WASHINGTON - The United States sought yesterday to dispel speculation of an imminent military onslaught against Iraq, where President Saddam Hussein accused a "power dizzy" Washington of wanting to destroy the world.
Hussein, accused by US President George W. Bush of being part of an "axis of evil" seeking weapons of mass destruction that could be made available to terrorists, urged European countries to try to make Washington see sense.
"America does not only want to destroy the world, but rather as a result destroy itself, too.
"When the Americans reach the position of power they suffer from power dizziness and instead of ruling on the basis of wisdom they use force."
US Secretary of State Colin Powell told a Senate committee Washington wanted to oust Hussein from power but had no plans for military action against him.
"With Iraq, we are always examining options for regime change ... But we are not at some point where we are going into contingency plans to invade Iraq."
USA Today newspaper reported that Bush was laying the groundwork for an onslaught against Iraq.
It said Vice-President Dick Cheney, due to tour the Middle East next month, would try to line up support from allies in the Middle East.
But asked about the report, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said: "No military action is imminent ... No decisions are made."
In other developments yesterday:
* An Algerian pilot arrested in Britain and accused of training four of the September 11 hijackers will not face any terrorism charges, the US announced.
Lotfi Raissi, 27, who had been described as the "lead instructor" of the suicide hijackers who crashed into the Pentagon, was freed on bail.
Raissi, who has been in jail for five months, emerged from the top-security Belmarsh magistrates' court in southeast London to applause from his family and friends.
Lawyers representing the American Government had claimed they had video evidence and telephone records proving a direct link between Raissi with four of the hijackers, including the ringleader.
He was the first person to be accused of participating in the attacks and would, the US authorities said, most likely be charged with conspiracy to murder.
But the US authorities appeared to drop all the serious allegations yesterday and said they were no longer seeking to extradite him on terrorist charges.
Raissi, who lives near Heathrow airport, was told he faced extradition only on two counts of falsifying an application for a US pilot's licence.
District Judge Timothy Workman gave Raissi bail on the condition that his family provided £10,000 ($34,000) in surety. He would also have to surrender his passport and not apply for international travel documents. The judge said he was allowing bail because the US Government was unlikely to bring terrorism charges.
Since he was arrested at his home in Colnbrook, Berkshire, on September 21, Lotfi's family have denied he was involved in the September 11 attacks. After his release yesterday, his family and lawyer accused the FBI and the American authorities of pursuing an innocent man and ruining his life.
Raissi is due to appear before Bow St magistrates in London on March 28 for a further extradition hearing.
* Afghan and US officials denied reports that prisoners had been beaten and maltreated at a US military base in Kandahar.
Khalid Pashtoon, a senior aide to Kandahar Governor Gul Agha Sherzai, said: "I have been to the detention centre. I swear to God they have a better life than ordinary people in Kandahar."
Pashtoon also said more than 15 top Taleban leaders, most of them ex-cabinet members, were in contact with Afghan authorities in Kandahar over their possible surrender.
Asked if Mullah Mohammad Omar was among them, he said: "No. He knows the consequences if he surrenders."
* Afghanistan's interim Interior Minister, Yunus Qanooni, accused members of Pakistan's intelligence service of helping bin Laden and Mullah Omar evade capture by US forces.
He told the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat daily that influential "elements" in Pakistani intelligence were still "clinging to the old strategy" of supporting the Taleban.
He said of 12,000 estimated al Qaeda members in Afghanistan, between 2000 to 3000 had been killed during US air strikes on Afghanistan.
He said bin Laden was surrounded by up to 18 aides who represented the leadership of al Qaeda.
- REUTERS, INDEPENDENT
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