[LS]

The problem with this interpretation is that the Pentagon's declassified documents now have HUNDREDS of reports of "special weapons" handling; that HUNDREDS of people saw them, in one form or another; and that EVERY intelligence agency on the planet was "fooled" if this interpretation is right. I don't buy it. Lincoln said you can fool all the people some of the time . . . but not for 10 years.

[Huck]

Then why has the White House been saying for a couple of years now that their WMD intel was botched? Why do they apparantly believe there were no WMD after all? They went from saying there was WMD stockpiles, to saying there were WMD programs, to saying there were WMD capabilities, to working on getting the capability, and finally, to democracy democracy democracy blah blah, the intel was wrong. If the WH doesn't even believe it, why should I? That's what I don't get.

[P-40]

I tend to believe Richard Clarke knew more than he is telling.

www.9-11commission.gov
Page 128

The original sealed indictment had added that al Qaeda had “reached an understanding with the government of Iraq that al Qaeda would not work against that government and that on particular projects, specifically including weapons development, al Qaeda would work cooperatively with the Government of Iraq.”109This passage led Clarke, who for years had read intelligence reports on Iraqi-Sudanese cooperation on chemical weapons, to speculate to Berger that a large Iraqi presence at chemical facilities in Khartoum was “probably a direct result of the Iraq–Al Qida agreement.” Clarke added that VX precursor traces found near al Shifa were the “exact formula used by Iraq.”110This language about al Qaeda’s “understanding” with Iraq had been dropped, however, when a superseding indictment was filed in November 1998.111

[ReleaseTheHounds]

I agree with your skepticism... It makes you wonder where the tens of billions of dollars in the "oil for food" scam went -- it couldn't have just gone into those stupid palaces. My guess is there is still substantial WMD buried somewhere in Syria. But even if these suspicions prove to be false, how can the John Kerrys and other Dem critics fault what was a generally held assumption given the decade of deception that WAS Saddam Hussein? The civilized world needed the removal of Saddam, and sadly, the US (along with Britain) was the only country with the ability and leadership to tackle that task.

[MikeA]

And what of General Georges Sada saying WMD were spirited out of Iraq and into Syria? I read his book. He seemed credible. Like you, I don't buy this interpretation which says Saddam deluded himself, but then at the last minute somehow snapped out of his delusions to announce to the UN there were no WMD. That just doesn't hold water.

[litehaus]

but not for 10 years.........From AG to Gov to Pres...in how many years? Ol' BJ Klintoon fooled many for a long time,enuf to get elected by 23 percent of elegible voters back then.( Thanx to ol'Ross!)