U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is accusing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein of being a "world-class liar" who is actively developing weapons of mass destruction.
Mr. Rumsfeld made the charge Monday in speeches to U.S. troops in both Kuwait and Bahrain. The U.S. Defense Secretary said the Iraqi leader is trying to fool the world into thinking he has no interest in biological arms and other similar weapons.
Secretary Rumsfeld also met with top Bahraini officials in Manama to discuss Iraq and the war on terrorism.
In Baghdad Monday, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz was quoted as saying Washington should engage in dialogue rather than aggression to solve its problems with Iraq. Sunday, Iraqi officials insisted their government does not have and is not making any weapons of mass destruction.
Mr. Rumsfeld is on a long European, Middle Eastern and Asian trip. He will hold talks today in Qatar before stopping over in India and then Pakistan to help reduce tensions between the two South Asian nuclear rivals.