Iraq free of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, Iraqi foreign minister says

by Dafna Linzer
The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS - Saddam Hussein told the United Nations in a speech read yesterday by his foreign minister that Iraq is free of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

It was the first comments attributed to the Iraqi leader since Iraq's surprise announcement this week that it would accept the unconditional return of international weapons inspectors nearly four years after they left. The decision, which followed a tough speech on Iraq last week by President Bush, has divided the major powers on the U.N. Security Council.

"Our country is ready to receive any scientific experts, accompanied by politicians you choose to represent any one of your countries, to tell us which places and scientific installations they would wish to see," Foreign Minister Naji Sabri told the world body, quoting the Iraqi president.

"I hereby declare before you that Iraq is clear of all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons," Sabri said, further quoting Saddam.

The speech heavily criticized the United States and Bush for trying to link Iraq in some way to the Sept. 11 attack.

It charged that "the American propaganda machine, along with official statements of lies, distortion and falsehood" was being used for "inciting the American public against Iraq, and pushing them to accept the U.S. administration's schemes of aggression as a fait accompli."

In the speech, Iraq called on the United Nations to help protect its sovereignty in the face of possible U.S. military action.

And it charged that the United States was working in concert with Israel and was trying to control the Middle East oil supply.

"The U.S. administration wants to destroy Iraq in order to control the Middle East oil and consequently control the politics as well as the oil and economic policies of the whole world," the foreign minister said.

He also charged that the United States was fomenting problems with Iraq to prevent the Security Council from lifting economic sanctions and to keep the Middle East from becoming a nuclear-free zone as called for in council resolutions.

The United States, he said, does not want to embarrass Israel - which he referred to as "the Zionist entity" - or deprive it of the nuclear, chemical and biological weapons it possesses.

Despite Iraq's offer to admit the inspectors, the United States and Britain have begun crafting a draft resolution that would tighten the timetable Iraq has to comply with previous resolutions and authorize force it fails to do so.