Weapons of mass destruction in Iraq a US "lie": ex-weapons inspector

[kayell]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030714/pl_afp/un_us_iraq_wmd_030714193412

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN former weapons inspector Scott Ritter said that US statements about Iraq (news - web sites) possessing weapons of mass destruction before launching war on Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) regime were a "lie."


"The entire case the Bush administration made against Iraq is a lie," Ritter told reporters, also criticizing the media for being too willing to accept the weapons of mass destruction allegations as justification for war.


"What was the basis of the affirmation by (US Defense Secretary Donald) Rumsfeld? He said there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq -- nobody asked him to prove it. The press just printed it. We have now to demand the proof," Ritter said.


"Is it going to be as obvious as the uranium? I don't know," said Ritter, in reference to a US claim Iraq had tried to buy nuclear material from Africa.

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