Blair's dossier aims to justify unjustifiable, says Iraq

Iraq branded as baseless Tony Blair’s dossier designed to convince war-wary British MPs that Saddam Hussein is pursuing weapons of mass destruction.

“The British prime minister is serving the campaign of lies led by Zionists against Iraq,” said Iraqi Culture Minister Hammed Youssef Hammadi in Baghdad. He described the British claims as “totally baseless.”

In Cairo, Iraq’s Foreign Minister Naji Sabri told reporters the dossier “aims to justify the unjustifiable ... the aggressive intentions against Iraq.”

Sabri, who was in Cairo as Saddam’s envoy to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, said Iraq is clear of any weapons of mass destruction or activities to reproduce them.

“Weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons cannot be hidden in a pocket,” Sabri said, adding that Mr Blair did not respond to an Iraqi challenge for British experts to come to Iraq and expose these weapons.

Sabri delivered a message to Mubarak from Saddam as the region’s leaders continued to work to ward off a US-Iraq war.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said Saddam confirmed Iraq was prepared for the unconditional return of weapons inspectors and that Mubarak stressed the importance of cooperating with the inspectors.