Washington: The United States has dismissed Iraq's pledge to destroy the al-Samoud
missiles as called for by chief UN inspector Hans Blix, saying it as "deception"
and "false propaganda" by Saddam Hussein.
"President (George W) Bush has always predicted that Iraq would destroy its al-
Samoud 2 missiles as part of their games of deception… The Iraqi actions are
propaganda
wrapped in a lie, inside a falsehood," White House spokesman Ari
Fleischer said on February 28.
"The White House views this as a question of what (Security Council resolution
number) 1441 called for. And 1441 called for a complete and total and immediate
disarmament. It did not call for pieces of disarmament," he said.
Saddam Hussein, Fleischer said, has not answered questions about his botulinum and
anthrax. He has answered only about the missiles. The missiles are an important part
of it, but "we will see what he ultimately does. Just as the President has
predicted, it is a game that Iraq is playing".
"I think the President made it perfectly plain yesterday (February 27) in the Oval
Office and he has said this repeatedly, (Bush's demand) is disarmament and regime
change," he said answering a question.
PTI
