BAGHDAD -- Iraq remained "defiant" against UN orders to destroy banned Al-Samoud 2 missiles Tuesday, asserting that it was left with no choice but to take up arms against an imminent U.S.-led war, AFP reported.

As Washington and its allies put forward a draft UN resolution which would open the way to military action, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein insisted in a rare U.S. television interview that the missiles did not breach regulations.

Iraq's state-controlled press took up the charge against U.S. President George W. Bush.

Saddam responded to the UN demand to destroy his Al-Samoud 2 stockpile by denying that even the most advanced missiles violated UN restrictions.

"We do not have missiles that go beyond the proscribed range," he told CBS television, his first with a U.S. journalist in a decade.

Presenter Dan Rather, who conducted the interview Monday, told CBS radio that Saddam had indicated he had neither the intention to destroy them, nor even to pledge to destroy them.

Rather said the Iraqi leader insisted Baghdad was allowed to manufacture its own missiles and was doing so.

The Al-Samoud 2 issue is seen as a key test of whether Iraq is fulfilling its obligation to cooperate with UN arms inspectors investigating its alleged program of weapons of mass destruction.

Chief inspector Hans Blix has given Iraq until Saturday to begin destroying the missiles, which can carry a warhead of 300 kilograms (660 pounds), as well as its component parts and manufacturing systems.

It came after a panel of weapons experts concluded that they exceeded the allowed range of 150km (93 miles).

Baghdad says early tests were carried out when the missiles had neither a warhead nor a guidance system, and that a fully-loaded Al-Samoud 2 would not breach the limits.