Powell: It's 'Open Question' Whether Iraq Had WMD

Wired News ^ | January 24, 2003 | Reuters

[ejdrapes]

TBILISI (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Saturday it was an "open question" whether stocks of weapons of mass destruction would be found in Iraq and conceded it was possible Saddam Hussein had none.

Powell made the comments one day after David Kay, the leader of the U.S. hunt for banned weapons in Iraq, stepped down and said he did not believe there were any large stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons in the country.

[ejdrapes]

Wonder what Tony Blair thinks about this...he could conceivably loose his job over this.

[dinok]

Hell of a thing to say during an election.

[ejdrapes]

I think this will be hard for Bush & Co. to spin. In the lead up to the war there didn't seem to be any uncertainty as to whether Iraq had WMD.

[bolobaby]

Hell of a thing to say during an election.

No, no - we *should* admit to the fact that there are no WMD if there aren't any. It doesn't change the fact that the whole world thought there was, we asked for proof from Saddam Hussein that there wasn't (in fact, got a UN resolution asking for proof), and that Saddam refused to cooperate.

Whose fault is it that *everyone* thought he had them and he couldn't provide evidence that he got rid of them? Certainly not Bush's.

The fact is that Saddam was purposefully evasive and not forthcoming. He got everything he deserved.

[kylaka]

The real question is why Saddam acted like a man who was concealing WMD's, if he had none.

[joesbucks]

Whose fault is it that *everyone* thought he had them and he couldn't provide evidence that he got rid of them? Certainly not Bush's.

Here's the rub. When Blix was over there and coming up with zip, we told him he emphatically he was looking in the wrong places. At the same time we were going before the UN with proof conclusive photos of WMD programs, places to manufacture, warehouse and on and on and on. Remember the comparisons the conservative pundits were making to him being the WMD version of Inspector Closeau? Blix said, ok if I'm looking in the wrong places, then tell me where to look. Suddenly we got quiet about knowing where they were.

That made me change my mind as to the WMD's being a valid reason to go forth.

The fact is that Saddam was purposefully evasive and not forthcoming. He got everything he deserved.

Portions of that could be debated, but by and large you are correct.

[joesbucks]

false machismo.

[John H K]

Eh, I kind of like the theory that it was stupid pride (didn't want to look like a wimp for getting rid of his WMD.)

[RandallFlagg]

I, for one, still think that there's some WMDs there waiting to be found. AND, I think that most of the WMDs were there before the war and have been shipped elsewhere since.

[joesbucks]

But remember the promise of something from Kay by the end of September that was posted throughout this forum.

[Jacquerie]

Exactly. During a UN hearing, I recall Powell disclosing intercepted phone conversations between senior Iraqi officers than poked fun at how they ran circles around UN inspectors.

The Israelis destroyed an Iraqi breeder reactor in 1981, Hussein later used poison gas against Kurds and Iranians.

Let the leftists whine. The President freed more women and religous minorities from from virtual slavery and actual genocide than all the platitudes from the likes of the pig Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, bent willie, NOW, NARAL . . . .

[mr.pink]

When Blix was over there and coming up with zip, we told him he emphatically he was looking in the wrong places.

Actually we did a lot more than that. The man was roundly slandered as an incompetent, a slacker, and for not giving an honest effort by the usual loudmouths. The vulgar Richard Perle and his gang were particularly vicious and relentless in their attacks on Blix.

The man's owed an apology, but his detractors aren't honorable enough to do so.

[MizSterious]

I think there were (and likely still are) WMDs buried in the sand in Iraq somewhere--and perhaps some of it carted across other borders, too. Nevertheless, Republicans had better do something more than this sort of fancy backpedaling we're seeing now. The Dems are already making hay with this thing. I think they'll clobber Dubya with it during the election. Say hello to a president Dean or Kerry or (shudder) Clark.

[RandallFlagg]

Oh, I have the Kay report saved on my hard drive. However, Iraq is hugh huge. Saddam had a lot of earth-moving machinery and twelve years to dig big holes (and some holes really didn't need to be all that big).

IMHO, it's far too early to be sure either way.

[joesbucks]

The program was active according to us. Twelve years of digging holes is not an active program. Besides, shouldn't our satelites have seen what was going on? they can find a hair on a gnat's butt, but they missed Saddam hiding weapons.?

[billbears]

And now Kay is changing his story. I'm telling you, it's a conspiracy!! ;) Or the WMDs are in Syria, Iran, Syria, yeah that's it.

Watching the talking heads on Fox try to spin this and Kay's statement are going to be interesting to say the least

[EGPWS]

Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Saturday it was an "open question" whether stocks of weapons of mass destruction would be found in Iraq and conceded it was possible Saddam Hussein had none.

Well it's a FACT that he has none now!

[joesbucks]

Actually I couldn't remember if someone in the administration was making those statements or just the pundits who by extension represent the WH with the daily briefings. Sadly you are right. It was Perle and the gang.

[EGPWS]

Besides, shouldn't our satelites have seen what was going on? they can find a hair on a gnat's butt, but they missed Saddam hiding weapons.?

Shouldn't numerous UN resolutions over 12 years prompt Saddam to prove that he had no WMD?

[RandallFlagg]

The program was active according to us. Twelve years of digging holes is not an active program. Besides, shouldn't our satelites have seen what was going on? they can find a hair on a gnat's butt, but they missed Saddam hiding weapons.?

It wouldn't be too hard. He hid bigger things in the past.