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CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK

What Does France Have to Say About Inspections in Iraq?

Aired January 17, 2003 - 05:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: To Saddam Hussein now and his address to his people on the 12th anniversary of the Persian Gulf War. As he has said before, the Iraqi leader vowed Iraq will defeat anyone who attacks his nation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. SADDAM HUSSEIN, IRAQ: The entire nation will rise up in defense of its right-to-life, of its role and of anything it holds sacred. Their arrows will be on the wrong side or will recoil to their breasts. The martyrs of the nation will turn into green birds in paradise, as the Masterful has promised. Shame be only despicable. Long live our glorious nation! Long live Iraq!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Saddam made those comments at 3:00 a.m. Eastern time. Thousands of Iraqis, as you see, demonstrated today in Baghdad. In just a minute we'll take you there live for more on Saddam Hussein's speech and the weapons hunt.

Chief U.N. weapons inspectors are in Europe this morning, where they've just wrapped up a meeting with French President Jacques Chirac. So what does France have to say about the inspections in Iraq?

CNN senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth joins us live from Paris with details -- what did they say, Richard?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.

Shades of the Gulf War, dueling messages. While President Saddam Hussein was addressing his nation, a press conference and a meeting in Paris between French President Chirac and lead international inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei. ElBaradei saying that Iraq must provide evidence and then another appeal, saying they don't want to humiliate the Iraqis, but if there would just be solid, substantial evidence, "there could be a light at the end of the tunnel," something the inspectors have repeatedly said.

But ElBaradei added, if not, then the consequences may not be very pleasant for Iraq.

Hans Blix not really rating as very significant yesterday's announcement that 12 chemical warheads were discovered in Baghdad. He said that still has to be investigated whether Iraq truly declared these items in its lengthy 12,000 page declaration in last December. It's an interesting finding for now -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you, France does want another U.S. resolution before any military action is taken. Do you expect that to happen?

ROTH: It has to be worked out at the Security Council. The U.S. would like to have no more debating, or certainly no more votes. But France says if any country goes it alone, France would not be able to uphold that. It would be against international rules and regulations.

COSTELLO: Richard Roth, Many thanks to you.

So what does Baghdad think of Saddam speech and the discovery of those empty warheads?

Our Rym Brahimi is in Baghdad.

She joins us live now -- good morning, Rym.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, indeed, the president addressing the nation this morning just after the U.N. weapons inspectors found 11 empty chemical warheads at an ammunition depot. The U.N. says that this is not a smoking gun for now, that doesn't mean that this has anything to do with weapons of mass destruction. But they are further evaluating what this could mean.

Now, President Saddam Hussein in his speech to the nation did not mention inspections at all. It was a very clear speech calling on his people to fight, calling on his military to fight, expecting pledges of allegiance from all and saying that Baghdad, or the seat of power, maybe, would never bow down. In a way basically making it clear that he would not step down, referring to the enemy or the U.S. administration as a holago (ph), the 13th century invader, and basically calling on the U.S. administration even not to even try to attack Baghdad for its own good. It would be suicide, he said in the speech -- back to you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Rym, weapons inspectors say they need more cooperation from Saddam Hussein. In his speech it doesn't sound like he's going to cooperate any more than he is right now. Why?

BRAHIMI: It's more a signal in his speech, Carol, he's basically making more a case of if war is imposed on me, well, I will fight, and do not expect me to stand down. I think he's referred already to the inspectors. He seems to believe he's already dealt with that issue in his previous speech on Army Day only a couple of weeks ago, when he referred to them as people gathering intelligence rather than actually trying to find out whether there are weapons of mass destruction or not. Iraqi officials, that said, on the ground have continued their cooperation, according to U.N. inspectors. And, also, Iraqi officials have seemed to sounded recently a bit more conciliatory. In a press conference that we had yesterday with two people in charge of these weapons inspections on the Iraqi side, they said that they were very keen to talk to Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei when they arrive on Sunday, that they would be prepared to answer a lot of questions.

That said, there does seem to be on the part of the leadership, maybe, a message that they want to send, maybe a response to some rumors that were floating around that maybe President Saddam Hussein could be offered asylum and then step down. Well, this is a very clear message saying I will fight, I expect my people to stand by me, calling on his people to make very clear their pledges of allegiance and also calling on his military to be fully prepared for what may come his way if he's forced to fight -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Rym Brahimi reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

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