Iraqi defector 'made up' weapon stories

A defector who helped to convince the White House that Saddam Hussein possessed biological weapons has admitted he "fabricated" information, it was claimed today.

Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, codenamed Curveball by American and German intelligence agents, made up stories about secret factories and bio-weapons because he wanted to see Saddam's regime collapse, according to the Guardian.

Washington relied heavily on information from Curveball to seek to make the case at the United Nations for military action against Iraq in 2003.