‘Serious problems’ with Iraqi weapons declaration

THERE are serious omissions and problems with Iraq’s weapons declaration, George W Bush’s spokesman said yesterday as the president met his foreign policy team to consider his next step.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer offered the first public condemnation of the declaration as Mr Bush himself seemed set on a course that would probably put off potential military conflict for several weeks.

At issue is a 12,000-page weapons declaration required under UN disarmament resolution, and President Saddam Hussein’s contention that he has no weapons of mass destruction. “We have learned much about the declaration, although the review is not complete,” Mr Fleischer said.