US: Under pressure from the White House, Senate Republicans yesterday resisted calls from Democrats to hold early hearings on claims that the Bush administration exaggerated threats from Saddam Hussein to justify war against Iraq, writes Conor O'Clery in New York
At the same time the credibility of the administration was challenged by the outgoing UN chief weapons inspector, Dr Hans Blix, who claimed that some US officials had "leaned on" his inspectors to produce more damning language in their reports.
Elements in Washington had conducted a smear camapign against him, he told the Guardian. "There are bastards who spread things around, of course, who planted nasty things in the media. Not that I cared very much," he said.
The UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, implicitly backed Dr Blix's claims yesterday, saying: "I've seen some articles in the press [about him\] which I've considered unfair."
The Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, protested yesterday that there was "no smear campaign that I am aware of" against Dr Blix, whom he held in "high regard" and "the President has confidence in him as well".
The failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has raised the prospect of the Republican-led Congress challenging a President who is popular for his tough stance on Iraq and terrorism.
This has clearly worried the White House, especially if President Bush's primary reason for taking the country to war is seriously undermined going into election year.
The argument is also gaining ground that an administration which proclaims a policy of pre-emptive strikes must show it uses intelligence that is above suspicion.
Senator Carl Levine, the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said what was at issue was whether American intelligence could be trusted in the future as a basis for action against other adversaries, such as Iran and North Korea.
The Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, Republican Senator Pat Roberts, yesterday backed off plans to announce joint hearings with the Senate Armed Services Committee, saying his panel would first review promised White House intelligence documents used to justify war.
The Armed Services Committee's Republican chairman, Senator John Warner, said on Monday he planned committee hearings, perhaps jointly with the intelligence panel, on the failure so far to find banned weapons in Iraq.
The Intelligence Committee's senior Democrat, Senator Jay Rockefeller, accused Senator Roberts of "sleep-walking through history" and noted that Mr Bush had changed his tune, talking now about finding a "weapons programme" rather than weapons of mass destruction.
One prominent Republican to back the call for hearings was Senator John McCain, a frequent critic of the President. Weapons would be found, he said, "but the American people have the right to know" the basis for going to war.
The British Prime Minister yesterday declined to appear before a Commons committee to give evidence on the alleged misuse of intelligence reports ahead of the Iraq war.
At Commons question time, Mr Tony Blair said, in "accordance with convention," he would not attend the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, although the Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, would. - (Reuters)