I believe that Saddam either had weapons of mass destruction or his scientists and underlings faked to him that they had them. Saddam was paying for them. His underlings were ripping him off royally, as were the European weapons manufactures and traders. I knew some of their women in Switzerland. They had more money than they could spend.
I actually have more of a problem with the First Gulf War.
What did we expect when we left Saddam in power? That he wouldn’t try to get revenge?