Baghdad had arms programme.

US president George W Bush again yesterday insisted Baghdad had a programme to manufacture weapons of mass destruction, seeking to rebut critics who say his administration’s credibility is at stake in the search for illicit arms.

However, the White House said it would be “appropriate” for Congress to review the intelligence that led up to the war.

Weeks of searches in Iraq by military experts have not validated the administration’s portrayal of Iraq’s cache of weapons.

Alleged stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons have not turned up, nor has significant evidence of a nuclear weapons programme.

“Iraq had a weapons programme,” Bush told reporters during a meeting of his Cabinet.

“Intelligence throughout the decade shows they had a weapons programme. I am absolutely convinced that, with time, we’ll find out they did have a weapons programme.”

Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, wants a full congressional investigation:

“I think that the nation’s credibility is on the line, as well as (Bush’s).”

Bush stopped short of promising that banned weapons or evidence of their manufacture will be found. He has said previously that two truck trailers equipped with fermenters found in Iraq constitute proof that Iraq had a weapons programme.

The CIA and Defence Intelligence Agency said last week they concluded the vehicles probably are parts of a mobile biological weapons production facility.

Meanwhile, Alastair Campbell was set to defy British MPs who want to question him over government claims made in the run-up to war with Iraq.

Claims that Downing Street exaggerated intelligence to justify the conflict are being probed by two Parliamentary committees.

Tony Blair’s communications chief has been asked to appear before the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee.