Iraq WMD, Case for War
What was the case for war? How was it justified?
Monday, January 26, 2004
Kay Asks Why U.S. Thought Iraq Had WMD: Democrats ignore comments that it is 'not a political issue.' [... ask McGovern and other ex-CIA!]
Excite News: "Kay Asks Why U.S. Thought Iraq Had WMD | Jan 25, 10:29 PM (ET) | By SCOTT LINDLAW
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. intelligence agencies need to explain why their research indicated Iraq possessed banned weapons before the American-led invasion, says the outgoing top U.S. inspector, who now believes Saddam Hussein had no such arms.
'I don't think they exist,' David Kay said Sunday. 'The fact that we found so far the weapons do not exist - we've got to deal with that difference and understand why.'
Kay's remarks on National Public Radio reignited criticism from Democrats, who ignored his cautions that the failure to find weapons of mass destruction was 'not a political issue.'
'It's an issue of the capabilities of one's intelligence service to collect valid, truthful information,' Kay said. Asked whether President Bush owed the nation an explanation for the gap between his warnings and Kay's findings, Kay said: 'I actually think the intelligence community owes the president, rather than the president owing the American people.'"
The CIA would not comment Sunday on Kay's remarks, although one intelligence official pointed out that Kay himself had predicted last year that his search would turn up banned weapons.
Kay said his predictions were not "coming back to haunt me in the sense that I am embarrassed. They are coming back to haunt me in the sense of 'Why could we all be so wrong?'"
Kay told The New York Times in a later interview posted for Monday's editions that U.S. intelligence agencies did not realize Iraqi scientists presented Saddam with fanciful plans for weapons programs and then used the money he authorized for other purposes.
"The whole thing shifted from directed programs to a corrupted process," he told the Times. "The regime was no longer in control; it was like a death spiral. Saddam was self-directing projects that were not vetted by anyone else. The scientists were able to fake programs."
He said he has had U.S. intelligence analysts some to him, "almost in tears, saying they felt so badly that we weren't finding what they had thought we were going to find - I have had analysts apologizing for reaching the conclusions they did." [... others are irate at the pressure applied by Cheney and the Administration, and the weakness of CIA chief in the face of such pressure]
Excite News: "Kay Asks Why U.S. Thought Iraq Had WMD | Jan 25, 10:29 PM (ET) | By SCOTT LINDLAW
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. intelligence agencies need to explain why their research indicated Iraq possessed banned weapons before the American-led invasion, says the outgoing top U.S. inspector, who now believes Saddam Hussein had no such arms.
'I don't think they exist,' David Kay said Sunday. 'The fact that we found so far the weapons do not exist - we've got to deal with that difference and understand why.'
Kay's remarks on National Public Radio reignited criticism from Democrats, who ignored his cautions that the failure to find weapons of mass destruction was 'not a political issue.'
'It's an issue of the capabilities of one's intelligence service to collect valid, truthful information,' Kay said. Asked whether President Bush owed the nation an explanation for the gap between his warnings and Kay's findings, Kay said: 'I actually think the intelligence community owes the president, rather than the president owing the American people.'"
The CIA would not comment Sunday on Kay's remarks, although one intelligence official pointed out that Kay himself had predicted last year that his search would turn up banned weapons.
Kay said his predictions were not "coming back to haunt me in the sense that I am embarrassed. They are coming back to haunt me in the sense of 'Why could we all be so wrong?'"
Kay told The New York Times in a later interview posted for Monday's editions that U.S. intelligence agencies did not realize Iraqi scientists presented Saddam with fanciful plans for weapons programs and then used the money he authorized for other purposes.
"The whole thing shifted from directed programs to a corrupted process," he told the Times. "The regime was no longer in control; it was like a death spiral. Saddam was self-directing projects that were not vetted by anyone else. The scientists were able to fake programs."
He said he has had U.S. intelligence analysts some to him, "almost in tears, saying they felt so badly that we weren't finding what they had thought we were going to find - I have had analysts apologizing for reaching the conclusions they did." [... others are irate at the pressure applied by Cheney and the Administration, and the weakness of CIA chief in the face of such pressure]
Ashcroft: War Justified Even Without WMD: 'evil chemistry' and 'evil biology' [... 'evil' everything, sounds biblical ...]
Excite News: "Ashcroft: War Justified Even Without WMD | Jan 26, 8:16 AM (ET) | By WILLIAM J. KOLE
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Saddam Hussein's past use of 'evil chemistry' and 'evil biology' and the threats they posed justified the war in Iraq even if no weapons of mass destruction are ever found, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said Monday.
Ashcroft, in Vienna for talks with top Austrian officials on measures to fight terrorism and drug trafficking and improve air travel security, told reporters that Saddam's arsenal remained a menace and was sufficient cause to overthrow his regime.
'I believe there is a very clear understanding that Saddam Hussein continued to pose a threat,' Ashcroft said.
'Weapons of mass destruction including evil chemistry and evil biology are all matters of great concern, not only to the United States but also to the world community. They were the subject of U.N. resolutions,' he said.
Ashcroft made the comments a day after David Kay, the outgoing top U.S. weapons inspector, pressed U.S. intelligence agencies to explain why their research indicated Iraq possessed banned weapons before the invasion." ...
