'Anglophile' Saddam denies arms charges in interview with MP

Saddam Hussein is much misunderstood. When he has talked in the past about Britain as one of the "forces of evil", he obviously did not mean it. Instead, the Iraqi president has emerged as a fervent Anglophile whose hero is Sir Winston Churchill.

And it is not just Churchill. President Saddam has professed a fondness for things British – from Quality Street chocolates to imperial weights and measures to double-decker buses – and has spoken in sorrow about the cutting of ties between the two countries.

In an interview in Baghdad with the Labour backbench MP George Galloway, a fervent critic of the West's policy towards Iraq, President Saddam said he was prepared to implement all United Nations resolutions. He also appealed to Britain to take a more "independent" line from the United States.

The Iraqi leader greeted Mr Galloway at a bunker, hidden from possible cruise missile attacks, by "shyly" offering him a large tin of Quality Street. "Choose your personal favourite," he said.

The President expressed bewilderment as to why Britain had turned against Iraq. "Even at the height of our strategic relationship with the Soviet Union, Britain was the Iraqi's first choice, whether for holidays – one million big-spending Iraqis a year used to travel to London – or for 'Made in Britain' goods", said the Iraqi leader.

"Our measurements, our scientific standards, our punctual red double-decker buses, even our electric plugs were based on the British [versions]. We don't know why you turned against us more than any other European country".

After recalling anecdotes about Churchill, President Saddam asked: "What became of the Britain of Winston Churchill? If Britain were to find a more independent policy – one which took more account of its own interests and less of the interests of others – your country could begin to recover its once-significant status in the Arab world".

The Iraqi President denied that he was acquiring weapons of mass destruction. "When Mr Blair said he knew that Iraq was building and hiding weapons of mass destruction, we told him 'please send your experts to the places you say you know these things are happening'."

But, on a Churchillian note, he said: "If they come, we are ready. We will fight them on the streets, from the rooftops, from house to house. We will never surrender."