Bush had used Saddam's alleged weapons as the main pretext for the US-led invasion of Iraq on March 20.

Asked at a press conference if the need for a more democratic Middle East democratization might have been a better argument for war than WMD, Bush replied: "Here's what I took away from September 11, 2001. Anytime the president sees a gathering theat to the United States, we must deal with it, we can't pick or choose."

Bush stressed that US weapons inspector David Kay has already reported that Saddam's weapons programs would have put him in breach of UN resolution 1441 calling for Iraq to disarm.

"This is a person who used chemical weapons before which indicated to me that he was a threat," Bush told the press conference.

"The world recongized he was a threat for 12 years," the president stressed.

The failure of US, British and other coalition forces to uncover illegal weapons has prompted heavy criticism from opponents of the conflict.

Time magazine reported Sunday, quoting a US intelligence official, that the captured Iraqi tyrant has denied he had any WMD.

"No, of course not," Saddam was quoted as saying about Iraq's alleged weapons programmes, "the US dreamed them up itself to have a reason to go to war with us."

WAR.WIRE