Two former UN weapons inspectors told a US House of Representatives committee on Tuesday that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein could deceive a new team of arms inspectors and would remain a threat as long as he was in power.
The pair also disputed recent statements by former UN weapons inspector Mr Scott Ritter who said there was no evidence Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction and urged against a US invasion to topple Mr Saddam.
"What is clear is that unless we take immediate steps to address the issue of removing Saddam's regime from power in Iraq, we will soon face a nuclear-armed and emboldened Saddam," Mr David Kay, former UN chief nuclear weapons inspector in Iraq, told the House Armed Services Committee.
"As long as the present regime is in power ... I have little confidence that we could find the (weapons) programme in its entirety," said Mr Richard Spertzel, former head of the biology section of the UN Special Commission on Iraq.
With Congress expected in coming weeks to weigh whether to give President Bush the authorisation he wants to launch possible military action against Iraq, the House Armed Services Committee also met in closed session with defence intelligence officials and planned an open hearing next week with Defence Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld.
Other Senate and House committees also plan hearings to try to flesh out if the White House has new evidence of the threat Mr Saddam allegedly poses, to establish what military options it is considering and what kind of government it envisions replacing Mr Saddam should be be overthrown by military action. - (Reuters)