DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI,

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY

Well, George, I think we are on for a good beginning. I think we are getting cooperation from the Iraqis but we still have a lot of work ahead of us and it's too early to draw a conclusion, but what we have done so far I think all goes well for cooperation, and I hope that Iraq will continue on that path of cooperation. We need immediate access to all facilities and sites but we also need Iraqis to help in being actively cooperating with us in providing evidence to make sure that we are satisfied that we have seen the end of this weapon program in Iraq.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) You talked about that immediate access to any sites but as Mr. Wright just reported from Baghdad, the IAEA actually gave the Iraqis notice before going to a plant. I thought they were supposed to be no notice inspections.

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

George, there is no notice. I am not at all familiar with this. As far as our team is concerned at the International Atomic Energy Agency, I'm pretty sure we have not given any notice. This could have been by UNMOVIC for a specific reason. I'm not aware of it but I have been in touch today with our people in Iraq, we have been getting immediate access to all sites we have asked to visit, and so far I think the cooperation is going well.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) But why would UNMOVIC give notice before going to a plant? It's been reported by Mr. Wright and others. Wouldn't that give the Iraqis a chance to hide any incriminating evidence?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

As I said, I'm not sure whether this is true, but it could be for a specific reason that people at the plant probably need to prepare for an inspection but as I said, I'm not really sure of that. As far as our team is concerned, we have not given any notice and it is clear that neither UNMOVIC or us intend to give any notice. I mean, we have fought hard enough to ensure that all sites should be subject to immediate and unfettered access and that's what we intend to do.

MALE THREE, IRAQI

(Off Camera) Well official spokesmen on the ground have confirmed that the notice has been given but you're saying from now on there should not be any notice of any kind?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

I'm saying that I do not know about why notice was given on that specific plant and if it were given by UNMOVIC, there must be a good reason for giving that notice. I'm not, clearly not to give the Iraqis time to hide things, it's probably needed for some other technical reason, but I would suggest that you should check that with UNMOVIC. They might have a very good reason for it.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Okay, so let me go on to another matter. The inspectors also visited the al Farat(PH) plant. Several weeks ago, the White House circulated satellite photos of al Farat, they said they showed new construction at the plant. Did your inspectors find any evidence of new construction at al Farat?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

Yes, I think they have seen new construction but I think the new construction is designed for reasons other than weapon purposes. I think our people have been satisfied so far that they haven't seen any indication at al Farat that the plant is being used for weapon purposes.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Have your people seen any indication of any kind anywhere of any weapons development?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

George, I think it's too early but I can say no, until that time, but I would hate to jump to any conclusion. We still have a lot of work ahead of us. We still have to build capacity in Iraq. We still have to use different parts of our inspection system, environment assembling, aerial surveillance, no notice in inspection, so it's too early to come to conclusion, but the short answer to your question, no, we have not yet seen any indication of a weapon program going on.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) British intelligence is reported to have told Prime Minister Tony Blair that Iraqis are systematically now hiding possibly incriminating documents in their homes. Have the British shared that intelligence with you?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

Well, we are getting intelligence from the British and other intelligence agencies. We haven't yet gotten anything on the specifics, hiding documents at home. We have been saying that anybody who have intelligence information of help should be, should be coming forward to us. We are absolutely going to follow through with any intelligence information. But we have also told the Iraqis, you know, if you really want to come clean, if you want us to be able to provide credible assurances to the Security Council, you need to cooperate with us actively by coming forward with evidence, documents and otherwise that would convince us that your program, past program have come to a complete halt and that we have seen all aspects of your past clandestine programs.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) But the Iraqis haven't done that yet, have they?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

No, they haven't. I mean, I think they are now preparing their 8th of December declaration, this is the declaration where they supposed to come with a comprehensive account of all their past weapon programs, their development and their claim that nothing is left in Iraq. I hope that that declaration will be comprehensive, accurate and complete. However, once we get that declaration, we are going to do a lot of inspection work to check the veracity of that declaration and as I said the more evidence the Iraqis will come with up front, the easier our job will be.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Groups like the Nuclear Control Institute have reported in the past that Iraqis have never come forward with the two nuclear weapons designs that they have in their possession. Would you expect that to be in the December 8th declaration?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

