Iraqi President Saddam Hussein complied with a key U.N. arms demand on Friday by decreeing a ban on importing or making weapons of mass destruction or materials used in them.
Saddam also reiterated that Iraq was free of any such weapons.
The decree meets one of the demands that chief weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei made when they visited Baghdad in mid-January.
"Individuals and companies in private and mixed sectors are banned from importing and producing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons," the presidential decree read. It said materials used in producing them were also banned.
Saddam ordered ministers to take all necessary measures to implement the decree and "punish those who don't adhere to it".
An Iraqi parliamentary session was scheduled to discuss the ban but only discussed the prospect of war. It ended with an appeal to the international community to thwart a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
The Iraqi News Agency (INA) earlier said Saddam had chaired a meeting of top officials to say the country had no biological, chemical or nuclear arms -- but would fight anyone who attacked.
"That meeting...wanted to assure those whom it may concern in our great people, nation and humanity that Iraq is free of so-called weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, chemical and biological," INA said.
"They are totally confident that this cover (banned weapons) is over and the aggressors can't use it as a pretext or an excuse in front of the Security Council to make it a cover for aggression," INA said.
"If the aggressors attack after this...the Iraqi people and armed forces will fight them in a spirit of holy struggle that would please friends and infuriate the enemy." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
