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CNN Live Sunday

Iraq Begins Dismantling of Al Samoud 2 Missiles

Aired March 02, 2003 - 18:04   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: Iraq appears determined not to let its Al Samoud 2 missile arsenal become political ammunition for Washington. Iraq is believed to have 100 to 120 of those rockets. United Nations weapons inspectors say the missiles have to go, because their range exceeds the U.N.'s limits on Iraqi weapons programs. Baghdad says it has scrapped a casting chamber as well used to make the missiles solid rocket fuel. And Iraqi officials say they have destroyed six more Al Samouds today after crushing the first four yesterday. So now, 10 in all, according to Iraqi officials. They insist they are providing proactive cooperation to the U.N.'s inspectors on the missiles and other disarmament issues.
The two sides have been holding technical talks today on Iraq's claim that it has destroyed its anthrax and VX nerve gas stockpiles. And a scientific adviser to president Saddam Hussein defended Iraq's progress in a news conference today. CNN senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, very interestingly, in this weekly news briefing president Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, General Amir al-Saadi, saying that the pictures taken showing the destruction of the Al Samoud 2 missiles will not be shown. He said this will -- they will not be shown, because of the sensitivities of the Iraqi people, that it would upset them if they were to see the Al Samoud 2 missile being destroyed. He said Iraqi officials had also requested that the U.N. inspectors did not publicize the pictures that they had taken during the destruction process.

General Amir al-Saadi also saying that if the United States, as he put it, was to illegally go to war with Iraq at this stage, then Iraq would stop the destruction of the Al Samoud 2 missile.

The very interesting point put forward by General Amir al-Saadi, clearly appealing to the debate going on in the United States about the cost of a possible war. He said that a war could cost $80 billion. He said if there was no war and the U.N. weapons inspectors kept about their work, then that would be free. There would be no charge to the U.S. taxpayer. The reason for that, he said, was because the weapons inspectors work here, because $80 million a year is paid for out of Iraq's Oil For Food program, out of the oil that Iraq produces. So he said, therefore, no cost to the taxpayer.

He also commented on a video that he'd been shown or had discussed with him, whereby a powerful U.S. bomb could be targeted at underground stocks of chemical or biological nerve agents. He said why go to the cost of doing that? If the United States knows where the coordinates are, pass them to the U.N. weapons inspectors and save the cost.

GENERAL AMIR AL-SAADI, HUSSEIN SCIENTIFIC ADVISER: If they know the coordinates, because you need an input for this weapon to hit its target, that is if you have the coordinates of that bunker, it would be much easier and less costly and much faster to provide those coordinates to UNMOVIC. They'll do the job free of charge as at no cost to the American taxpayer. Wouldn't you agree?

ROBERTSON: General Amir al-Saadi also discussing talks that have been going on Sunday evening between Iraqi officials and U.N. weapons inspectors about an Iraqi proposal for the U.N. inspectors to determine quantities of VX and anthrax, biological and nerve agents that have been disposed of in the deserts of Iraq. Now, General Amir al-Saadi said that this would involve testing, DNA samples taken from the soil. However, U.N. weapons inspectors say they are not convinced that the methodology that Iraq has proposed will necessarily lead to clear and concise results about the quantities of those agents destroyed.

DIMITRI PERRICOS, UNMOVIC: The Iraqi side indicates that they have done some testing and some measurements of their own to show that there is some hope in the procedure that they want us to implement together. Sorry, together. And therefore, we are coming with, you know, with our open mind to this. Personally, I have my doubts.

ROBERTSON: The reason U.N. officials say they are skeptical about getting accurate results is because they say these agents have been exposed to rain. They've been exposed to sun and high temperatures and therefore, it would be very difficult to come up with an accurate figure that would accurately determine just the quantities of VX and anthrax that have been disposed of there.

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 March 2, 2003 - 18:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Iraq appears determined not to let its Al Samoud 2 missile arsenal become political ammunition for Washington. Iraq is believed to have 100 to 120 of those rockets. United Nations weapons inspectors say the missiles have to go, because their range exceeds the U.N.'s limits on Iraqi weapons programs. Baghdad says it has scrapped a casting chamber as well used to make the missiles solid rocket fuel. And Iraqi officials say they have destroyed six more Al Samouds today after crushing the first four yesterday. So now, 10 in all, according to Iraqi officials. They insist they are providing proactive cooperation to the U.N.'s inspectors on the missiles and other disarmament issues.
The two sides have been holding technical talks today on Iraq's claim that it has destroyed its anthrax and VX nerve gas stockpiles. And a scientific adviser to president Saddam Hussein defended Iraq's progress in a news conference today. CNN senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, very interestingly, in this weekly news briefing president Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, General Amir al-Saadi, saying that the pictures taken showing the destruction of the Al Samoud 2 missiles will not be shown. He said this will -- they will not be shown, because of the sensitivities of the Iraqi people, that it would upset them if they were to see the Al Samoud 2 missile being destroyed. He said Iraqi officials had also requested that the U.N. inspectors did not publicize the pictures that they had taken during the destruction process.

General Amir al-Saadi also saying that if the United States, as he put it, was to illegally go to war with Iraq at this stage, then Iraq would stop the destruction of the Al Samoud 2 missile.

The very interesting point put forward by General Amir al-Saadi, clearly appealing to the debate going on in the United States about the cost of a possible war. He said that a war could cost $80 billion. He said if there was no war and the U.N. weapons inspectors kept about their work, then that would be free. There would be no charge to the U.S. taxpayer. The reason for that, he said, was because the weapons inspectors work here, because $80 million a year is paid for out of Iraq's Oil For Food program, out of the oil that Iraq produces. So he said, therefore, no cost to the taxpayer.

He also commented on a video that he'd been shown or had discussed with him, whereby a powerful U.S. bomb could be targeted at underground stocks of chemical or biological nerve agents. He said why go to the cost of doing that? If the United States knows where the coordinates are, pass them to the U.N. weapons inspectors and save the cost.

GENERAL AMIR AL-SAADI, HUSSEIN SCIENTIFIC ADVISER: If they know the coordinates, because you need an input for this weapon to hit its target, that is if you have the coordinates of that bunker, it would be much easier and less costly and much faster to provide those coordinates to UNMOVIC. They'll do the job free of charge as at no cost to the American taxpayer. Wouldn't you agree?

ROBERTSON: General Amir al-Saadi also discussing talks that have been going on Sunday evening between Iraqi officials and U.N. weapons inspectors about an Iraqi proposal for the U.N. inspectors to determine quantities of VX and anthrax, biological and nerve agents that have been disposed of in the deserts of Iraq. Now, General Amir al-Saadi said that this would involve testing, DNA samples taken from the soil. However, U.N. weapons inspectors say they are not convinced that the methodology that Iraq has proposed will necessarily lead to clear and concise results about the quantities of those agents destroyed.

DIMITRI PERRICOS, UNMOVIC: The Iraqi side indicates that they have done some testing and some measurements of their own to show that there is some hope in the procedure that they want us to implement together. Sorry, together. And therefore, we are coming with, you know, with our open mind to this. Personally, I have my doubts.

ROBERTSON: The reason U.N. officials say they are skeptical about getting accurate results is because they say these agents have been exposed to rain. They've been exposed to sun and high temperatures and therefore, it would be very difficult to come up with an accurate figure that would accurately determine just the quantities of VX and anthrax that have been disposed of there.

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