Iraqi scientist swears nothing hidden

BAGHDAD - United Nations arms inspectors have questioned a senior Iraqi nuclear scientist in Baghdad. He told them Iraq had nothing to hide.

The inspectors, under pressure from the United States to get tough with Iraq, promised to maintain the pace of their investigations during Christmas.

In a Christmas message to Iraq's Christian minority, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said the results of the inspections would be "a great shock to the United States and expose its lies".

The arms experts checked at least seven suspect sites, going farther south from Baghdad than at any time since they resumed inspections on November 27.

Hiro Ueki, spokesman for the inspectors, said the team had interviewed a scientist at Baghdad's Technological University at length in a private office chosen at random.

The scientist, Sabah Abdul Nour, said the inspectors had agreed to let an Iraqi monitoring official attend.

"The discussions were very friendly and questions were mainly about what has been done or any progress which has been achieved in Iraq after 1998 till now," he told reporters.

"I explained to them all I know and [that] we have in fact nothing to hide," Abdul Nour said.

The inspectors said the interview marked the start of the formal interview process, suspended when UN inspectors left Iraq in 1998.

Washington has been urging the inspectors in Iraq to take a more robust approach.

It has not only demanded more intrusive visits and more rapid interim reports, but also that the inspectors take weapons scientists out of Iraq for questioning to prevent them from being intimidated by Iraqi officials.

The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency spokesman Mark Gwozdecky urged states to guarantee to protect Iraqi scientists taken abroad, and their families. The United States has yet to offer blanket guarantees of asylum to all Iraqis the inspectors question.

"Governments have to step forward and offer protection and even asylum to those people," Gwozdecky said.

"We don't control governmental decisions in this regard, so that is something we cannot control the pace of. We are prepared to use the authority, but we have to think it through."

In his Christmas message, Saddam said this year's festive season was marked by special circumstances "created by the powers of evil and darkness to spread chaos and create states of destabilisation and tension".

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he suspected Iraq had been transferring chemical and biological weapons to Syria to hide them. He said his comments were based on unconfirmed information and offered no evidence.

Turkey, a Nato member and close US military ally bordering Iraq, is expected to provide airbases and other support if Washington launches an attack on its southern neighbour.

- REUTERS

Herald feature: Iraq