Excite News: "Ashcroft: War Justified Even Without WMD | Jan 26, 8:16 AM (ET) | By WILLIAM J. KOLE
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Saddam Hussein's past use of 'evil chemistry' and 'evil biology' and the threats they posed justified the war in Iraq even if no weapons of mass destruction are ever found, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said Monday.
Ashcroft, in Vienna for talks with top Austrian officials on measures to fight terrorism and drug trafficking and improve air travel security, told reporters that Saddam's arsenal remained a menace and was sufficient cause to overthrow his regime.
'I believe there is a very clear understanding that Saddam Hussein continued to pose a threat,' Ashcroft said.
'Weapons of mass destruction including evil chemistry and evil biology are all matters of great concern, not only to the United States but also to the world community. They were the subject of U.N. resolutions,' he said.
Ashcroft made the comments a day after David Kay, the outgoing top U.S. weapons inspector, pressed U.S. intelligence agencies to explain why their research indicated Iraq possessed banned weapons before the invasion." ...
Sunday, January 25, 2004
Secretary of State Colin Powell: "And if they didn't have any, then why wasn't that known beforehand?" [... good question]
Excite - News: "U.S. Soldier Killed; U.N. Considers Return to Iraq | Jan 25, 12:28 pm ET | By Dean Yates
...
Democrats stepped up pressure on President Bush after former top U.S. arms hunter David Kay said he thought Iraq did not have stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, on which Washington made its case for war on Iraq.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said: "The open question is how many stocks (Saddam's Iraq) had, if any, and if they had any, where did they go. And if they didn't have any, then why wasn't that known beforehand?"
Excite - News: "U.S. Soldier Killed; U.N. Considers Return to Iraq | Jan 25, 12:28 pm ET | By Dean Yates
...
Democrats stepped up pressure on President Bush after former top U.S. arms hunter David Kay said he thought Iraq did not have stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, on which Washington made its case for war on Iraq.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said: "The open question is how many stocks (Saddam's Iraq) had, if any, and if they had any, where did they go. And if they didn't have any, then why wasn't that known beforehand?"
Saturday, January 24, 2004
Powell: Possible Iraq May Have Had No WMD
Excite News: "Powell: Possible Iraq May Have Had No WMD | Jan 24, 5:34 PM (ET) | By GEORGE GEDDA
TBLISI, Georgia (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell held out the possibility Saturday that prewar Iraq may not have possessed weapons of mass destruction.
Powell was asked about comments last week by David Kay, the outgoing leader of a U.S. weapons search team in Iraq, that he did not believe Iraq had large quantities of chemical or biological weapons.
"The answer to that question is, we don't know yet," Powell told reporters as he traveled to this former Soviet republic to attend the inauguration Sunday of President-elect Mikhail Saakashvili.
Powell acknowledged that the United States thought deposed leader Saddam Hussein had banned weapons but added, "We had questions that needed to be answered. ...
Excite News: "Powell: Possible Iraq May Have Had No WMD | Jan 24, 5:34 PM (ET) | By GEORGE GEDDA
TBLISI, Georgia (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell held out the possibility Saturday that prewar Iraq may not have possessed weapons of mass destruction.
Powell was asked about comments last week by David Kay, the outgoing leader of a U.S. weapons search team in Iraq, that he did not believe Iraq had large quantities of chemical or biological weapons.
"The answer to that question is, we don't know yet," Powell told reporters as he traveled to this former Soviet republic to attend the inauguration Sunday of President-elect Mikhail Saakashvili.
Powell acknowledged that the United States thought deposed leader Saddam Hussein had banned weapons but added, "We had questions that needed to be answered. ...
Friday, January 23, 2004
Ex-U.S. Arms Hunter Kay Says No Stockpiles in Iraq
Excite - News: "Ex-U.S. Arms Hunter Kay Says No Stockpiles in Iraq | Jan 23, 2:19 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - David Kay, who stepped down as leader of the U.S. hunt for weapons of mass destruction, said on Friday he does not believe there were any large stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons in Iraq.
'I don't think they existed,' Kay told Reuters in a telephone interview. 'What everyone was talking about is stockpiles produced after the end of the last (1991) Gulf War and I don't think there was a large-scale production program in the '90s,' he said.
Kay said he believes most of what is going to be found in the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has been found and that the hunt will become more difficult once America turns over governing the country to the Iraqis.
The United States went to war against Baghdad last year citing a threat from Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. No actual banned arms have been found. "
Excite - News: "Ex-U.S. Arms Hunter Kay Says No Stockpiles in Iraq | Jan 23, 2:19 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - David Kay, who stepped down as leader of the U.S. hunt for weapons of mass destruction, said on Friday he does not believe there were any large stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons in Iraq.
'I don't think they existed,' Kay told Reuters in a telephone interview. 'What everyone was talking about is stockpiles produced after the end of the last (1991) Gulf War and I don't think there was a large-scale production program in the '90s,' he said.
Kay said he believes most of what is going to be found in the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has been found and that the hunt will become more difficult once America turns over governing the country to the Iraqis.
The United States went to war against Baghdad last year citing a threat from Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. No actual banned arms have been found. "
