December 31, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 26, 1423

BAGHDAD, Dec 30: A top adviser to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said on Monday the United States wanted to tempt scientists to leave Iraq and lure them into giving false information in return for financial gain.

Iraq on Saturday handed over a list of the names of more than 500 scientists associated with its nuclear, biological, chemical and ballistic weapons programmes.

UN arms inspectors began interviewing scientists over Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destruction programme last week but the United States insists they should be able to take the scientists outside Iraq for interview to make them feel safer.

“This is an American plan with a clear aim. If it succeeds in tempting some of those (scientists) through promises or maybe also through threats it might get information, also false information,” Amir al- Saadi, Saddam’s top scientific adviser, told a visiting Spanish delegation.

“This has happened to a number of those who have left to get financial gains and residency permits, they said things America wanted to hear.

“If such a thing happens, it would be beneficial (to the US) to add another ‘material breach’ and if not, then it is a step towards emptying Iraq from scientists,” he said.

The United States has already declared Baghdad in material breach of a UN Security Council resolution which gave Iraq one last chance to disarm or face possible war.

Washington said an Iraqi declaration over its weapons of mass destruction fell well short of revealing arms programmes. Iraq denies it currently has any such programmes.

Declaring Iraq in “material breach” could set the stage for a military attack by the United States and any allies.

Saadi said there were legal problems related to human rights over forcing an Iraqi citizen to leave the country.

“They know they can’t force any citizen to leave his country if he does not wish to do so,” Saadi said.

One section of the UN resolution passed by the Security Council requires Iraq to give unimpeded access to individuals sought for interviews and allows weapons inspectors to talk to them without Iraqi government officials present.

US officials said earlier this month the administration was offering to set up what amounts to a witness protection programme for defecting Iraqi scientists and their families.

Saadi cited one example given by the United States on gaps in its arms declaration — the fate of 400 aerial bombs capable of delivering biological weapons.

He said the declaration did not document the fate of the bombs but said simple arithmetics would put the issue to rest.

“Iraq now is charged with keeping the hulks of 400 bombs capable of carrying biological weapon. To us, the solution is clear: To become a weapon these need coupling with a warhead, a tail to provide stability and a parachute to act as a break...

“These components have been documented from import to their present numbers,” he said. “Therefore checking the balance of the material account between what was specified for production and the remaining (components) would settle the matter. It is a simple mathematical issue.”

Saadi blamed previous inspection teams of deliberately failing to close the issue. He said after Iraq halted its biological weapons programme after 1991 and the hulks of the bombs were turned to scrap, melted and then reused for other purposes.—Reuters