In a three-hour interview with CBS anchor Dan Rather, the Iraqi leader
said he envisioned a live debate with Bush along the lines of those in a
U.S. presidential campaign, according to the network.
Rather reported on the interview during the evening newscast. CBS said
it planned to broadcast excerpts on Tuesday and the entire interview on
Wednesday.
Rather said that Saddam walked a little stiffly when he met with him
but was calm and "unhurried" during the interview.
Regarding chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix's order that Iraq
destroy its Al-Samoud 2 missiles, Rather quoted Saddam as saying: "Iraq is
allowed to prepare proper missiles and we are committed to that."
Asked whether the Al-Samoud 2 missiles are "proper," Saddam was quoted
as replying: "We do not have missiles that go beyond the prescribed range.
The order was issued after international experts determined the missile
flew farther than the 93-mile limit set down by the United Nations (news
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sites) in 1991. Iraq maintains some of the missiles overshot the limit
because they were tested without warheads and guidance systems.
"This is not a serious issue," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news
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sites) said of the reported debate offer. "There is no debating his
need to disarm."
Fleischer said Saddam's comments about the Al Samouds represented "open
defiance" of the United Nations. "He refuses even to acknowledge that the
weapons are prohibited," Fleischer said.
Iraq has until the end of the week to begin destroying the missiles,
components and other related systems. If it fails to do so, that could
give impetus to a draft U.N. resolution submitted Monday by the United
States, Britain and Spain that would pave the way for war.
Iraq had suggested it was trying to persuade the United Nations to
allow it to keep the missiles after technical modifications worked out in
talks with U.N. technicians.
In New York, Blix said he was sending his chief deputy Demetrius
Perricos to Baghdad to discuss the demand with Iraqi officials but that
his order still stands.
"Well, we have set the date for the commencement of the destruction of
these missiles and we expect that to be respected," Blix said. "There will
be a discussion about the pace of the destruction and Mr. Perricos as my
deputy, will be there for that purpose."
On Sunday, the reclusive Iraqi president met separately with Russian
envoy Yevgeny Primakov, a former Soviet foreign minister and Russian prime
minister, and Ramsey Clark, a former U.S. attorney-general prominent in
the global anti-war movement.
Saddam told Primakov he would cooperate completely with U.N. inspectors
tasked with verifying that Iraq has rid itself of weapons of mass
destruction, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"Saddam Hussein said that there will be no hindrances to the work of
inspectors," the ministry said.
Clark came away with a similar impression, telling The Associated
Press: "He's thinking he'll do anything that he reasonably can that is
honorable and protective of the sovereignty of his people to prevent war."
But Clark, who said Saddam appeared "remarkably relaxed," also said the
Iraqi president is convinced nothing he can do will prevent a U.S.-British
attack because President Bush has already made up his mind.
"What he thinks is, no matter what Iraq's performance is, the president
will attack," Clark said.
Earlier Monday, Fleischer said the destruction of Al Samoud 2 missiles
would not satisfy Bush. He said stockpiles of sarin and VX nerve agent
were still missing.
"This is not about public relations. This is about protecting the lives
of the American people," Fleischer said. "If Saddam Hussein destroys the
missiles that he said he never had ... you've got to wonder what other
weapons does he have?"
Iraq declared the existence of the Al Samoud 2s as a short range
missile in its 12,000-page report to the United Nations in December.
A top adviser to Saddam, Lt. Gen. Amer al-Saadi, said Monday that Iraq
was still drafting its response to the order that Iraq begin destroying
the missiles by Saturday.
"There is an open dialogue between us and (the weapons inspectors) and
we hope that it will be settled," he said.
Those comments implied that Iraq was holding out hope that the missiles
could be modified to allow them to remain in Baghdad's arsenal, possibly
for use against invading U.S.-led forces.
The 93-mile limit — imposed after U.S.-led forces drove the Iraqi army
from Kuwait — means Iraq is permitted to have missiles that could reach
neighboring Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Syria and Jordan — but not
Israel.
Earlier this month, Saddam gave his first Western television interview
in more than a decade, speaking with a retired British lawmaker and peace
activist, Tony Benn.
Saddam gave several interviews during the Gulf War (news
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sites) in early 1991.
In one famous encounter, he spoke in a bungalow in Baghdad with Peter
Arnett, CNN's correspondent in Iraq. Arnett quoted Saddam as saying he
could not predict how long the war would last but promised "lots of blood
will be shed on every side" and said he was confident Iraq would prevail.
Iraq was routed in that war, which started after it invaded neighboring
Kuwait.
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