A senior administration official conceded that "some analysts give the hydrogen claim more credence." But he asserted that the majority still linked the Iraqi trailers to germ weapons.
Whatever the roles of these truck trailers turn out to be, this "hydrogen" idea sounds bogus and sounds like more deception. While other processes are being researched; e.g. for fuel cells, most bulk industrial hydrogen is now generally produced in oil refineries, in a fixed plant. Seemed to me like Iraq had some of these...
See http://www.greatachievements.org/greatachievements/ga_17_2.htm:
Since World War II the demand for light products (gasoline, jet, and diesel fuels) has grown, while the requirement for heavy industrial fuel oils has declined. In 1947, a process called "platforming" introduced platinum as a catalyst in the refining process. This resulted in fewer emissions, removed much of the sulfur and other contaminants, and generated significant amounts of hydrogen and other raw materials used to manufacture plastics. The availability of hydrogen was one of the most far-reaching developments of the refining industry in the 1950s. Since 1980, hydrogen processing has become so prominent that many refineries now incorporate hydrogen manufacturing plants in their processing schemes.
I agree. My (admittedly limited) knowledge of the types of microorganisms/fermentations capable of producing hydrogen does not suggest that this is the way a country with major oil production and refining capabilities would choose to produce hydrogen.