The alQaeda link:
Real or imagined?

The United States says Saddam Hussein poses a serious threat, with his suspected arsenal of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

Washington warns there's another sinister dimension to the Iraqi regime's menace

According to US President George W Bush, "...Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications, and statements by people now in custody, reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of al-Qaida. Secretly, and without fingerprints, he could provide one of his hidden weapons to terrorists, or help them develop their own."

The connection between al Qaeda and Iraq was raised by U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell, when he presented evidence of Baghdad's wrongdoing to the UN Security Council.

Mr Powell says the Saddam Hussein regime harbours a suspected associate and collaborator of Osama bin Laden, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

In February two messages purportedly from Osama began making their rounds.

One recording in particular was a call to arms to defend Iraq from America and her allies.

US State Department Spokesman, Richard Boucher said, "We're very careful about making the case on solid grounds, not overstating it, but this does confirm that (Osama) bin Laden and Saddam Hussein seem to find common cause together."

The common cause that unites them, a burning hatred of the United States.

Many experts aren't convinced about the link between Iraq and al Qaeda.

This is because Saddam's ruling Baath party subscribes to secular Arab nationalist ideals, which is opposed to Osama's radical brand of religious militancy.

So while they both clearly resent Western influence in the region, this does not make them comrades-in-arms.

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz said, "We are quite different people, different in ideology, different in practice and since the events of the 11th of September till now, this false accusation was repeated many times, and no evidence was presented."

In efforts to prove its innocence, Baghdad even took reporters on a tour of a camp in northern Iraq which Colin Powell alleged was a chemical weapons factory.

While debate rages whether camp is indeed involved in such toxic manufacturing, some observers have serious doubts Saddam would pass doomsday weapons on to terrorists he has no control over.

Especially when he might one day find himself at the receiving end.

White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer commented, "If you are waiting for the smoking gun the problem is, when you see the smoke coming out of the gun it's too late ... the damage has been done."

But some experts caution, invading Iraq may actually play in the hands of America's worst enemies.

"I think an American invasion of Iraq is the best recruitment poster that Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda could ever have and this is going to lead to war without end," warns Former UN Weapons Inspector, Scott Ritter

Washington's credibility in the eyes of the world would suffer a huge setback, if it presses ahead with regime change in Iraq on the basis of flimsy and unsubstantiated allegations.