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Blix attacks UK, US `witch hunters'

Former UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix on Thursday attacked the "spin and hype" behind US and British allegations of banned Iraqi weapons used to justify war against Saddam Hussein.

Blix, who said this week he believed Iraq had destroyed its weapons of mass destruction 10 years ago, told BBC radio Washington and London "over-interpreted" intelligence about Baghdad's weapons programs.

Comparing them to medieval witch-hunters, he said the two countries had convinced themselves on the basis of evidence which was later discredited, including forged documents about alleged attempts to buy uranium for nuclear weapons.

"In the Middle Ages when people were convinced there were witches they certainly found them. This is a bit risky," said Blix, whose inspectors left Iraq on the eve of war after just a few months of inspections.

Blix said a pre-war British dossier on Iraqi weapons "lead the reader to the conclusions that are a little further reaching" than was the case.

"What in a way stands accused is the culture of spin, the culture of hyping. We know advertisers will advertise a refrigerator in terms that we don't quite believe in, but we expect governments to be more serious and have more credibility."
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