( CNN ) -- Saddam Hussein let the world think he had weapons of mass destruction to intimidate Iran and prevent the country from attacking Iraq , according to an FBI agent who interviewed the dictator after his 2003 capture . Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in an unknown location in Iraq after his capture in 2003 . According to a CBS report , Hussein claimed he did n't anticipate that the United States would invade Iraq over WMD , agent George Piro said on `` 60 Minutes , '' scheduled for Sunday broadcast . `` For him , it was critical that he was seen as still the strong , defiant Saddam . He thought that ( faking having the weapons ) would prevent the Iranians from reinvading Iraq , '' said Piro . During the nearly seven months Piro talked to Hussein , the agent hinted to the Iraqi that he answered directly to President Bush , CBS said in a posting on its Web site . `` He told me he initially miscalculated ... President Bush 's intentions . He thought the United States would retaliate with the same type of attack as we did in 1998 ... a four-day aerial attack , '' Piro said . `` He survived that one and he was willing to accept that type of attack . '' `` He did n't believe the U.S. would invade ? '' Correspondent Scott Pelley asked . `` No , not initially , '' Piro answered . Once it was clear that an invasion was imminent , Hussein asked his generals to hold off the allied forces for two weeks , Piro said . `` And at that point , it would go into what he called the secret war , '' the agent said , referring to the insurgency . But Piro said he was not sure that the insurgency was indeed part of Hussein 's plan . `` Well , he would like to take credit for the insurgency , '' he said . Hussein had the ability to restart the weapons program and professed to wanting to do that , Piro said . `` He wanted to pursue all of WMD ... to reconstitute his entire WMD program . '' Hussein said he was proud he eluded U.S. authorities who searched for him for nine months after the U.S.-led invasion , Piro said . `` What he wanted to really illustrate is ... how he was able to outsmart us , '' Piro said . `` He told me he changed ... the way he traveled . He got rid of his normal vehicles . He got rid of the protective detail that he traveled with , really just to change his signature . '' Hussein was hanged in 2006 . E-mail to a friend .
Saddam : Hussein claimed he did n't think the U.S. would invade Iraq over Iran . FBI agent says Hussein lied about having WMD to intimidate Iran . But the Iraqi dictator said he wanted to start the cold war again , agent said . Hussein was convicted in 2003 and hanged in Iraq .