IRAQ ADMITS IT'S ON THE BRINK OF CREATING NUKES By VINCENT MORRIS

December 9, 2002 -- A top adviser to Saddam Hussein admitted yesterday that Iraq is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons.

"We have the complete documentation, from design to all the other things," Lt. Gen. Amir al-Saadi told reporters in Baghdad. "We haven't reached the final assembly of a bomb nor tested it."

Details of the nuclear program are included in Iraq's 12,000-page declaration to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Saadi said.

He insisted that despite knowing how to build a nuke, Iraq has not done so. Saadi said the report, mandated by the U.N. Security Council, proved Iraq has no nuclear weapons - nor any other weapons of mass destruction.

He said the report also includes sensitive information about how other countries helped Iraq with programs to create weapons of mass destruction.

If it's released, he said, it will "embarrass" some countries and companies.

In a surprise decision last night, the U.N. Security Council agreed to give the United States and the council's other four permanent members full access to Iraq's uncensored arms declaration, U.N. officials and diplomats said.

The council had said Friday that copies would be translated and analyzed, and some sensitive material removed, before it was distributed to the council.

The decision means the United States can start its own analysis of the declaration sooner than expected.

The massive document reached Kennedy Airport at 7:45 p.m. and was taken to the United Nations in an unmarked gray minivan that arrived at 8:30 p.m.

"We will immediately take a look" at the declaration, U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix said as the documents arrived.

Another copy went to Vienna for nuke experts.

American and British officials are skeptical that the report includes anything other than rehashed denials and bluster.

"I think you'd have to say that what they gave the U.N. yesterday was probably a 12,000-page, 100-pound lie," declared Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), speaking on "Fox News Sunday."

Former Vice President Al Gore, speaking on ABC's "This Week," said he thinks Saddam Hussein is lying.

"I don't believe their report," Gore said

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2002

Answers

Now why in hell would they include a quote from gore? Doesn't look like they needed filler for this article.

As if anyone needed to know what gore thought about it....

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2002

BF, ordinarily I'd agree with you, who cares what Gore thinks. However, since in his recent infamous speech he firmly declared that Iraq is not an immediate threat, I am interested in what he has to say as events unfold.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2002

Didn't Gore invent the nuclear bomb?

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2002