The 50-page document also supplied evidence that Mr. Hoseyn had sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa to build nuclear warfare and had extended the range of its ballistic missiles as part of a plan to menace and dominate the Middle East region.

In Brussels, Mr. Xavier Solana, European Community’s Minister for Security and Foreign Affaires confirmed Thursday the British findings.

In a foreword to the 50-page dossier, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he believed that the compilation of information from Britain's intelligence and security agencies had proved that Mr. Hoseyn threatened the stability of the world and had to be blocked now.

"What I believe the assessed intelligence has established beyond doubt is that Saddam has continued to produce chemical and biological weapons, that he continues in his efforts to develop nuclear weapons and that he has been able to extend the range of his ballistic missile program", he said. "I also believe that, as stated in the document, Saddam will now do his utmost to try to conceal his weapons from U.N. inspectors".

In Baghdad, an Iraqi government minister denied all the charges. "Mr. Blair is acting as part of the Zionist campaign against Iraq and all his claims are baseless", Culture Minister Hamed Yousef Hummadi said at a news conference on Tuesday.

An adviser to Mr. Hussein, Lt. Gen. Amir al-Sa’di, called the Blair report "a hodgepodge of half-truths, lies, shortsighted and naive allegations" that would not hold up after an investigation by "competent and independent" experts.

He also assured at the news conference that United Nations inspectors would be given "unfettered access" and could go "wherever they want to go".

Reaction from the White House to the report was highly supportive. The White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, called Mr. Blair's speech "very bold", adding that the dossier was "frightening in terms of Iraq's intentions and abilities to acquire weapons".

"I believe that faced with the information available to me, the U.K. government has been right to support the demands that this issue be confronted and dealt with", he said, defending his full support for United States plans to attack Iraq.

According to Mr. Barzegar, Iran, because of its staunch opposition to any American "unilateral" military action to remove Mr. Hoseyn from power and would "very probably" remain neutral in case Washington attacks Iraq, might not be targeted by Iraqi missiles.

"But even this is not a guarantee, since thousands of Iraqi Shi’ites living in southern parts of Iran adjacent to the Iraqi borders are combat ready and one of Iraqi strongest opposition movement, the Supreme Assembly of the Islamic Revolution of Iraq (SAIRI) has Tehran as its head quarters", he noted.

However, the American President George W. Bush has declared both neighbours as "evil states", alongside Communist North Korea.

As for longer-range missiles, the report said Iraq is developing both its "al-Samoud" liquid-propellant and its Ababil-100 solid-propellant missiles and extending their ranges to 125 miles, beyond the 93 miles limit set by the United Nations.

The dossier estimated that Mr. Hoseyn would need five years to develop a nuclear weapon on his own but could speed the process to within two years if he acquired weapons grade material.

It also asserted that Iraq had rebuilt chemical plants destroyed in the 1991 Persian Gulf war and had developed mobile laboratories for making biological weapons that could be used in warfare to escape detection and attack invading troops.

"Read it all and again I defy anyone to say that this cruel and sadistic dictator should be allowed any possibility of getting his hands on more chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons", Mr. Blair declared.

The dossier said that Mr. Hoseyn was able in 2001 to make $3 billion in "illicit earnings" despite United Nations sanctions and that he was on track to raise the same amount this year. The money, meant to go to relief causes, was instead devoted to development of weapons of mass destruction, according to the report.

Iranian analysts say what the Iranian clerical rulers wonder more is about Washington’s post-Saddam plans, as they are certain that their theocratic regime is the next domino after Baghdad’s fall.