U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has again defended the war in Iraq, saying he believes it was a factor in Libya's decision to stop developing weapons of mass destruction.
Mr. Powell says even though no nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons have so far been found in Iraq, the war provided a lesson for other states that were secretly developing banned weapons.
In a speech at Princeton University (in the U.S. state of New Jersey), Mr. Powell said the war helped Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi realize he risked outside intervention if he did not give up his nuclear program.
Mr. Powell added that Iran is also now answering questions about its nuclear program, although he says Tehran is revealing the information too slowly.
Mr. Powell says he hopes other countries will now realize that weapons of mass destruction programs do not make them more powerful or their people safer.