'Iraq was free of weapons' - father of Iraq's nuclear bomb programme

[dArKeR]

Beirut, Lebanon - The father of Iraq's nuclear bomb programme, speaking publicly for the first time since US forces occupied Baghdad, called for a UN probe of what nuclear inspectors knew before the US-led invasion of Iraq on Monday and denied Saddam Hussein had tried to restart his atomic programme.

Jafar Dhia Jafar, speaking during a discussion about the repercussions of the occupation of Iraq organised by the Beirut-based Centre for Arab Unity Studies, said UN inspectors had "reached total conviction" that Iraq was free of nuclear weapons before the US-led invasion of Iraq.

"It was clear that reports of the United Nations to the Security Council should have been clear and courageous," Jafar said.

"I believe the United Nations should also investigate the facts that were known before the war and why they (nuclear inspectors) did not declare them to the security council."

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1495108,00.html