Kay Says Iraq Likely Had No Banned Arms, says intelligence community owe Bush apology.

Guardian ^ | 01/25/04 | KATHERINE PFLEGER

[Thebaddog]

Are there two different stories out there? I thought that I read somewhere else that Kay thinks the weapons are in Syria.

[Pikamax]

Yes, he did say thru interviews with iraqi officials material was sent to syria.

[Sockdologer]

I think he said it was a small amount sent to Syria, not the vast stocks we have been searching for.

[Honestfreedom]

I still have no explanation for why Saddam did not prove he had gotten rid of the weapons if he had. That could have been documented. He could have made Bush look like a fool if he proved it right before the invasion started.

[over3Owithabrain]

This is bad, bad news for Bush. Unless he is holding a trump card and this is all smoke/mirrors, Bush may well be toast come November. His support has been slowly dripping away - this story has been used against him since April 2003 and will only get worse. Bush either has to drop the bravado of knowing there are WMDs hidden, or show his cards.

[mewzilla]

Whoa. This is an interesting interpretation of Kay's remarks.

[GailA]

In the Daily Telegraph, it's posted.

[Thebaddog]

I remember reports of scientists throwing themselves at the UN people trying to defect and being given back to Saddam's people. There were also stories about Dr. Germ and videos of tests on human subjects. There have to be facilities where this all went on. And Abu Nidal was killed before things got hostile. My bones are telling me that Saddam had the time he needed to make the stuff and the people go away to thwart this very search. And I think that the feds know more than what they are able to discuss. Kay was also all over the TV a year ago saying he was certain he would find them.

Dontcha think that Occam's Razor points to the goods being real and being stashed out of our reach?

[keri]

ping

[EllaMinnow]

ping.

[jwalsh07]

The war was a desaster for diplomacy and they still don't realize.

A view taken by marxists and Euro-socialists who genuflect at the Franco-Germanic altar but I have yet to meet a conservative who gives a crap about what France and Germany think about America protecting it's own interests as we see fit.

[Rome2000]

IRAQ’S WEAPONS ROSTER – A SAMPLING

Biological Weapons

Iraq has done research on a multitude of lethal biological agents – anthrax, botulinum toxin, aflatoxin, ricin, as well as agents that cause gas gangrene, plague, typhus, tetanus, cholera, camelpox and hemorrhagic fever. UN inspectors reported that Iraq has failed to fully disclose the scope and nature of its biological weapons program. Multiple sources confirm the existence of mobile units producing biological weapons, which Iraq denies.

Anthrax – Iraq declared producing nearly 8,500 liters but denied its ability to produce dry agent. UN inspectors believe Iraq may have produced 26,000 liters and can produce dry agent.
Botulinum toxin – Iraq declared 19,000 liters. The UN believes it could have produced more than double that amount.
Chemical Weapons

VX Nerve Gas – The UN concluded that Iraq had not accounted for 1.5 tons of the VX agent. Just one drop is enough to kill a person.

Chemical and Biological Weapons Delivery Systems

UNMOVIC has reported that Iraq failed to provide evidence to account for 1,000 tons of mustard gas, 550 mustard gas filled munitions, and hundreds of biological weapons-capable aerial bombs. Iraq has denied any connection between its Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Programs and chemical or biological agent dispersal, despite a previous admission and has failed to turn over all of its UAVs to the UN. From a truck in Iraq, its small UAVs can reach Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, or Israel. From a ship, one can reach New York, Paris, London, Berlin, or Beijing.

Nuclear Development

Iraq has repeatedly sought to illegally procure aluminium tubes controlled by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, that are consistent with its pre-Gulf War design to enrich uranium.

Ballistic Missiles

Iraq admitted that multiple test flights of the al-Samoud 2 and al-Fat’h Ballistic Missiles exceeded the 150 kilometer limit set by the UN, but falsely declared that these missile systems comply with UN requirements. UNMOVIC declared al-Samoud 2 prohibited and should be destroyed.

IRAQ WEAPON FACTS

Anthrax: Iraq declared 8,500 liters; the UN estimated 26,000.

Botulinum Toxin: Iraq declared 19,000 liters; the UN estimated 38,000.

VX Nerve Gas: 1.5 tons unaccounted for.

Biological/Chemical Delivery Systems: Over 30,000 munitions, shells, bombs unaccounted for.

Nuclear Development: Iraq has repeatedly sought enrichment equipment

Ballistic Missiles: Multiple flight tests of missiles exceeding 150 kilometer limit.

NNNN

[cyncooper]

``I must say I actually think Iraq - what we learned during the inspections - made Iraq a more dangerous place potentially than in fact we thought it was even before the war,'' Kay added.

I do not understand why Kay is giving these interviews to the English media. He says things that can be used against Bush, then says they ought not be used against Bush, then adds eyebrow raisers like the above.

What did they learn during inspections that made Iraq potentially more dangerous than they thought before the war? Terrorist ties or what?

I don't think he's helping by putting this out in this fashion.

[FranklinsTower]

I am beginning to believe that George Tenet is going to be very hot water soon. Either that, or this is all just a ruse to make people complacent or throw them off the trail.

[cksharks]

Do not exist or DID NOT EXIST???????? One hell of a difference.