[ThirstyMan]

Of COURSE they are in Syria- or the Pakistani border, or Egypt, or Lebanon, or somewhere ELSE where we could not get at them. Saddam was a monster, but never accused of being stupid.

It make no sense to me. What's the purpose of having WMD's if you don't use them to protect your sovereignty? I must be thinking like a Westerner because it seems plenty stupid from where I sit.

[Preachin']

Maybe the Iraqis had not developed a suitable method to deploy the weapons, yet.

[dbehsman]

That's a very good question. I don't know what Hussein was thinking pre-liberation. I do know that some of our guys dug up a few jet fighters that had been buried in the desert since 1991.

I think Hussein may have been thinking to himself that he knew he wouldn't win in a war against the United States. If he got the weapons out of the country, he could then appeal to the United Nations to have him reinstated as president of Iraq. Also it would be a little bit of egg on the face of the U.S. to the rest of the world if the weapons were not found. If Hussein used the weapons during the liberation, then he would have lost all moral high ground and lost any chance to appeal to the U.N.

[bert]

.....What's the purpose of having WMD's if you don't use them to protect your sovereignty?.......

Saddam did not expect invasion by American troops. He did expect a higher level inspections. He moved the WMD to avoid detection by inspectors thinking he would retrieve them once the heat was off.

[13Sisters76]

I'm hoping that you are aware that a "wmd" is more than just nukes..right?
A WMD is also bio- and chemical weapons. He showed his willingness to use these against his own people.
As to nukes- WHATEVER he had in this area is gone- just like the rest of what he had- into another country and in the hands of people who are as antagonistic as he towards ALL the western democracies. Some of us are NOT surprised to hear that most of it ended up in Syria- I have been saying as much since the start.