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CNN Saturday Morning News
Bush Administartion is Defense on it's Decision to go Offensive Against Iraq
Aired June 07, 2003 - 09:02 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: The Bush administration is on the defense over its decision to go on the offense against Iraq. Questions about Iraq's weapons program and the realities versus the perceptions of the threat are raising doubts about U.S. intelligence operations.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Plante joining us now with the very latest on this. Hello to you, Chris.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi, that's right. CNN obtained yesterday the executive summary of a DIA report, which seemed to indicate that the Defense Intelligence Agency questioned whether Iraq had any chemical weapons in their possession.
The report said that there is no reliable information on whether Iraq is producing and/or stockpiling chemical weapons, or whether Iraq has or will establish a chemical warfare agent -- pardon -- production facility.
Now, the three-star admiral in charge of the Defense Intelligence Agency came out and took issue with the selection of this passage of the report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICE ADM. LOWELL JACOBY, DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY: It is not in any way intended to portray the fact that we had doubts that such a program existed, that such a program was active, or such a program was part of the Iraqi WMD infrastructure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLANTE: Now, if you go on and read the additional passages from this executive summary -- and we don't have the full report yet, but we are hoping to get it soon -- the report does on to say a number of other things, looking like they did believe that, in fact, Iraq was in possession of chemical and/or biological weapons.
In fact, on passage goes on to say that "Unusual munitions transfer activity in mid-2002 suggests that Iraq is distributing CW" -- that is chemical weapons -- "munitions in preparation for anticipated U.S. attack." So that would certainly seem to indicate that other passages of the report suggested that Iraq was in possession of chemical weapons. Additional passages also indicate that they were in possession -- pardon me -- of biological weapons. So it's a bit of a mixed bag, and it appears that they were hedging a little bit at the top of this executive summary. But they do go on in later passages to indicate something of a mixed bag that the weapons did exist, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. I'm sure we'll be hearing quite a bit more about this as the days go on. Chris Plante, giving the update now from the Pentagon this morning. Thanks, Chris.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Offensive Against Iraq>
Aired June 7, 2003 - 09:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is on the defense over its decision to go on the offense against Iraq. Questions about Iraq's weapons program and the realities versus the perceptions of the threat are raising doubts about U.S. intelligence operations.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Plante joining us now with the very latest on this. Hello to you, Chris.
CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi, that's right. CNN obtained yesterday the executive summary of a DIA report, which seemed to indicate that the Defense Intelligence Agency questioned whether Iraq had any chemical weapons in their possession.
The report said that there is no reliable information on whether Iraq is producing and/or stockpiling chemical weapons, or whether Iraq has or will establish a chemical warfare agent -- pardon -- production facility.
Now, the three-star admiral in charge of the Defense Intelligence Agency came out and took issue with the selection of this passage of the report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICE ADM. LOWELL JACOBY, DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY: It is not in any way intended to portray the fact that we had doubts that such a program existed, that such a program was active, or such a program was part of the Iraqi WMD infrastructure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLANTE: Now, if you go on and read the additional passages from this executive summary -- and we don't have the full report yet, but we are hoping to get it soon -- the report does on to say a number of other things, looking like they did believe that, in fact, Iraq was in possession of chemical and/or biological weapons.
In fact, on passage goes on to say that "Unusual munitions transfer activity in mid-2002 suggests that Iraq is distributing CW" -- that is chemical weapons -- "munitions in preparation for anticipated U.S. attack." So that would certainly seem to indicate that other passages of the report suggested that Iraq was in possession of chemical weapons. Additional passages also indicate that they were in possession -- pardon me -- of biological weapons. So it's a bit of a mixed bag, and it appears that they were hedging a little bit at the top of this executive summary. But they do go on in later passages to indicate something of a mixed bag that the weapons did exist, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. I'm sure we'll be hearing quite a bit more about this as the days go on. Chris Plante, giving the update now from the Pentagon this morning. Thanks, Chris.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Offensive Against Iraq>
