Iraq said today its planned declaration to the United Nations on Saturday would cover biological, chemical, missile and nuclear technologies, but stressed again it had no weapons of mass destruction.
Baghdad's latest statement was another message of defiance to US President George W. Bush, who insists Iraq does possess weapons of mass destruction and has threatened war if necessary to disarm it.
US Deputy Defense Secretary Mr Paul Wolfowitz cooled any talk of imminent war however, saying Iraq's declaration to the UN would not in itself trigger a US decision on military action.
"I'm quite sure (Bush) is not going to make it simply on the basis of one single piece of information," Mr Wolfowitz said in Brussels. "He's going to make it... also (in) close consultation, particularly with our allies but indeed with the international community."
Hussam Mohammed Amin, head of the Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate, said in Baghdad: "The declaration will repeat that in Iraq there are no weapons of mass destruction.
"It will be a huge declaration. Of course it contains new elements," he told a news conference.
Mr Amin, who has already disclosed the dossier would be handed over on Saturday - a day before a UN deadline, said it would cover "biological, chemical and missile and nuclear activities" as well as "dual-use activities", a reference to technology with both civilian and military applications.
Washington was quick to dismiss Iraq's statement and demanded a more aggressive UN hunt in Iraq for arms of mass destruction.
"We believe...they continue to have weapons of mass destruction," said White House spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer. He said previous Iraqi denials that it had arms of mass destruction were proved false by earlier UN inspections.
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, looking relaxed and chatting to former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, appeared on Iraqi television today for the first time since UN inspectors returned to Iraq last month.