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Rula Amin: Iraq refutes Blair
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- An adviser to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said Tuesday that allegations about Iraq's weapons program contained in a British intelligence dossier are "simply not true" and said U.N. weapons inspectors would have "unfettered access" if they return to the country. British Prime Minister Tony Blair presented findings Tuesday in a speech to the House of Commons, saying Iraq's weapons program is "active, detailed and growing." But Iraqi Lt. Gen. Amir Sadi said of Blair, "His allegations are long; his evidence is short." CNN's Rula Amin has the latest from the Iraqi capital. AMIN: Iraq says all these allegations are baseless and a hodgepodge of half-truths. These are the words Iraq is using to describe the charges in the dossier. They say that it's simply not true and that Iraq can verify all its claims that it doesn't have weapons of mass destruction. They say all these charges are simply propaganda for public consumption and won't stand when independent, professional experts try to verify them. Amir Sadi tried to refute each point in that dossier. But probably the most important thing that he said is that Iraq is willing to give the weapons inspectors, when they come to Baghdad, unfettered access. This is the first time we have heard an Iraqi official mention these words. He was asked if that includes anywhere they want to go. He said yes. However, he did say that Iraq is not willing to deal with a new U.N. Security Council resolution that would put new guidelines on how the inspectors would do their job here. Earlier, Iraqi officials we spoke to said they don't have weapons of mass destruction -- whatever weapons they had have already been destroyed by the Iraqi government and by the U.N. weapons inspectors. Iraq's foreign minister, Naji Sabri, who is in Cairo, Egypt, on his way to Damascus, Syria, trying to win support from Arab countries to Iraq's position, challenged the British report. He said if there is any proof in it, he invites British weapons experts to come to Baghdad to verify that.
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