Arrested scientist may resolve weapons issue

US AUTHORITIES hope Saddam Hussein’s top science adviser, who surrendered on Saturday, will help resolve the lingering questions over Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.

Lt Gen Amer al-Saadi, arranged his surrender with the help of Germany’s ZDF television network. “He’s a really big fish,” said Ewen Buchanan, spokesman for the UN weapons inspection team.

“But who knows whether he will tell them anything or just stick to his guns.”

Before leaving his Baghdad villa with his German wife, Helga, and presenting himself to an American warrant officer, al-Saadi said he had no information on Saddam’s whereabouts and insisted that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction.

The elegant, British-educated scientist was the seven of diamonds in the deck of cards issued by the US military depicting 55 regime figures sought by the coalition.

He is believed to be the first of the top Iraqi officials to be taken into custody.

A US intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, characterised the surrender as extremely important.

The official said al-Saadi is expected to know where weapons are hidden, how many were produced and possibly the whereabouts of other weapons scientists.

Al-Saadi is one of a number of weapons scientists sought by US authorities. His official title was Saddam’s science adviser and he negotiated with inspectors on behalf of the regime.

In February, Secretary of State Colin Powell vilified al-Saadi in a speech to the UN Security Council, accusing him of being on a committee set up by Saddam to spy on inspectors.

Al-Saadi denied the charges then and suggested that evidence Powell presented to the council was fabricated.

Al-Saadi’s main areas of expertise are in the fields of chemical and biological weapons, but UN inspectors have long believed that he had a deep understanding of the country’s missile and nuclear programmes as well.