can.

As fast as it can, according to U.N. officials, well, that could be up to two weeks, roughly. At the pace that they're going now, which is six missiles destroyed a day, well, they're going to reach that probably -- they're probably going to finish in the next three weeks, which isn't that much more, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, CNN's Rym Brahimi live in Baghdad this morning. 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







HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: With the clock ticking, the Bush administration has launched an intense lobbying effort this weekend. The president and his top aides are trying to win support for the new U.N. resolution, which now sets a deadline for Iraq to disarm.>