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CNN Live Sunday
Iraq Accuses Weapons Inspectors of Espionage
Aired January 12, 2003 - 15:06 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: International inspection teams fanned out from Baghdad to examine more than half a dozen sites in Iraq today. They come amid new Iraqi accusations, the teams are spying. More from CNN's Rym Brahimi in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): A more conciliatory tone here on the part of Iraq's vice president, Taha Yassin Ramadan, who has maintained his allegations that the U.N. weapons inspectors are gathering intelligence rather than looking for weapons of mass destruction. That said, the vice president says Iraq is willing to continue its cooperation, in order, he says, to expose the lies of the U.S. administration to prove Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction, but mainly to avert a war.
Now, meantime, the U.N. weapons inspectors have found out again across the country, north and south and in and around Baghdad. One team of biological experts went to Baghdad University to check out the pharmacology department, asking for names of heads of departments, the names of post-graduate students, and what research they were involved in. And then a team of joint experts went to a site 60 kilometers south of Baghdad. Apparently an experiment was carried out there. It's a site that already U.N. weapons inspectors have been to. They've already witnessed there the static testing a couple of times of missiles. A site of interest, of course, for the weapons inspectors who are monitoring Iraq's missiles that should not exceed a range of 150 kilometers.
Meanwhile, a flurry of diplomatic activity here in Baghdad with president Saddam Hussein receiving a couple of envoys from neighboring countries. The head of a Turkish trade delegation first of all, who give him a letter from Turkey's prime minister.
Now that letter, according to Turkish officials, was meant to assure President Saddam Hussein that Turkey does not want to see a war take place. That said, it's also calling on President Saddam Hussein to do what it takes to avert that war. And then another interesting envoy met with the president, an envoy from the state of Qatar. Interesting, of course, in light of the U.S. troop buildup that's taking place in the Persian Gulf, and especially in Qatar.
Rym Brahimi, CNN, Baghdad.
(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 January 12, 2003 - 15:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: International inspection teams fanned out from Baghdad to examine more than half a dozen sites in Iraq today. They come amid new Iraqi accusations, the teams are spying. More from CNN's Rym Brahimi in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): A more conciliatory tone here on the part of Iraq's vice president, Taha Yassin Ramadan, who has maintained his allegations that the U.N. weapons inspectors are gathering intelligence rather than looking for weapons of mass destruction. That said, the vice president says Iraq is willing to continue its cooperation, in order, he says, to expose the lies of the U.S. administration to prove Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction, but mainly to avert a war.
Now, meantime, the U.N. weapons inspectors have found out again across the country, north and south and in and around Baghdad. One team of biological experts went to Baghdad University to check out the pharmacology department, asking for names of heads of departments, the names of post-graduate students, and what research they were involved in. And then a team of joint experts went to a site 60 kilometers south of Baghdad. Apparently an experiment was carried out there. It's a site that already U.N. weapons inspectors have been to. They've already witnessed there the static testing a couple of times of missiles. A site of interest, of course, for the weapons inspectors who are monitoring Iraq's missiles that should not exceed a range of 150 kilometers.
Meanwhile, a flurry of diplomatic activity here in Baghdad with president Saddam Hussein receiving a couple of envoys from neighboring countries. The head of a Turkish trade delegation first of all, who give him a letter from Turkey's prime minister.
Now that letter, according to Turkish officials, was meant to assure President Saddam Hussein that Turkey does not want to see a war take place. That said, it's also calling on President Saddam Hussein to do what it takes to avert that war. And then another interesting envoy met with the president, an envoy from the state of Qatar. Interesting, of course, in light of the U.S. troop buildup that's taking place in the Persian Gulf, and especially in Qatar.
Rym Brahimi, CNN, Baghdad.
(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
