Briefly World

Blair defends Iraq war without WMD

London: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Saturday defended the Iraq invasion,saying it would have been right to remove Saddam Hussein even without evidence that he had weapons of mass destruction. Blair,who is due to appear before the ongoing Iraq war inquiry in January,said it was the notion of him as a threat to the region,which had tilted him in favour of the Iraq invasion in 2003.

Qaeda not behind Pak bombings

Hong Kong: An American member of al-Qaeda on Saturday issued a video denying the organisation was behind a recent deadly string of attacks in Pakistan that have killed hundreds of civilians. Adam Gadahn said in a video entitled The Mujahideen Dont Target Muslims: The mujahideen have condemned,and continue to condemn,all attacks which indiscriminately kill and wound innocent Muslims.

Iran ready for uranium-fuel swap

MANAMA: Iran is ready to exchange the bulk of its stockpile of enriched uranium for n-fuel rods,but according to its own timetable,Foreign Minister Manochehr Mottaki said on Saturday. We accepted the proposal in principle8230; We suggested in the first phase we give you 400 kg of 3.5 per cent enriched uranium and you give us the equivalent in 20 per cent uranium.