Iraqi Leader Tells of Super-Weapon

BAGHDAD, Iraq —  The Iraqi regime, at peace for the first time in eight years, is working on a new super-weapon, President Saddam Hussein said at a medals presentation ceremony here.

The president gave no hint what the new weapon might be, but he said it is in service with only two other countries.

He said he had been told during a visit to Iraq’s military industry that “we will possess something which puts Iraq among only two other countries in the world.”

“This talk is real and not meant for propaganda,” he told military and government leaders being honored Tuesday for their roles in the Persian Gulf War against Iran.

During the later stage of the conflict, which ended in a cease-fire Aug. 20, Iraq used long-range missiles capable of striking targets 400 miles away. Tehran was among Iranian cities struck by the new weapons.