GOOD IDEA

America is creating jobs for Saddam Hussein's "nuclear mujahideen" and weapons experts to stop them selling their expertise to others, a senior US official said yesterday.

John Bolton, an under-secretary of state responsible for international security, said America planned to offer mid-level scientists immunity if they agreed to divulge Saddam's arms secrets...

Mr Bolton said that Saddam had developed his programmes "as close as possible to a weapons capability without being detected".

This included keeping about 1,000 scientists, known as "nuclear mujahideen", ready for the day when they could resume work on an atomic bomb after sanctions were lifted. The coalition fears that this know-how could be "sold to the highest bidder".