The Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, may have smuggled his alleged chemical and biological weapons out of Iraq and hidden them on cargo ships to evade United Nations inspectors, an expert said today.
The London Independentreported that US and British intelligence units were monitoring three "mystery" ships suspected of carrying Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.
One specialist said Saddam would have been "extremely sensible" to hide his illicit arsenal at sea, but Whitehall sources suggested the reports were unfounded.
The newspaper cited "authoritative shipping industry sources" as saying the suspect ships had been at sea for the last three months without providing information on their cargoes or destinations.
The British and US authorities were reluctant to board the vessels in case their captains scuttled the ships, causing catastrophic environmental damage, the newspaper said.
A shipping industry source told the paper: "If Iraq does have weapons of mass destruction, then a very large part of its capability could be afloat on the high seas right now.
"These ships have maintained radio silence for a considerable time, they have been steaming around in ever-decreasing circles."
Mr John Eldridge, editor of Jane's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence, said it would not surprise him if Saddam had chosen to hide his illicit weapons at sea. "It would seem an extremely sensible option. If you're trying to hide something, hide it at sea."
The British Ministry of Defence and the British Foreign Office refused to comment on press speculation about security issues.
PA