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Gen. Amer Saadi

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq on Tuesday firmly denied a report by NewsStand: CNN & TIME alleging that Baghdad had secretly tried to obtain sophisticated missile technology in Romania.

Senior Iraqi government adviser Gen. Amer Saadi maintained that CNN had dug up an old news story. He said Iraq had fully cooperated in a U.N. investigation that found the Iraqi government was not involved in the alleged operation.

The CNN news magazine reported Sunday that the Iraqis attempted to obtain guidance equipment that would allow them to build a missile capable of hitting several major Middle Eastern capitals.

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On the program, former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter said, "We had the information. We had the goods on the Iraqis, clear and irrefutable evidence of Iraq's prohibited activities. We caught them red-handed."

But Saadi, the top weapons adviser to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, said Ritter was trying to be a "Rambo-style hero" and discounted the story as "old news."

Saadi said the United Nations knew about an attempt to buy guidance equipment in Romania and an investigation determined that the attempt was an "unauthorized individual act" and the Iraqi government was not involved.

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The U.N. Special Commission monitoring the dismantling of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (UNSCOM) became interested in Romania in 1995 when Hussein's son-in-law defected to Jordan.

Thousands of documents were found at his chicken farm concerning Iraq's programs to develop weapons of mass destruction.

A contract found there, and obtained by CNN, showed that the Romanian aerospace company Aerofina had committed to selling illegal missile technology to Iraq.

Saadi said a delegation did go to Romania in 1998 to discuss previously signed 1995 contracts with the Romanians. He said Iraq is allowed to proceed on a project to build a missile with a range of 150 kilometers. He said the United Nations knows about the project and has monitored all the tests.

Saadi said that all documents requested by UNSCOM, then headed by Rolf Ekeus, were provided.

He called the story "baseless and full or distortions" and said it was part of a "hostile media campaign" against Iraq.

The CNN report said that the Iraqi mission was uncovered by a secret operation code-named "Operation Teacup," involving the Untied Nations and the intelligence agencies of several countries, including the United States.