I saw an interview with the guy would was the Iraqi defense minister on 9-11. He said had to wake Saddam Hussein up and break the news of what had happened. Saddam said, “So what? We had nothing to do with it!” The general said, “But we’re gonna be blamed for it!”
I think Iraq was playing a dangerous game. They wanted the world, and especially Iran to think they had big stockpiles of chemical weapons when they didn’t (Though they did have some.) as a deterrent. So they kept giving the inspectors the runaround trying to look guilty when they were not. It caught up with them because they faked it too well.
This hints at something that nags at me to this day: I recall that Saddam went to considerable lengths to convince the world he HAD WMD, even alluding to a nuclear weapons program. He defied numerous resolutions demanding weapons inspections, so what were we to think? The thought of him with nukes was bloody serious, and I reluctantly supported W’s decision to invade. I agree that afterward we completely screwed the pooch.
I think Iraq was playing a dangerous game. They wanted the world, and especially Iran to think they had big stockpiles of chemical weapons when they didn’t (Though they did have some.) as a deterrent. So they kept giving the inspectors the runaround trying to look guilty when they were not. It caught up with them because they faked it too well.