US says it has 'solid basis' to say Iraq has weapons

The United States today said President George W

The United States today said President George W. Bush has a "solid basis" to say that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction despite the inability of UN inspectors to find them so far.

"The president of the United States and the secretary of defence would not assert as plainly and bluntly as they have that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction if it was not true, and if they did not have a solid basis for saying it," said White House spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer.

UN inspectors so far have been unable to find evidence of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons programs in Iraq and Iraq has heatedly denied possessing them accusing the United States of seeking a pretext for war.

Mr Fleischer said the United States has intelligence information proving Iraq has such weapons programs.