ADDIS ABABA, Oct 6 (AFP) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday said that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had planned to develop weapons of mass destruction, despite a new US report saying he had no such weapons nor concrete plans to make them.
"I welcome the report because I think it will show us that it is far more of a complicated situation than people thought," Blair said, in reference to a report by the chief US weapons inspector to be released later on Wednesday.
"It is also clear that there was every intention on Saddam's part to develop weapons (of mass destruction) and that he did not have any intention of complying with the UN resolutions," he told reporters in the Ethiopian capital.
Blair was speaking at a joint press conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, following a trip to Sudan to discuss the situation in its war-torn Darfur region.
US weapons inspector Charles Duelfer, a former UN weapons expert, has produced a 1,000-page report which says Saddam, who was ousted after the US-led invasion, had the desire but not the means to produce biological, chemical and nuclear arms, The Washington Post reported quoting US officials.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan acknowledged on Tuesday that the United States had not found the weapons stockpiles it expected in Iraq.
But he added: "The report will, from my understanding, talk about that Saddam Hussein had the intent and capability, that he was pursuing an aggressive strategy to bring down the sanctions ... imposed by the United Nations through illegal financing procurement schemes.
Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, wrapping up a two-day visit to Iraq, argued earlier Wednesday that the document would also show the ousted dictator to have posed a great threat.
"I am in no doubt whatever that had we walked away from Iraq and left Iraq to Saddam, Saddam would indeed have built up his capabilities, built up his strength and posed an even greater threat to international peace and security," Straw said.