DUBAI, June 27: Iraq’s former information minister, famed for pugnacious and transparently false claims during the war, now says his bogus statements were made in good faith and that he was getting scant information toward the end of the conflict.

Mohammed Saeed al Sahhaf showed up on Arab television on Thursday in his first appearance since the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s government. Al Sahhaf had been a regular sight on TV before and during the US-led invasion, speaking about non-existent Iraqi military successes and insulting Western forces.

“I was an information minister, and I fulfilled my duty to the last moment,” he told Abu Dhabi television in a five-minute interview. “During the last two days, I was in contact with only a few military men.”

Mr Sahhaf insisted that he had been convinced of what he had told the international media.

He also granted an interview to the Al Arabiya satellite network, in which he claimed he had surrendered to American forces, was questioned and let go, according to an excerpt from the interview, aired on Thursday.

In the Abu Dhabi interview, Al Sahhaf referred to his famous denial in April that US tanks were in Baghdad, even as television pictures showed them in the city. He acknowledged that he had known they were there, but said the Iraqi military had promised him it was not a problem.

“But there were few tanks, and the military sources said that they would deal with the infiltration and that the situation was under control,” he said.

“The information was correct, but the interpretation was not correct.”

He also said he did not know the whereabouts of Iraq’s fugitive leadership, and hinted that he might write a book.

“Through some friends, I went to the Americans,” Mr Sahhaf told Al-Arabiya. “I was interrogated about a number of subjects related to my job. After that, I was released.”

In Thursday’s interviews, Al Sahhaf was much changed from his feisty old self. He was subdued, his voice softer and he had evidently lost weight. Gone were the military fatigues, the beret and jet black hair. Instead he wore an open-necked shirt and his hair was white.—AP/AFP