US expert ‘pressured on Iraq analysis’

A TOP US State Department expert on chemical and biological weapons told congressional investigators he had been pressured to change his analysis of intelligence on Iraq and other issues, the New York Times reported yesterday, citing unnamed congressional officials.

The expert, identified by the newspaper as Christian Westermann, reportedly told the House of Representatives Intelligence committee during private hearings last week that he had felt pressure from the administration of US President George W Bush to tailor his analyses to the administration's positions.

The committee was examining the administration's handling of reports that Iraq possessed banned weapons and supported terrorist groups.

Mr Westermann, an analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, told lawmakers he never actually changed the wording of any of his intelligence reports, the officials told the Times.

Mr Westermann also specifically complained about being pressured on issues related to intelligence on Cuba, they said. Mr Westermann would not comment when contacted by the Times.

The Bush administration has come under fire because little evidence has emerged to support its justification for war that Iraq had biological and chemical weapons, was developing nuclear weapons and sheltered terrorist groups.

On Tuesday, the committee's chairman gave a vote of confidence to US intelligence efforts, specifically in the search for Iraq's weapons, ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, leader of the Islamist militant group accused in the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in the US.

"The critical question is, do we have the capacity to find out and are we doing it, and the answer is, yes," said Representative Porter Goss of Florida, himself a former CIA operative.

"There is no question that lethal weapons in the hands of mischief makers have been proven to be a problem. Be patient and understand that we have people working very hard on this."