Good points. I had not caught the link between Pflame and Iraqi WMD. So, this becomes part of the larger scenario of Sheuyer et al who screwed up at the CIA and rebelled at civilian policy interferance with their turfs. Were they all Arabists?
It has been stated elsewhere, and I'm sorry that I can't recall where but I think it is National Review, that the CIA maintained only a four-person team on Iraq prior to 9/11. They were has-beens and never will be's and were symptomatic of the tepid interest the CIA had in Iraq.