"The grenades found could carry a chemical charge but it could also be a case of a normal charge disintegrating and releasing chemicals after years under the hot sun," spokesman Robin Middel explained.

He stressed that this find did not constitute possible proof that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction prior to the US-led war on Iraq earlier this year as only a few grenades were found, all of which dated back to the 1991 Gulf War.

The weapons were found earlier this month in the Iraqi province of As Samawah where Dutch soldiers are working under British command.

WAR.WIRE