Where are the WMD? US changes its strategy

WMD and Iraq-- What they said:

Statements from Washington, London and others involved in the war in Iraq and the search for its alleged weapons of mass destruction have changed with the progress of time. Track who said what -- and when they said it -- on a variety of issues, including claims Iraq was seeking uranium from Africa and that it could launch an attack in 45 minutes.

"The danger to our country is grave. The danger to our country is growing. The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons. The Iraqi regime is building the facilities necessary to make more biological and chemical weapons ... Each passing day could be the one on which the Iraqi regime gives anthrax or VX -- nerve gas -- or some day a nuclear weapon to a terrorist ally."

-- U.S. President George W. Bush in meeting with Congressional leaders, September 26, 2002

"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised."

-- U.S. President George W. Bush in remarks to the nation on the eve of Iraq war, March 17, 2003

"Iraq had a weapons program. Intelligence throughout the decade showed they had a weapons program. I am absolutely convinced with time we'll find they did have a weapons program."

-- U.S. President George W. Bush to reporters at a Cabinet meeting, June 9, 2003

"They're looking at the sites we have knowledge of, and of course the reality is that, if we have knowledge of a site -- and a suspect site is probably the way we should phrase it -- it's very likely things are not there. ... The only way I know we're going to get it is through people. If anyone has any ideas, we're always happy to hear them."

-- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, CNN’s Late Edition, May 5, 2003

"The coalition did not act in Iraq because we had discovered dramatic new evidence of Iraq's pursuit of weapons of mass murder. ... We acted because we saw the evidence in a dramatic new light -- through the prism of our experience on 9/11."

-- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to the Senate Armed Services Committee, July 9, 2003

Saddam’s WMD program is "active, detailed and growing. ... Let me be plain about our purpose. Of course there is no doubt that Iraq, the region and the whole world would be better off without Saddam …. But our purpose is disarmament."

-- UK Prime Minister Tony Blair revealing a 50-page dossier on Iraq compiled by the British security services, to the House of Commons, September 24, 2002

"I think it would be useful if we waited until we actually got the full evidence before us. … In the meantime, it’s important that people don’t make a judgment until they actually get what the experts uncover."

-- UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking at the G-8 summit in Evian, France, June 2, 2003

There is "no reliable information on whether Iraq is producing and stockpiling chemical weapons or where Iraq has -– or will -– establish its chemical warfare agent production facilities."

-- Defense Intelligence Agency Operational Support Study, September 2002, part of which was obtained by CNN

"Believe me, it's not for lack of trying. We've been to virtually every ammunition-supply point between the Kuwaiti border and Baghdad, and they're simply not there."

-- Lt. Gen. James Conway, commander of the U.S. 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, on the search for WMD, May 30, 2003

Copyright 2003 CNN

 

Blix is not backing down to what must be incredible pressure from the US and Britain-- Good for him and good for us. More individuals with influence around the world continue to step forward and blast the war effort in Iraq. The Bush administration's "you're either with us or against us" rhetoric is just about played out.

In the run up to war in Iraq, Washington had argued that as well as the imminent threat posed by Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, Saddam's government had close links to al Qaeda, the terrorist network run by Osama bin Laden.
However Blix told British radio Thursday that a pre-war British dossier on Iraqi weapons "led the reader to the conclusions that are a little further reaching" than was the case. "What in a way stands accused is the culture of spin, the culture of hyping," said Blix.

Blix attacks Iraq weapons 'spin'
Thursday, September 18, 2003

LONDON, England -- The U.N.'s former chief weapons inspector has attacked the "spin and hype" he says the U.S. and Britain used when warning about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.

Hans Blix's comments on Thursday came hours after U.S. President George W. Bush said there was no evidence that Iraq's ousted president was involved in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S. -- disputing an idea held by many Americans.

"There's no question that Saddam Hussein had al Qaeda ties," Bush said. But he added: "We have no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with the September 11."

In the run up to war in Iraq, Washington had argued that as well as the imminent threat posed by Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, Saddam's government had close links to al Qaeda, the terrorist network run by Osama bin Laden.

However Blix told British radio Thursday that a pre-war British dossier on Iraqi weapons "led the reader to the conclusions that are a little further reaching" than was the case. "What in a way stands accused is the culture of spin, the culture of hyping," said Blix.

"We know advertisers will advertise a refrigerator in terms that we don't quite believe in, but we expect governments to be more serious and have more credibility."

He added that the coalition should have allowed U.N. weapons inspections to continue working after they were pulled out on March 18 after three months' -- two days before the U.S.-led invasion.

In the five months since Saddam's overthrow, the U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group -- composed of 1,400 scientists, military and intelligence experts -- has failed to uncover any banned weapons.

