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CNN Live Sunday
Blix, El-Baradei Visit Baghdad
Aired January 19, 2003 - 18:10 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Next week, the U.N. weapons inspectors will give their final report to the U.N. Security Council on January 27. But there's no sign the Bush administration expects any breakthrough to prevent war with Iraq. And that set the tone for chief weapons inspector Hans Blix. He is now in Baghdad with a dire warning for Saddam Hussein. CNN's Nic Robertson is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Back in Baghdad for the first time in two months, chief U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix and top nuclear weapons official Mohamed El- Baradei had strong words for Iraqi officials.
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: But there needs also to be further cooperation, and we will discuss that with them. And inspection is not a prelude to war. It is an alternative to war. And that is what we want to achieve.
ROBERTSON: Both Blix and El-Baradei came to stress how tense the situation is and how important the timing of their mission.
MOHAMED EL-BARADEI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, IAEA: The timing of our visit is very important. We would like to see an inspection to work. For an inspection to work, we still need a lot of additional information.
ROBERTSON: The first meeting, during their brief day and a half of talks in the Iraqi capital, at the Foreign Ministry with General Amir Al-Saadi, President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser.
On the agenda, several specific issues Blix and El-Baradei want addressed, including private interviews with Iraqi scientists who have so far turned down U.N. offers to talk.
BLIX: If someone refuses to come to us, we'll take note of it, and if it's a pattern, well, then we will tell the Security Council about that.
ROBERTSON: Following the two and a half hour meeting, some progress made, according to Blix and El-Baradei, who report Iraqi officials taking their concerns seriously.
At a late night meeting with Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan, Iraq's cooperation with the U.N. inspectors was reviewed, according to Iraq's news agency. More meetings are expected Monday. (on camera): After a little more than 50 days of work by U.N. inspection teams here, Blix and Baradei already have a clear idea of what they'll put in their report to the U.N. Security Council January 27. What they're hoping to convince Iraqi officials now is that before that date, Iraq shows some visible signs of improved proactive cooperation.
Nic Robertson, 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 19, 2003 - 18:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Next week, the U.N. weapons inspectors will give their final report to the U.N. Security Council on January 27. But there's no sign the Bush administration expects any breakthrough to prevent war with Iraq. And that set the tone for chief weapons inspector Hans Blix. He is now in Baghdad with a dire warning for Saddam Hussein. CNN's Nic Robertson is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Back in Baghdad for the first time in two months, chief U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix and top nuclear weapons official Mohamed El- Baradei had strong words for Iraqi officials.
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: But there needs also to be further cooperation, and we will discuss that with them. And inspection is not a prelude to war. It is an alternative to war. And that is what we want to achieve.
ROBERTSON: Both Blix and El-Baradei came to stress how tense the situation is and how important the timing of their mission.
MOHAMED EL-BARADEI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, IAEA: The timing of our visit is very important. We would like to see an inspection to work. For an inspection to work, we still need a lot of additional information.
ROBERTSON: The first meeting, during their brief day and a half of talks in the Iraqi capital, at the Foreign Ministry with General Amir Al-Saadi, President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser.
On the agenda, several specific issues Blix and El-Baradei want addressed, including private interviews with Iraqi scientists who have so far turned down U.N. offers to talk.
BLIX: If someone refuses to come to us, we'll take note of it, and if it's a pattern, well, then we will tell the Security Council about that.
ROBERTSON: Following the two and a half hour meeting, some progress made, according to Blix and El-Baradei, who report Iraqi officials taking their concerns seriously.
At a late night meeting with Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan, Iraq's cooperation with the U.N. inspectors was reviewed, according to Iraq's news agency. More meetings are expected Monday. (on camera): After a little more than 50 days of work by U.N. inspection teams here, Blix and Baradei already have a clear idea of what they'll put in their report to the U.N. Security Council January 27. What they're hoping to convince Iraqi officials now is that before that date, Iraq shows some visible signs of improved proactive cooperation.
Nic Robertson, 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
