LONDON Ñ German authorities have conducted arrests and searches of companies suspected of aiding Iraq's military programs.

So far, 20 German companies have been raided or searched in what is being called the biggest investigation of links with Iraq's military machine since the 1991 Gulf war. Investigators are trying to determine whether the companies have helped Iraq's conventional and nonconventional military programs.

German officials said the investigation has been fueled by intelligence information from other governments, including Britain and the United States.

They said Berlin was warned by the United States earlier this year that its companies were being wooed by agents of President Saddam Hussein to export dual-use systems to Baghdad.

The Berlin-based Der Spiegel weekly reported that one of those arrested is an engineer who tried to arrange the sale of German systems to Iraq. They included machinery required for the development of huge artillery systems capable of firing chemical and biological weapons shells.

"Nuclear, biological and chemical weapons ammunition is also meant to be fired with such guns," German prosecutor Hubert Jobski said.

The crackdown by German authorities was said to have been launched in June. Investigators believe that equipment used in oil exploration was sold to Iraq for the development of guns with a caliber of up to 300 millimeters.

The machinery was meant to drill barrels out of metal blocks.

Jobski said the engineer from the northern city of Baden has been detained since Oct. 26. "He is urgently suspected of having tried to arrange deals for the procurement of military equipment," the prosecutor said.

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