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CNN Live Sunday
Iraq Invites American Intelligence Services to Accompany Inspectors
Aired December 22, 2002 - 17:01 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.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: U.N. inspectors could get more help from U.S. intelligence in their search for weapons of mass destruction. An adviser to Saddam Hussein said today someone from American intelligence would be welcome to come along and point out suspect sites. For the Bush's administration take on the weapons hunt and what comes next, our Dana Bash is at the White House -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Renay, after this week, when the U.S. said that Iraq is not coming clean with its weapons of mass destruction, Hans Blix, the U.N. chief weapons inspector says the United States and Britain have to help the U.N. with gathering information by giving intelligence information over to them. That would help inspectors who are moving around Iraq to try to find the areas where the U.S. thinks the inspectors -- the weapons are.
They're starting off, U.S. officials say they're starting off using spy satellite photos, handing over some of that information over to the U.N., hoping that that can help direct inspectors to places where they think that Saddam Hussein has chemical and biological weapons. But beyond that, U.S. officials are saying that they have to be careful with what intelligence they hand over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R), INDIANA: We will attempt to do this bit by bit, because compromise could occur of the sources of that. We could jeopardize the lives of those Iraqis who made possible what we know. And that would be true of British intelligence. But nevertheless, it's important. And the U.N. inspectors requested that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, the U.S. is also pushing the U.N. to try to find Iraqi scientists who might be willing to give information up to the United States and to the U.N., to all of its allies about what weapons programs Saddam Hussein has. That's a little bit tricky, because it calls into question what kind of asylum these scientists would get along with their families. Some of them have very large families.
But this is all, all of this is leading up to January 27, and that is the date that the U.N. is going to have to complete its report as to what they think that Saddam Hussein has in terms of weapons programs, and whether or not he is making -- we have a case for war. Back to you. SAN MIGUEL: Dana, any reaction from the White House today from this adviser of Saddam Hussein, General Al-Saadi, to have someone from American intelligence, basically an invitation to American intelligence to come to Iraq and point out these suspect sites?
BASH: No reaction to that invitation specifically, but in terms of the general statements that the Iraqi was making, that the United States doesn't have the proof that they say that they have, U.S. officials, administration official is pointing to statements earlier this week, by Secretary of State Colin Powell and President Bush, detailing what they think that Iraq has, VX gas and other -- other chemical and biological agents that they are not reporting to the United Nations.
SAN MIGUEL: OK, Dana Bash, reporting from the White House, 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
Inspectors>
Aired December 22, 2002 - 17:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: U.N. inspectors could get more help from U.S. intelligence in their search for weapons of mass destruction. An adviser to Saddam Hussein said today someone from American intelligence would be welcome to come along and point out suspect sites. For the Bush's administration take on the weapons hunt and what comes next, our Dana Bash is at the White House -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Renay, after this week, when the U.S. said that Iraq is not coming clean with its weapons of mass destruction, Hans Blix, the U.N. chief weapons inspector says the United States and Britain have to help the U.N. with gathering information by giving intelligence information over to them. That would help inspectors who are moving around Iraq to try to find the areas where the U.S. thinks the inspectors -- the weapons are.
They're starting off, U.S. officials say they're starting off using spy satellite photos, handing over some of that information over to the U.N., hoping that that can help direct inspectors to places where they think that Saddam Hussein has chemical and biological weapons. But beyond that, U.S. officials are saying that they have to be careful with what intelligence they hand over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R), INDIANA: We will attempt to do this bit by bit, because compromise could occur of the sources of that. We could jeopardize the lives of those Iraqis who made possible what we know. And that would be true of British intelligence. But nevertheless, it's important. And the U.N. inspectors requested that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, the U.S. is also pushing the U.N. to try to find Iraqi scientists who might be willing to give information up to the United States and to the U.N., to all of its allies about what weapons programs Saddam Hussein has. That's a little bit tricky, because it calls into question what kind of asylum these scientists would get along with their families. Some of them have very large families.
But this is all, all of this is leading up to January 27, and that is the date that the U.N. is going to have to complete its report as to what they think that Saddam Hussein has in terms of weapons programs, and whether or not he is making -- we have a case for war. Back to you. SAN MIGUEL: Dana, any reaction from the White House today from this adviser of Saddam Hussein, General Al-Saadi, to have someone from American intelligence, basically an invitation to American intelligence to come to Iraq and point out these suspect sites?
BASH: No reaction to that invitation specifically, but in terms of the general statements that the Iraqi was making, that the United States doesn't have the proof that they say that they have, U.S. officials, administration official is pointing to statements earlier this week, by Secretary of State Colin Powell and President Bush, detailing what they think that Iraq has, VX gas and other -- other chemical and biological agents that they are not reporting to the United Nations.
SAN MIGUEL: OK, Dana Bash, reporting from the White House, 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
Inspectors>
