Powell charges ‘will convince those who want to be convinced’

Analysts said Mr Powell, marshalling audio tapes and satellite photos in a dramatic presentation to the UN Security Council yesterday, had made damning charges against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, without providing conclusive proof.

“It will convince those who want to be convinced,” said Ali Ansari, a Middle East specialist at Britain’s Durham University. “It will make the anti-war people uncomfortable. The taped conversations show the Iraqis were hiding something.”

Sceptics immediately said the US could have manipulated the tapes of conversations between Iraqi officers or digitally doctored the satellite pictures of incriminating activity around alleged weapons sites. “Powell’s speech is intelligence reports that give no concrete evidence on the ground,” said Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a senior aide to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

“We can say that this speech launches a new phase for US control over the world and the question remains whether other international groups will accept this unilateral US guardianship over the Middle East,” he said.

The United States and Britain say Iraq has defied last year’s Security Council resolution that gave Baghdad a final chance to disarm or face serious consequences.

Iraq denies having biological, chemical or nuclear arms programmes.

Several defence experts said they had been impressed, at least by the style of Powell’s presentation.

“In public relations terms, this is very strong,” said Barthelemy Courmont, of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations in Paris.

But Mr Courmont, a specialist in nuclear issues and US policy, said the photos and tapes fell short of proof and the interpretation Mr Powell had placed on them was open to debate.

Oded Granot, an expert on Arab affairs for Israeli Channel One television, said Mr Powell had offered circumstantial evidence with a cumulative weight greater than its parts.

What Mr Powell had shown was “not the smoking gun but the place the gun was laid before being removed ahead of inspections”.

In Russia, which has argued for the inspectors to be given more time, independent defence analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said Mr Powell’s mention of al-Qaida activity in Chechnya and attempts to poison Russians was likely to please Moscow.

Ellie Goldsworthy, of London’s Royal United Services Institute, said Powell had made a convincing case.

Ms Goldsworthy said: “I think it will be a wake-up call to some of the countries sitting on the fence. I think there will be some squirming in the seats today.”

Powell charges ‘will convince those who want to be convinced’ Alistair Lyonf said.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s attempt to indict Iraq over weapons of mass destruction and links to the terrorist group al-Qaida will comfort the converted, but may not persuade doubters that Washington has a cast-iron case for war.

Analysts said Mr Powell, marshalling audio tapes and satellite photos in a dramatic presentation to the UN Security Council yesterday, had made damning charges against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, without providing conclusive proof.

“It will convince those who want to be convinced,” said Ali Ansari, a Middle East specialist at Britain’s Durham University. “It will make the anti-war people uncomfortable. The taped conversations show the Iraqis were hiding something.”

Sceptics immediately said the US could have manipulated the tapes of conversations between Iraqi officers or digitally doctored the satellite pictures of incriminating activity around alleged weapons sites. “Powell’s speech is intelligence reports that give no concrete evidence on the ground,” said Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a senior aide to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

“We can say that this speech launches a new phase for US control over the world and the question remains whether other international groups will accept this unilateral US guardianship over the Middle East,” he said.

The United States and Britain say Iraq has defied last year’s Security Council resolution that gave Baghdad a final chance to disarm or face serious consequences.

Iraq denies having biological, chemical or nuclear arms programmes.

Several defence experts said they had been impressed, at least by the style of Powell’s presentation.

“In public relations terms, this is very strong,” said Barthelemy Courmont, of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations in Paris.

But Mr Courmont, a specialist in nuclear issues and US policy, said the photos and tapes fell short of proof and the interpretation Mr Powell had placed on them was open to debate.

Oded Granot, an expert on Arab affairs for Israeli Channel One television, said Mr Powell had offered circumstantial evidence with a cumulative weight greater than its parts.

What Mr Powell had shown was “not the smoking gun but the place the gun was laid before being removed ahead of inspections”.

In Russia, which has argued for the inspectors to be given more time, independent defence analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said Mr Powell’s mention of al-Qaida activity in Chechnya and attempts to poison Russians was likely to please Moscow.

Ellie Goldsworthy, of London’s Royal United Services Institute, said Powell had made a convincing case.

Ms Goldsworthy said: “I think it will be a wake-up call to some of the countries sitting on the fence. I think there will be some squirming in the seats today