The US-led post-war government in Iraq awarded business to two multinational banks fined for violating US sanctions against Iraq during the regime of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein, records show.

WHAT a horrible week last week was. Two events to haunt decent human beings everywhere, and make them despair.

US Vice President Dick Cheney asserted today that a report by the chief US weapons inspector in Iraq, who found no evidence that Iraq produced weapons of mass destruction after 1991, justifies rather than undermines President Bush’s decision to go to war.

CONTRADICTING the main argument for a war that has cost more than 1,000 American lives, the top US arms inspector reported yesterday that he found no evidence that Iraq produced any weapons of mass destruction after 1991.

The top US arms inspector reported today that he found no evidence that Iraq produced any weapons of mass destruction after 1991.

The final report of the chief US arms inspector for Iraq was expected to undercut a principal Bush administration rationale for removing Saddam Hussein, that Saddam’s Iraqi government had weapons of mass destruction.

THE Bush administration has concluded that fallen Iraqi President Saddam Hussein did not have stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction.

US weapons hunters in Iraq have found some new details of Saddam Hussein’s weapons programmes, including more evidence that the regime had civilian factories able to quickly produce biological and chemical weapons, the CIA’s top weapons inspector told senators.

The CIA named a new inspector to lead the search for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, choosing a veteran investigator who has expressed scepticism that Saddam Hussein possessed banned weapons that posed an immediate threat.

The top United States weapons inspector in Iraq is stepping down, it was announced the evening.