Iraq accuses US of interfering with UN inspection
"The United States is the only one which interprets the (Security Council) resolution in a way that suits its hostile intentions against Iraq and the Arab nation," said al-Thawra newspaper, organ of Iraq's ruling Baath Party.
"Thus it will continue to make threats and poke its nose into the work of the inspectors and will fabricate any event or issue to confuse their work or obstruct it, especially when the inspectors and the world realise that Iraq does not have weapons of mass destruction."
But yesterday's British newspapers, citing unidentified intelligence sources, said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had ordered hundreds of his staff to hide components of weapons of mass destruction in their homes to avoid detection.
The UN inspectors have returned to Iraq to search for chemical, biological and nuclear arms under a strongly worded resolution that gives Baghdad one last chance to dismantle weapons of mass destruction.
Washington accuses Iraq of developing the banned weapons and has threatened military action to topple Saddam.
Iraq denies the charge, insisting all its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons have already been destroyed.
The inspectors say their first two days in Iraq have gone smoothly. But al-Thawra said that would not matter to President Bush and his officials.
"No one in the Bush administration will give a fig for optimism expressed by many countries after the start of the inspection process in Iraq," it said.
"The reason is that Washington has become a hostage of its arrogance, ambitions and Zionists' pressure."
All Iraqi facilities close on Fridays.
In London, The Times and the Independent dailies, citing unnamed British government sources and intelligence reports, said Saddam had ordered scientists, civil servants and even farmers to hide key weapons components and chemicals or face severe penalties if they refuse.
The Times also said British Prime Tony Blair and US President George W Bush took the concealment claims so seriously that they were considering making personal appeals to Iraqi officials to tell the inspectors what was going on.
A spokesman for Blair's Downing Street office told Reuters he would not comment on speculation of an appeal by the leaders. "Our support for the weapons inspection teams and the work they are doing and the need for Iraqi cooperation and compliance is already well known," he said.
An Iraqi military spokesman said US and British planes patrolling a "no-fly" zone in northern Iraq on Thursday bombed civilian targets in Nineveh province, killing one civilian.
There was no immediate word from Washington or London on the report.
Western planes dropped leaflets on a previously attacked communications site in southern Iraq, warning Iraqis to stop repairing the facility, the US military said.
The unmanned facilities between Al Kut and Basra, in the southern no-fly zone, were attacked on November 22.
US officials have repeatedly warned that continued firing by Iraqi air defences at US and British jets patrolling the no-fly zones was in direct violation of the November 8 UN resolution on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
The White House has stopped short of saying that shooting at the planes would be a trigger for war against Iraq or that Washington has any plans to lodge a formal complaint with the Security Council.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
