Kay Briefs Lawmakers on Iraq WMD

Reuters via Yahoo ^ | 10/2/03 | Rueters

[So Cal Rocket]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - CIA adviser David Kay, who is coordinating the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq briefed U.S. lawmakers on Thursday with an interim progress report.

Kay separately briefed the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate intelligence committees behind closed doors in what lawmakers called a highly classified session from which they emerged tight-lipped.

Kay was not expected to produce any solid evidence that chemical or biological weapons had been found, sources have said previously.

The United States went to war against Iraq in March and ousted Saddam Hussein from power in April, largely citing the threat posed by Baghdad's biological and chemical weapons programs and a program to develop nuclear weapons.

But critics have questioned whether the Bush administration exaggerated the threat to get support for the war because no such weapons have been found since U.S. forces invaded Iraq.

Others have urged patience, saying that Iraq is a large country and such weapons are relatively easy to hide.

Last month, the CIA said Kay would present an interim report that would reach no firm conclusions.

When Kay briefed lawmakers in July, he said there could be "surprises" uncovered, but congressional sources have said they were unaware of any major surprises.

[Pikamax]

"Kay separately briefed the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate intelligence committees behind closed doors in what lawmakers called a highly classified session from which they emerged tight-lipped. "

this won't last long.

[The South Texan]

I wonder how long we will getting "leaks" from this so called classified meeting. I bet you Peter, Dan and Tom will have plenty of them this evening if the it is anything that will make Bush look bad. So much for CIA stuff being classified, right?

[Support Free Republic]

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[areafiftyone]

Kay separately briefed the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate intelligence committees behind closed doors in what lawmakers called a highly classified session from which they emerged tight-lipped.

That'll be a first!

[rhombus]

It will be very easy to tell in the next few days if there was any substance in the report. Watch and judge the attacks of the Dems. We should all know very shortly what Kay discussed based on the next in a series of scandals they roll out.

[maestro]

LOL,........what about the 'latest'........WMD at 'Koo-wait'...?

[Dog]

James Rosen on is quoting sources from this briefing right now...

[Natural Law]

I'm sure that there were different reports given to both to help isolate and identify the eventual leakers. Once this info hits the streets I wonder if the Leak-gate crowd will be as vocal.

[trebb]

Watch and judge the attacks of the Dems. We should all know very shortly what Kay discussed based on the next in a series of scandals they roll out.

If it looks like the search will be a bust, they will leak it by tonight - if not, they will be quiet and try to find new angles of attack.

[VOA]

bump

[caisson71]

The Justice Dept should start investigating leaks from this session right now.

[billbears]

Last month, the CIA said Kay would present an interim report that would reach no firm conclusions

Leaving all the wiggle room the Bush administration needs to get out of this mess. Simply sad, 6 months later and still no admission they just weren't there

[b4its2late]

Kay separately briefed the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate intelligence committees behind closed doors in what lawmakers called a highly classified session from which they emerged tight-lipped.

Any guesses on when the leaks will come out? Only if the intelligence is bad news for the administration will we hear about it at all......

[Peach]

You know you are terribly inconsistent. Yesterday you *finally* admitted Iraq had WMD but they didn't constitute a threat.

It's terribly hard to argue convincingly they never had them considering how well it's been documented that Saddam used them at least 10 times in the 80's and 90's.

[rhombus]

If it looks like the search will be a bust, they will leak it by tonight - if not, they will be quiet and try to find new angles of attack.

Not necessarily if there is some evidence of chemical weapons, they will say where's the evidence of bio and nuclear weapons. If there is evidence of the means to make weapons but no actual weapons, they will say where are the weapons. They will weasel word so they can keep up the attack.

[billbears]

that Saddam used them at least 10 times in the 80's

Let me clearly state my point then. The administration of the 1980s didn't have a serious enough problem with Hussein's WMDs in the 1980s to declare war. Saddam Hussein presented no more of a threat than any other crazed dictator in the Middle East. That being said, there has been no evidence of 30,000 munitions or anything else Bush outlined in his speeches building up to the war. No ties to Al Qaeda and no ties to 9/11. In other words, no reason to invade and destroy Iraqi leadership other than human rights issues and to 'spread democracy', two reasons not even close to a point for declaration of war

[cookcounty]

"...in what lawmakers called a highly classified session"

If they didn't find anything, why would it be classified...let alone, "highly" classified?

[billbears]

Yesterday you *finally* admitted Iraq had WMD but they didn't constitute a threat.

And I never said otherwise. I freely admit they had them in the 1980s. That has always been my position. But for Bush to state the levels he did in his SOTU address was farcical

[Peach]

they just weren't there

When confronted with your own ever-changing position and comments, you decide to clarify yet again.

Having a differing opinion regarding the threat Iraq posed to the region and the US is valid. Stating there are no ties to AQ shows a complete and utter lack of knowledge. The ties to AQ have been exquisitely detailed.