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Iraq near nuke capability, its ex-weapons chief says By Anne Ryder WTHR (Channel 13) February 08, 2002 The former head of Saddam Hussein's weapons program estimates the Iraqi regime is a year or two away from developing a rudimentary nuclear device. Dr. Khidhir Hamza, who spent two decades in Saddam's inner circle before defecting to the United States in 1995, said Iraq possesses the necessary design and manufacturing equipment. The only obstacle remaining, Hamza said, is the acquisition of enriched uranium. Iraqi scientists are working to refine the material, but, for the right price, it could become available on the black market, he said. That prospect alarms not only Hamza, but the White House. Last week, in his first State of the Union address, President Bush said Iraq, Iran and North Korea's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction poses a "grave and growing danger." In an interview with WTHR (Channel 13), Hamza said Iraq's weapons development slowed after the Persian Gulf War, when United Nations inspectors had an opportunity to locate -- and destroy -- materials and machinery that could be used to manufacture nuclear devices. Unfortunately, he said, the U.N. teams were unable to eliminate all the potential threats, and much of the equipment they did destroy has since been replaced. Hamza, now a consultant for the U.S. Department of Energy, said he regrets having done "nasty work for a nasty man like Saddam." The guilt, he said, weighs heavily on him -- "always, not sometimes." "Looking back, it was a very serious mistake," Hamza said. "It's a waste of a lifetime." -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq For removal from list, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk CASI's website - www.casi.org.uk - includes an archive of all postings.