RIYADH/LONDON, 25 September — British Prime Minister Tony Blair accused Iraqi President Saddam Hussein yesterday of hiding weapons of mass destruction, as he pressed the House of Commons to back a US bid to topple the Iraqi regime. Unveiling a much-anticipated report, he warned Iraq could deploy chemical and biological weapons in 45 minutes and might be only year or two from possessing a nuclear bomb.
British Ambassador to Riyadh Derek Plumbly said yesterday that his government has presented a copy of the intelligence report to Saudi Arabia. Speaking to Arab News, he said it was too early to predict the Kingdom’s reaction to the report, which gives an insight into the Iraqi regime’s weapons development program over the past four years.
The ambassador said the present situation in occupied Palestine would not prevent the world from exercising its right to deal with the Iraqi threat. “The pressure on Iraq will not be reduced because of its unconditional approval to allow in weapons inspectors,” he said, adding that military option would remain open.
In Washington, the White House welcomed the document, which it said contained “frightening” information. “This reinforces the very sizable doubts that people around the world have about whether Saddam Hussein has any interest in peace,” White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.
But the report failed to convince allies and analysts. Military and political analysts said it had propaganda value but contained little new information. Iraqi presidential adviser Amr Saadi said the claim that Iraq could be as little as a year or two away from having a nuclear bomb was “absolute nonsense”. Saadi, however, said that Iraq will give UN arms inspectors “unfettered access” to suspected weapons sites, including those listed by Blair.
“Inspectors will have unfettered access” after practical arrangements are made for their mission, which is expected to start in mid-October “if there is no interference from outside parties,” he told a news conference in Baghdad. The inspectors would be asked to give priority to sites mentioned by Blair, said Saadi.
French President Jacques Chirac said France opposed any new UN resolution that would allow the use of force against Iraq, adding that only a minority of states would back such a resolution. Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji warned of “severe consequences” if military action was launched against Iraq without a UN mandate.
Blair told the British Parliament Iraq’s pursuit of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons was “active, detailed and growing” and that it was seeking uranium for nuclear weapons from Africa. “The policy of containment is not working,” he said. The Blair file said that if Baghdad obtained fissile material “and other essential components from foreign sources ... Iraq could produce a nuclear weapon in between one and two years”.
It said Saddam Hussein had continued producing chemical and biological agents and has military plans to use them in weapons, including against Iraq’s own Shia Muslim population.
