Free Republic

The government's most definitive account of Iraq's arms programs, to be released today, will show that Saddam Hussein posed a diminishing threat at the time the United States invaded and did not possess, or have concrete plans to develop, nuclear, chemical or biological weapons, U.S. officials said yesterday. The officials said that the 1,000-page report by Charles A. Duelfer, the chief U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq, concluded that Hussein had the desire but not the means to produce unconventional weapons that could threaten his neighbors or the West. ...[snip]The official said Duelfer will tell Congress in the report and in...

Undercutting the Bush's administration's rationale for invading Iraq (news - web sites), the final report of the chief U.S. arms inspector concludes that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) did not vigorously pursue a program to develop weapons of mass destruction when international inspectors left Baghdad in 1998, an administration official said Wednesday. AP Photo Reuters Slideshow: Iraq Latest headlines: · Report: Saddam Not in Pursuit of Weapons AP - 5 minutes ago · US to admit no WMDs in Iraq, but Bush unrepentant AFP - 15 minutes ago · Bush attacks Kerry over Iraq, economy AFP - 16 minutes...

[E]xperts, from both sides of the political spectrum, say the brutal experience in Iraq has eroded many elements of what has come to be called the "Bush doctrine," leaving the United States with less flexibility in the war on terror. ...[snip] The violent insurgency in Iraq, which has tied down 140,000 U.S. troops, has all but removed Americans' stomach for a similar pre-emptive engagement against an enemy who has not actually launched or prepared an imminent attack on the United States. Iraq "will leave a long and damaging legacy," said Fred Ikle, a senior government arms control expert for decades...