Well, I don't think there were any credibility to this report in the past, George. I think when we left in 1998, we investigated thoroughly these reports. We had no credible evidence that these report had no basis in fact but obviously we are going to continue throughout Iraq to do as best as we can to ensure that there are no weapon components existing in Iraq and if they are, we would need to take them out of Iraq.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Well, sir, that's a serious point bus Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, in testimony before the Congress, has repeated that Iraq has nuclear weapons designs that have not been surrendered. You're saying that's not true?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

No, this is different thing. I think what Nuclear Control Institute is saying that they have weapon components and that's, that's something we, I am saying that we had no evidence whatsoever that they have. What Secretary Rumsfeld I think was saying that they might have still some weapon design drawings. This could be true. I think we have not seen much of weapon design drawing and that's one of the issues we would like the Iraqis to come forward with, with more weapon drawings, because we haven't seen much of that. They have described to us what they have done. But we told them we need to clarify the matter further by showing, by seeing actual weapon drawings. So I think Secretary Rumsfeld was talking about drawings and not weapon components.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) So you would want to see those drawings in the December 8th declaration?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

I would like to see that. Absolutely. I'd like to see anything left that we have not seen in the past.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) The Security Council resolution also gives you the authority to interview Iraqi scientists outside of Iraq. Are you prepared to do that?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

I think we are prepared, George, to use all the authority given to us by the Security Council. I think we would like to get the job done and get the job done quickly and thoroughly, so any authority we were given by the Security Council we intend to use it if the need arises. If we need to interview Iraqi officials outside of Iraq for very good reason, if they feel that they need to get out to avoid intimidation or retribution, if we have all the practical arrangement including securing a safe haven for them, surely we will make use of all the facilities we have under the resolution.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Well, I was speaking recently with Charles Duelfer, a former inspector, who said that the key, the key to successful inspections he said would be 100 green cards. Take 100 of the Iraqi scientists out of the country and you could get to the bottom of the Iraqi program. Isn't it essential to interview Iraqis outside of the country?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

Well, we have been interviewing a lot of Iraqis inside the country which was also very useful, because we wanted to make sure that the Iraqi scientists are no longer working on weapon programs so we used to do no notice interviews at the new workplace, George, to make sure that they are doing something else other than weapons. The new resolution also give us the right to interview inside the country in private and that's also something we are going to do. If some of the Iraqi scientists are ready to go out and we're not going to force them to go out but if they're ready to go out and cooperate with us and if we are having the practical arrangement as you said, you know, asylum outside of Iraq, we are certainly going to use that. But I should add that success of inspection is not just simply interviewing. Success of an inspection is no notice inspection to sites, aerial monitoring, environmental sampling, interviewing, is a lot of different components of the system that has to work in tandem simultaneously to make sure that we establish the fact and establish as much fact as we can.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) But what if the scientists want to leave and the Iraqi officials prevent them?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

Well, I think the Iraqis by accepting Security Council resolution are under obligation to cooperate with us if we want to interview Iraqi scientists outside the country. They are under obligation to cooperate with us in making sure that we have the ability to interview the Iraqi scientists outside of Iraq.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) So blocking would be a material breach?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

It would be lack of cooperation, clearly, yes.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Finally, sir we just reported at the top of this you only have 17 inspectors in the country so far. That will ramp up to about 100 after the December 8th declaration. Are you confident if Iraq is developing weapons of mass destruction, the inspectors can find them?

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

I think I can speak for the nuclear weapon program, George. I think I'm confident that if we do all the work we can do in Iraq, Iraq should, would be very difficult for Iraq to hide an entire nuclear weapon program. They might be able to hide a computer study on weaponization, for example, or a small R and D on centrifuge, these are possible, easily concealable items, but an entire weapon program, or an ability to develop nuclear weapon program, I think will be difficult if we do our job the way we intend to do it.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Dr. el-Baradei, thank you very much.

DIRECTOR GENERAL MOHAMED EL-BARADEI

Thank you very much, George.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) We'll be right back.

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH