Crawford, Texas ? President Bush said Saturday it was a matter of when — not if — weapons of mass destruction would be found in Iraq while suggesting that task was getting little help from Saddam Hussein’s captured confederates.

“We’ll find them,” Bush said of Iraq’s suspected chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. “It’ll be a matter of time to do so.

“Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction,” Bush said in a joint appearance at his ranch with Australian Prime Minister John Howard. “It’s well known.”

He said the search would be difficult and lengthy, but ultimately successful.

“Iraq’s the size of the state of California. It’s got tunnels, caves, all kinds of complexes,” he said.

Bush complained that Tariq Aziz, one of Saddam Hussein’s closest deputies, was not cooperating with U.S. forces who have him in custody since April 24.

U.S. officials had hoped that the deputy prime minister could provide information about the deposed president’s whereabouts and Iraq’s weapons.

“Tariq Aziz still doesn’t know how to tell the truth,” Bush said. “He didn’t know how to tell the truth when he was in office. He doesn’t know to tell the truth when he’s been — as a captive.”