*French for "No shit."

29/11/2002 04:26 PM Reuters

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had ordered hundreds of his staff to hide components of weapons of mass destruction in their homes to avoid detection by UN weapons inspectors, British newspapers have reported.

The Times and the Independent newspapers carried similar stories citing unnamed British government sources and Iraqi intelligence reports.

The newspapers quoted them as saying Saddam had ordered scientists, civil servants and even farmers to hide key weapons components and chemicals - or face severe penalties if they refused.

The Times also said British Prime Tony Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush took the concealment claims so seriously that they were considering making personal appeals to Iraqi officials to tell the inspectors what was going on.

A spokesman for Blair's Downing Street office told Reuters he would not comment on speculation of an appeal by the leaders.

"Our support for the weapons inspection teams and the work they are doing and the need for Iraqi cooperation and compliance (with the UN resolution) is already well known," he said.

When asked if Blair was aware of any claims that Saddam was ordering staff to conceal weapons at home, he said: "We have nothing to add at this stage to the information in the dossier we published a few months ago chronicling past experiences."

That 50-page dossier, produced by Blair in September to boost public support for action against Iraq, said Saddam was building up stocks of chemical and biological weapons and could launch an attack with 45 minutes notice.

Iraq has denied possessing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons of mass destruction, a stance Washington has questioned.

The United States has threatened a military assault on Iraq if Saddam obstructed the arms inspectors, who resumed their work on Wednesday after a four-year absence from the country.

The newspaper reports said Saddam had become increasingly worried about the level of support for his government and had taken the unusual step of canvassing opinion in key cities.

Iraqi intelligence showed that the informal poll had revealed many people thought a change of government could bring a better way of life. But there was also concern that if Saddam were to fall, Iraq would end be split up as rival groups took control of different areas, the papers said.

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2002

Answers

rival groups selected by the UN or the USA? heh heh

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2002