Blix's comments come as the Hutton inquiry continues in London into the death of UK government scientist David Kelly, who apparently killed himself after he was named as the source for a BBC story that the government exaggerated the threat posed by Iraq.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's office has consistently denied misleading the public.

But Bush and Blair have come under mounting pressure to prove that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and both have seen their popularity ratings fall in opinion polls.

In an interview on Australian radio on Wednesday, Blix said he believed that Iraq had destroyed most of its weapons of mass destruction 10 years ago, but maintained the appearance it had them to deter a military attack.

Copyright 2003 CNN

 

The top aide to President Bush dismissed the finding by leaders of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee that much of the information relied upon was fragmentary or dated back to when U.N. inspectors left Iraq in 1998.

"There were significant deficiencies with respect to the IC's (intelligence community's) intelligence collection activities concerning Iraq's WMD programs and ties to al-Qa'ida (al Qaeda) prior to the commencement of hostilities there." Rice did not comment on Saddam's alleged ties to Osama bin Laden. The CIA dismissed the "notion that our community does not challenge standing judgments."

CIA adviser David Kay, who has been coordinating the hunt for Iraq's banned weapons, is scheduled to present lawmakers with an interim report in the coming week, but was not expected to reveal that any weapons had been found, sources have said.

White House Insists It Had Iraq WMD Intelligence
By Tabassum Zakaria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday there was new U.S. intelligence obtained before the Iraqi war about Baghdad's weapons of mass destruction programs, despite an assertion to the contrary by key congressional leaders.

"The president believes that he had very good intelligence going into the war," Rice said on the "Fox News Sunday" program.

The top aide to President Bush dismissed the finding by leaders of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee that much of the information relied upon was fragmentary or dated back to when U.N. inspectors left Iraq (news - web sites) in 1998.

"There was enrichment of the intelligence from 1998 over the period leading up to the war," Rice insisted. "And nothing pointed to a reversal of Saddam Hussein's very active efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction."

"... It was very clear that this continued and it was a gathering danger." "Yes, I think I would call it new information and it was certainly enriching the case in the same direction," she added.

Rice answered charges made by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Porter Goss, a Florida Republican, and Rep. Jane Harman, a California Democrat, in a letter to the CIA, obtained by Reuters on Saturday.

The letter, dated on Thursday, to CIA Director George Tenet said intelligence assessments that Iraq continued to pursue chemical and biological weapons and had ties to terror groups were long-standing judgments that were not routinely challenged within the intelligence agencies.

'CONSTANT AND STATIC'
"The assessment that Iraq continued to pursue chemical and biological weapons remained constant and static over the past 10 years," it said.

But there was "insufficient specific information" about former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's plans and intentions, the status of Iraq's WMD programs and capabilities, and Iraq's links to al Qaeda, it said.

The lawmakers, whose letter did not reflect the full committee's opinion, cited weakness in intelligence from spies on the ground and said the government needed to develop better sources.

They concluded: "There were significant deficiencies with respect to the IC's (intelligence community's) intelligence collection activities concerning Iraq's WMD programs and ties to al-Qa'ida (al Qaeda) prior to the commencement of hostilities there." Rice did not comment on Saddam's alleged ties to Osama bin Laden. The CIA dismissed the "notion that our community does not challenge standing judgments."

"Iraq was an intractable and difficult subject. The tradecraft of intelligence rarely has the luxury of having black and white facts," spokesman Bill Harlow said.

The United States justified going to war largely because of a threat from Iraq's biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs, but no such weapons have been found.

CIA adviser David Kay, who has been coordinating the hunt for Iraq's banned weapons, is scheduled to present lawmakers with an interim report in the coming week, but was not expected to reveal that any weapons had been found, sources have said.

Rice said Kay's report was "only going to be a progress report and is likely not going to draw any major conclusions."

"He's got a very long way still to go," she told Fox.

An October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate report on Iraq said it had continued its WMD programs, had chemical and biological weapons and was reconstituting its nuclear weapons programs.

"We have not found any information in the assessments that are still classified that was any more definitive," the lawmakers said.

 

Everything is beginning to tie together into a massive scandal -- Blaming the CIA publicly for intelligence failures was probably the biggest mistake the Bush Administration has made so far. --

The committee spent four months combing through 19 volumes of classified material used by President George W. Bush's administration to make its case for war. The letter was written by committee chairman Porter Goss, a Republican, and vice-chairman Jane Harman, the ranking Democrat.

The letter said committee members found "significant deficiencies" in the intelligence community's ability to collect fresh intelligence on Iraq. According to the Washington Post, the letter criticised the fact that the White House relied on "past assessments" dating back to when UN inspectors left Iraq in 1998, supplemented with "some new 'piecemeal' intelligence" in reaching the conclusion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and ties to al-Qaeda.

