Germany warns of Iraq nuclear threat

Supporters of Saddam take to the streets to defy recent increased U.S. and British bombing

BERLIN, Germany -- Saddam Hussein may be able to fire nuclear weapons at Iraq's neighbours within three years, Germany intelligence service has said.

The service also reported it may be able to hit Europe with missiles within five years.

The Federal Intelligence Service (BND) said Baghdad is stepping up efforts to produce chemical weapons and increase its ability to produce biological weapons.

"It is clear that we have suspicions about Iraq," a spokesman for the Berlin-based service was quoted as saying in selected German newspapers on Saturday.

The news comes just eight days after a joint U.S. and British bombing of Iraqi air defence targets outside the U.N. sanctioned no-fly zones around Baghdad.

The bombings, which attracted condemnation from Arab countries and other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, were in response to cited increases in Saddam's efforts to shoot down Allied planes.

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Iraq barred U.N. weapons inspectors in 1998, making it virtually impossible to keep track of what the West believes are Baghdad's efforts to develop its nuclear, chemical and biological arsenal.

The inspections and no-fly zones were created after Iraq's retreat from Kuwait following the Gulf War 10 years ago.

Information gathered by the BND has led the service to report in the Welt and Frankfurter Allgemeine that work has been observed at the Al Qaim site, believed to be the centre of Baghdad's nuclear programme.

Iraq is believed to be currently developing its Al Samoud and Ababil 100/Al Fatah short-range rockets, which can deliver a 300 kg payload 95 miles (150 km).

Medium-range rockets capable of carrying a warhead 1,900 miles (3,000 km) could be built by 2005 -- putting Europe within reach, BND said.

The service also reported the number of Iraqi sites involved in chemicals production has increased from 20 to 80 since the end of U.N. weapons inspections -- a quarter to be involved in making weapons.

It has also not ruled out the possibility that production may already have begun, following widespread procurement from abroad.

Following the U.S. and British attacks president George W. Bush said he would "watch very carefully" whether Saddam developed weapons of mass destruction and warned he would take "appropriate action" if he did so.

Some NATO allies, who were not informed in advance of the raids, criticised the air attacks, with France even condemning the raids as illegal.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer was attacked by his own Greens party, which grew out of the Cold War peace movement, for expressing understanding for the bombing at talks in Washington this week with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Fischer, who opposed the Allied invasion of Iraq a decade ago, also said he was concerned about Iraq's efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction and missile technology.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Iraqi National Congress
United Nations
Office of the Iraqi Programme
http://www.uruklink.net/iraq/

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