Saddam 'destroyed weapons to get rid of UN sanctions'

1.00pm - By ANNE PENKETH



Time and time again, like a mantra, Charles Duelfer repeats throughout each section of his painstaking report that there is "no evidence" that Saddam Hussein possessed chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. But the chief US weapons inspector in Iraq also warns systematically in each section, that given the opportunity, which would have come with the lifting of UN sanctions, the Iraqi dictator was poised to resume his banned weapons activities.

"There is an extensive, yet fragmentary and circumstantial body of evidence suggesting that Saddam pursued a strategy to maintain a capability to return to WMD after sanctions were lifted by preserving assets and expertise," Mr Duelfer says.

Iraq's WMD: Key Findings [PDF]

Herald Feature: Iraq