Former U.S. General Says Egypt, Jordan Reported Prewar Iraq Had WMD; Countries Leaders’ Deny Claim

Former U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Tommy Franks said yesterday that the leaders of Egypt and Jordan told him that prewar Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, according to the Chicago Tribune (see GSN, Aug. 2).

In an interview to promote a new book, Franks said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Abdullah warned him before the invasion about Iraq’s WMD stockpiles.

“General, from reliable intelligence sources, I believe the Iraqis are hiding chemical and biological weapons,” Abdullah is quoted as saying in Franks’ book, American Soldier. 

Mubarak reportedly told Franks, “We have spoken with [former Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein. He is a madman.  He has WMD — biologicals, actually — and he will use them on your troops,” (Michael Kilian, Chicago Tribune, Aug. 3).

Egypt and Jordan, however, denied Franks’ claims, according to the Associated Press.

“Such a claim is void of truth,” an Egyptian presidential spokesman told the official Middle East News Agency.

“His majesty did not have information that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction,” a Jordanian Royal Palace official said (Associated Press/Billings Gazette, Aug. 2).

Back to top
About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines © Copyright 2008 by National Journal Group, Inc. The material in this section is produced independently for NTI by National Journal Group, Inc. Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the consent of the National Journal Group, Inc. All rights reserved.