Hussein Denounces U.S. ‘Lies’

President Saddam Hussein said Tuesday that U.N. weapons inspections, if fair, would expose American “lies” and prove that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction.

In a Christmas Eve message read on state television, he also said that an “American-Zionist campaign” was being launched and that the threat of a large-scale military campaign was growing.

He questioned whether a U.N. Security Council resolution to disarm Iraq would proceed as intended.

Meanwhile Tuesday, weapons inspectors in Baghdad interviewed a senior nuclear scientist, who told them that Iraq has nothing to hide. They also checked at least seven suspect sites, going farther south from the capital than at any time since they resumed inspections Nov. 27.

Hiro Ueki, spokesman for the inspectors, said the team interviewed a scientist at Baghdad’s Technological University at length in a private office chosen at random.

The scientist, Sabah Abdul Nour, said the inspectors had agreed to let an Iraqi monitoring official attend.

“The discussions were very friendly, and questions were mainly about what has been done or any progress which has been achieved in Iraq after 1998 till now,” he told reporters.

“I explained to them all I know, and we have in fact nothing to hide.”

In his broadcast message, Hussein said, “We are confident that the outcome of the inspections will be a great shock to the United States and will expose its lies, if things remain on a technical and professional course with no hidden agendas.”

He added: “The world will then discover its false allegations and will see the bad intentions of its officials. But will things proceed in a manner that will ensure the achievement of the Security Council’s declared objectives?”

Hussein said the Christian festive season this year was marked by special circumstances “created by the powers of evil and darkness to spread chaos and create states of destabilization and tension” in many parts of the world.

Christians in Iraq number about 1.5 million out of a population of about 23 million, the vast majority of whom are Muslims.