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CNN Live Sunday
U.N. Weapons Inspectors Arrive in Iraq Tomorrow
Aired November 24, 2002 - 18:05 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: On Wednesday, the inspectors will begin looking for weapons of mass destruction in a host country certainly sullen about having them there. CNN's senior international correspondent Sheila MacVicar is in Larnaca, Cyprus talking with the arms hunters about the challenges that lie ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Saying that they are well aware of what is at stake here, some calling this the most important inspection mission of their professional lives. A team of U.N. weapons inspectors arrived here in Larnaca, ready to head into Baghdad on Monday morning. Twelve members from UNMOVIC, comprising biological, chemical and missile expertise, six from the International Atomic Energy Agency, charged with examining Iraq's nuclear weapons program. All of them, they say, well aware of what is at stake, and well aware of the pressures they face.
JACQUES BAUTE, IAEA: You know, I think that what matters, whatever pressure we have, we're going to do our job seriously, and to be able to draw conclusions which will be credible for everybody.
MACVICAR: After four years outside of Iraq, the inspectors say they've gathered a tremendous amount of information, intelligence information from various governments on Iraq's procurements. They've examined satellite photographs where on those images they've been able to see real changes on the ground. And although they have been out of the country for four years, they have used all that information they have gathered to draw a game plan, more than 700 sites they say they plan to visit over the course of their inspections.
They'll begin, however, with recreating what's called a baseline of data, going back to sites previously inspected, going back to sites previously under long-term monitoring to see if the monitoring equipment is still working, still functioning, if it can be reconnected to the U.N. system, and to see what has changed there.
Sheila MacVicar, CNN, Larnaca, Cyprus.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 November 24, 2002 - 18:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: On Wednesday, the inspectors will begin looking for weapons of mass destruction in a host country certainly sullen about having them there. CNN's senior international correspondent Sheila MacVicar is in Larnaca, Cyprus talking with the arms hunters about the challenges that lie ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Saying that they are well aware of what is at stake here, some calling this the most important inspection mission of their professional lives. A team of U.N. weapons inspectors arrived here in Larnaca, ready to head into Baghdad on Monday morning. Twelve members from UNMOVIC, comprising biological, chemical and missile expertise, six from the International Atomic Energy Agency, charged with examining Iraq's nuclear weapons program. All of them, they say, well aware of what is at stake, and well aware of the pressures they face.
JACQUES BAUTE, IAEA: You know, I think that what matters, whatever pressure we have, we're going to do our job seriously, and to be able to draw conclusions which will be credible for everybody.
MACVICAR: After four years outside of Iraq, the inspectors say they've gathered a tremendous amount of information, intelligence information from various governments on Iraq's procurements. They've examined satellite photographs where on those images they've been able to see real changes on the ground. And although they have been out of the country for four years, they have used all that information they have gathered to draw a game plan, more than 700 sites they say they plan to visit over the course of their inspections.
They'll begin, however, with recreating what's called a baseline of data, going back to sites previously inspected, going back to sites previously under long-term monitoring to see if the monitoring equipment is still working, still functioning, if it can be reconnected to the U.N. system, and to see what has changed there.
Sheila MacVicar, CNN, Larnaca, Cyprus.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
