Pretoria, July 10: US Secretary of State Colin Powell today denied President George W. Bush deceived the American people over Iraq's nuclear programmes, branding a drama over false intelligence "overwrought, overblown and overdrawn." Powell said a decision was made at the time of the President's state of the union address that intelligence that Saddam Hussein had tried to procure uranium from Africa was accurate. "At the time of the President's state of the union, a judgement was made that was an appropriate statement for the President to make," Powell told reporters covering Bush's African tour. "There was no attempt on the part of the President or anyone else in the administration to mislead or to deceive the American people. "The President was presenting what seemed to be a reasonable statement at that time."

"I think this is very overwrought and overblown and overdrawn."

Powell said he dropped the allegations about Iraq's nuclear weapons programmes when he made his presentation on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction before the Un Security Council at the beginning of February.

The White House this week acknowledged that the remark made by Bush in his state of the union address in January, stating that Baghdad had sought "significant quantities of uranium from Africa," overstated ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's alleged efforts to obtain uranium for nuclear arms.

Bureau Report