An Iraqi defector, Adnan Ihsan Saeed Al-Haideri has claimed that he had worked on renovations and repairs of various biological, chemical and nuclear weapon facilities throughout Iraq.
The Times of India reports that Al-Heideri said that his work, as an engineer, took place in underground wells, private villas and under the Saddam Hussein Hospital in Baghdad a year ago. In an exclusive interview with the New York Times last week, which took place in Thailand, Al-Haideri spoke in detail about the different secret projects. The main Iraqi Opposition group, namely the Iraqi National Congress, which seeks Saddam’s overthrow, organized the interview between the paper and Saeed.
Government experts said that American Intelligence officials, who were trying to authenticate his claims, had also interrogated him. Some experts believe his claims to be reliable. If indeed verified, the defector’s allegations would provide officials of the Bush administration with new ammunition against the Iraqi leader. Officials within the White House have been intensely pushing to drive Saddam from power, amongst various reasons, because of his persistent unwillingness to put an end to the production of mass destruction weapons, despite his ongoing pledges to do so.
Saeed’s claims shed new light and clues about the possible venues and types of the facilities, laboratories and storage sites that International inspectors and U.S. officials have suspected Iraq of hiding. The paper goes on to suggest that Iraq has been continuing its renovation of such illegal facilities after preventing inspectors from entering Iraq some three years ago. (www.albawaba.com)