"All of the dots added up to weapons and a weapons programme that was dangerous and just getting more so," she added. (Rice)
Rice said: "This was a threat that the president of the United States could not allow to remain there."

CIA at centre of WMD controversy

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Central Intelligence Agency hit back at criticism of its Iraq weapons evidence after lawmakers attacked the White House information used to justify the Iraq war. The CIA said doubts raised by two top members of the House of Representatives' intelligence committee were "absurd."

National security advisor Condoleezza Rice also defended the White House. "The intelligence community stands fully behind its findings and judgments as stated in the national intelligence estimate on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction," CIA spokesman Bill Harlow said in a statement.

Two top members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence said in a letter to CIA director George Tenet that the White House relied on information that was "circumstantial," "fragmentary" and filled with "many uncertainties" to justify the Iraq war, US media reports said.

The committee spent four months combing through 19 volumes of classified material used by President George W. Bush's administration to make its case for war. The letter was written by committee chairman Porter Goss, a Republican, and vice-chairman Jane Harman, the ranking Democrat.

The letter said committee members found "significant deficiencies" in the intelligence community's ability to collect fresh intelligence on Iraq. According to the Washington Post, the letter criticised the fact that the White House relied on "past assessments" dating back to when UN inspectors left Iraq in 1998, supplemented with "some new 'piecemeal' intelligence" in reaching the conclusion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and ties to al-Qaeda.

"The absence of proof that chemical and biological weapons and their related development programs had been destroyed was considered proof that they continued to exist," said the letter, which was sent last Thursday.

In response, the CIA said the intelligence committee "has yet to take the time to fully evaluate how the national intelligence estimate was constructed and why and one what specific basis, judgements and findings were reached by our national intelligence officer and intelligence analysts." Harlow added in the statement: "The notion that our community does not challenge standing judgements is absurd.

"In the post-1998 time period, the intelligence community launched an important and sustained effort to enhance our unilateral understanding of Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction programmes.
"From all of our disciplines, important gains were made. "The committee has not once asked us to explain our effort or its results."

Harlow said the committee had yet to conduct an inquiry on its "detailed, carefully sourced and comprehensive study" evidence on links between Iraq and al-Qaeda.

"The House Intelligence Committee has yet to take the time to fully evaluate how the national intelligence estimate was constructed and why and on what specific basis judgements and findings were reached by our national intelligence officer and intelligence analysts."

"As intelligence professionals, we, more than anyone else, want to know whether we were correct in our judgements. "But to attempt to make such a determination so quickly, and without all the facts, is premature and wrong," said the CIA spokesman.

"Iraq was an intractable and difficult subject. The tradecraft of intelligence rarely has the luxury of having black and white facts. The judgements reached and the tradecraft used were honest and professional -- based on many years of effort and experience."

Bush's national security advisor said the US administration had new evidence going into the war. "There was enrichment of the intelligence from 1998 over the period leading up to the war," Rice told Fox television news. She said there was information about efforts Saddam was making to "reconstitute groups of scientists that worked for him."

A report on the hunt for Iraq's weapons programmes is to be released this week by former weapons inspector David Kay. But the CIA has warned it will not contain any new proof of Iraq's weapons programmes. Rice said it was just "a progress report" but strongly denied that the president had tried to mislead the American public.

"All of the dots added up to weapons and a weapons programme that was dangerous and just getting more so," she added. Rice said: "This was a threat that the president of the United States could not allow to remain there."

 

Latest change in strategy --- more money, more experts, more wasted time.

The request is included in the classified section of the White House's $87 billion supplemental spending request for Iraq and Afghanistan expenses, the Times said. The size of the request suggests that the search for weapons will go on, despite the fact there has not been any solid evidence that Iraq had chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, said the Times.

A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment to the Times about the classified request for funds.


Report: Bush Wants $600 Million for Iraq WMD Hunt

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than $600 million is needed to continue searching for evidence of weapons of mass destruction or other illegal arms in Iraq, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing Bush administration officials.

The request is included in the classified section of the White House's $87 billion supplemental spending request for Iraq and Afghanistan expenses, the Times said. The size of the request suggests that the search for weapons will go on, despite the fact there has not been any solid evidence that Iraq had chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, said the Times.

The money is earmarked for the Iraq Survey Group, which is comprised of teams of troops and experts who are managed by the Pentagon but whose activities are coordinated by David Kay, the daily reported. Kay is former United Nations weapons inspector who has been coordinating the Central Intelligence Agency -led hunt for banned weapons in the country.

If the administration gets all the money, it will allow the survey group to boost its staff to 1,400 from about 1,200 members, said the Times, citing officials familiar with the request.

A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment to the Times about the classified request for funds.