No evidence on Saddam's health, says minister

Britain has no reliable evidence to confirm or refute recent reports suggesting that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein might be seriously ill, a Foreign Office Minister says.

John Battle says there is some circumstantial evidence that something unusual has happened to Saddam, but warns that the Iraqi regime's nature makes it difficult to establish firm facts about what is going on.

Recent rumours have suggested that Saddam has had a heart attack or stroke or is suffering from terminal cancer.

But Iraqi television has broadcast footage, supposedly filmed over the last few days, portraying the dictator as fit and well, conducting meetings with his senior advisers.

Mr Battle told the BBC: "There are media reports around that Saddam Hussein has suffered a heart attack or a stroke, but we have got no inside information at all confirming these reports.

"The regime has got a method of manipulating TV images, as we have seen before.

"It is in the nature of this closed regime that the information to confirm or otherwise is not available.

"On the other hand, some have said there is circumstantial evidence of cancelled engagements and recent pictures showing he is not a well man, so we can expect anything.

"I think there is no doubt Iraq would be a better place if he stepped down."

Mr Battle defended Britain's support for United Nations sanctions against Iraq and US-UK bombing of the country.

Neither the sanctions nor the bombing were intended to bring down the Saddam regime - they were intended to secure the re-admission of UN weapons inspectors to Iraq and to enforce the no-fly zones in the north and south of the country, he said.