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CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK
Senior U.N. Weapons Inspectors Blix and ElBaradei Holding Second Day of Talks in Baghdad
Aired January 20, 2003 - 05:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Senior U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei are holding a second day of talks in Baghdad. We expect to hear from them this morning. That, as inspectors report finding four more empty chemical warheads.
CNN's Rym Brahimi is in Baghdad now the details -- good morning, Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Well, we understand that chief U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei have just ended a meeting with Iraq's foreign minister, Naji Sabri, at the foreign ministry. It was a long meeting that they also held with the top scientific adviser of President Saddam Hussein and a lot of officials from the ministry and from the Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate.
They also held meetings there yesterday, which is when Iraq actually disclosed those four new empty chemical warheads to the chief U.N. weapons inspectors, a sign, they say, that Iraq does understand the message that it needs to be more forthcoming, in the view of the inspectors.
Now, yesterday the two chief U.N. weapons inspectors also met with Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan. Now, he is the man who a couple months ago actually denounced the inspectors, accusing them of gathering intelligence rather than searching for weapons.
So they have met quite a few high level officials. We understand from one Iraqi official that these meetings, he said, were constructive on the whole. According to Iraqi officials, they're satisfied with what's been going on so far -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Rym, tell us a little bit about how significant it is that Blix and ElBaradei are there face to face.
BRAHIMI: It's quite significant, indeed, Heidi. They're making the point that this is a very tense, critical moment. That said, Iraq was the, Iraq invited them a month ago when Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei said well, there are gaps in that declaration, there are a lot of questions that are raised from that declaration. Well, Iraq said at that time you should come over to Baghdad. We're prepared to answer any questions. And that's part of what they've been doing.
Of course, now with the tension with the fact that, in the view of the chief U.N. weapons inspectors, time is running out, that's sending the message now to Iraq that this is a very tense moment and they don't have much time. They're expecting, they're hoping Iraq to be more forthcoming, as they say. Now, they want them to be more proactive. They acknowledge that cooperation has been good in terms of opening up doors, but now they want more. They want them to come up with initiatives and to present things themselves, and this they want before January 27th, when they have to present their update to the U.N. Security Council.
COLLINS: All right, just one week away.
Rym Brahimi live from Baghdad.
Thank you.
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