February 24, 2003

DAN RATHER LANDS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN

Iraqi Leader Denies Having Any Weapons in Violation of U.N. Mandates and Challenges President Bush to a Live Televised Debate About the Looming War

CBS News' Dan Rather has landed an exclusive interview with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The interview was conducted today (24) in Baghdad.

A report by Rather was carried by CBS News Radio this afternoon (transcript follows). Rather will report on the interview for tonight's CBS EVENING NEWS (6:30-7:00 PM, ET/PT).

Excerpts from Rather's interview with Saddam will be featured in tomorrow's (25) EARLY SHOW (7:00-9:00 AM, ET/PT) and CBS EVENING NEWS, and the interview itself will be broadcast on Wednesday's (26) 60 MINUTES II (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT).

Rather also interviewed Saddam in August 1990, the first Western interview the Iraqi leader granted after sending his troops to invade Kuwait.

TRANSCRIPT FROM CBS NEWS RADIO (Feb. 24, 2003 at 2:31 PM, ET)

"In an exclusive CBS News interview just concluded, Saddam Hussein has challenged President George W. Bush to a live, international television and radio debate about the looming war. Saddam envisions it as being along the lines of U-S presidential campaign debates. The Iraqi president also flatly denied that even any of his most advanced Al-Samoud missiles are in violation of United Nations' mandates. Thus, he indicated he does not intend to destroy them or pledge to destroy them as demanded by Chief U-N weapons inspector Hans Blix. Blix had set a deadline for at least a promise by this weekend. There will be more about this reporter's just finished exclusive interview with Saddam Hussein. Dan Rather, CBS News, Baghdad, Iraq."

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Press Contacts: Andie Silvers 212/975-3328 silversa@cbsnews.com

Sandy Genelius 212/975-7525 smg@cbsnews.com