Iran agrees Iraq hid arms

NEW YORK — An Iranian government official with ties to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Tehran sides with the Americans on one big issue — Saddam Hussein’s weapons.

“Yes, we agree with the Americans. Our intelligence indicated that Iraq did possess weapons of mass destruction and was hiding them from the U.N.,” the official said.

The official, from the top ranks of Iran’s cleric-led government, asked to remain anonymous amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.

He went on to say that the big question is, “What did the Iraqis do with these weapons?”

Although Tehran does not know where these weapons may be today, there is a strong suspicion that some may have filtered onto local black markets.

“We know other items, once under military control [such as broadcast transmission equipment], have found their way onto the black market,” the official said.

“We have people coming to Tehran from Baghdad with catalogs of items [stolen from the Iraqi government] offering them for sale.”

So far, the official said, no chemical, biological or related weapons have turned up.

His remarks come amid criticism of the Bush administration and the government of British Prime Minister Tony Blair for the failure so far to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Both governments cited Iraq’s deadly weapons as a reason for going to war.

In Tehran yesterday, Iran said foreign pressure over its nuclear capabilities would backfire and harden Iran’s position.

Since its rapid conquest of Iraq, Washington has tightened the screws on neighboring Iran, which it accuses of sheltering al Qaeda fugitives, backing terrorism and developing nuclear weapons.

“Excessive pressure on Iran would untie the hands of those who do not believe in dialogue,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi. “Even those who favor constructive talks would not accept the language of force and threat.”

The United States and European Union are divided over Iran. The EU favors a policy of encouraging embattled reformers around President Mohammed Khatami, while Washington argues this is a waste of time because he has no real power to effect change.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, in a report obtained by Reuters on Friday, accused Iran of not complying with safeguards to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and sent a team of inspectors to the country on Saturday.

Story Continues →