An Iraqi defector describing himself as an engineer has claimed he worked on renovations of secret facilities for biological, chemical and nuclear weapons in underground wells, private villas and under the Saddam Hussein Hospital in Baghdad as recently as a year ago. The defector, Adnan Ihsan Saeed al-Haideri, provided details about the projects he argued he worked on for President Saddam Hussein's government in an interview with the New York Times last week in Bangkok.
American intelligence officials, who were trying to verify his claims, had also spoke with him twice. The officials said his information seemed reliable and important. The Iraqi National Congress, the major Iraqi opposition group, which seeks the overthrow of Hussein, arranged the interview with Saeed.
If verified, Saeed's allegations would provide platform to officials within the Bush administration who have been arguing that Hussein should be driven from power partly because of his reluctance to halt producing weapons of mass destruction, despite his pledges to do so. (Albawaba.com)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
