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CNN SHOWDOWN: IRAQ
U.N. Weapons Inspector Dies in Traffic Accident
Aired March 13, 2003 - 12:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Not surprisingly, Iraq is dismissing Britain's latest plan, which of course includes those six disarmament requirements, what they call benchmarks, for Baghdad. On the other hand, Iraq says it is submitting two reports to the United Nations. One on the VX nerve agent, and another on anthrax.
CNN's Nic Robertson is joining us now live from Baghdad with all the latest developments -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the very latest from here, some bad news given to us by Iraqi officials. They say a U.N. weapons inspector died in a traffic accident today here in Baghdad. Now, the Iraqi officials say that they gave all the assistance possible to this person, and to the United Nations weapons inspection team. However, that from Iraqi officials that one U.N. weapons inspector has died in a traffic accident here.
Also, Iraq's foreign minister, Naji Sabri, saying that any efforts to change the U.N. resolution were not something Iraq could support, that the benchmarks provided by Britain were mere window dressing, if you will, on changes in the resolution. Indeed, he said that these efforts were just an effort to move the United Nations closer to war, something he said the United States has been trying to do for some time.
He indicated that Iraq's view is that the divisions are such at the U.N. Security Council that the six countries in the middle, holding those key votes at the Security Council, would reject a change in the U.N. -- in the new U.N. resolution. That was a position earlier on today. He also indicated that Iraq is preparing for war. He said Iraq has been continuing to prepare for war since the Gulf War in 1991.
Also, we're hearing from Iraqi -- from diplomats here in Baghdad today that Iraq is very likely to hand over to the U.N. at least its report on VX as early as tomorrow. The report on anthrax may come a little later.
This report, just to clarify, is Iraq's analysis of how the U.N. can make scientific determination of -- to determine the quantities of VX and anthrax that Iraq disposed of in the past, and the U.N. has already said it doesn't believe Iraq's analysis will be able to provide accurate enough results, but Iraq likely present at least that VX report tomorrow, we are told -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Nic, you, of course, have seen those six so-called benchmarks, those test requirements that the British put forward. The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, already saying that the first one, Saddam Hussein going on television, speaking in Arabic to his people, renouncing weapons of mass destruction, that is not necessarily even on the table anymore. But the five others don't seem all that unreasonable, as far as Iraq is concerned. They presumably might be able to go ahead and accept those five other benchmarks without too much complication. What is your assessment, as you look at those five benchmarks put forward by the British government?
ROBERTSON: Wolf, typically what we've seen, particularly in the last month or so, is Iraq to complain and fuss all the way down to the wire, right until the last minute and then very grudgingly go along and meet -- and meet the deadlines. For example, the destroying the Al Samoud missile. Right down to the last minute, Iraq was saying, No, we don't have them. We don't have such things. Even when they began destroying them still saying they don't have them, but going ahead nevertheless.
Now, Iraq -- privately, Iraqi officials are saying that the country will do whatever it can to avoid war. The indications are that maybe at this stage in the diplomatic process, Iraq may find it a little easier to meet some of those benchmarks than it would have done maybe two or three months ago. Certainly, the realities of being face to face with war here at this time have brought some changes that many here might not have predicted. So, too early to say, could Iraq go ahead and do it, but if we look at the very recent history, it does appear to be possible -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Thank you very much. Nic Robertson with the latest from Baghdad. We'll continue to monitor the situation there, of course.
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