December 16 2003 at 02:39PM
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Stockholm - Iraq probably destroyed its weapons of mass destruction in 1991 after the Gulf War as the country's former leaders claimed, former chief United Nations' weapons inspector Hans Blix said on Tuesday.
"The Iraqis have consistently said that they were destroyed in the summer of 1991," Blix told reporters. "My guess is that there are no weapons of mass destruction left."
Blix said, however, that there was reason to look further into the Iraqi claims after the capture by United States' forces on Saturday of former president Saddam Hussein.
"Saddam must have knowledge about what he ordered. He should know about what he built" and "he must have some information himself on when they destroyed their weapons of mass destruction," he said.
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A former Swedish diplomat, Blix was charged with searching for weapons of mass destruction in the 15 weeks leading up to the US-led invasion of Iraq.
He implicitly criticised the United States for making claims to justify its strike on Iraq in March that it couldn't back up.
"I think that much of what was said was not sufficiently well-based," he said.
Blix said that if he had the chance to ask Saddam one question it would be: "You claimed that you destroyed your weapons of mass destruction. When did you do that? Tell me." - Sapa-AFP
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