Atta 'met Iraqi agent in Prague'

THE White House is now backing claims that September 11 hijacker Mohammed Atta secretly met an Iraqi agent in Prague, Czech Republic, five months before the attacks, it was reported yesterday.

The CIA and the FBI have grave doubts about the alleged meeting, but convincing proof that Saddam Hussein had a hand in the attacks would help the Bush administration in its efforts to build domestic and international support for a military campaign to topple the Iraqi leader.

A senior White House official told the Los Angeles Times that available evidence of the meeting "holds up," adding, "we are going to talk more about this case."