http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/12/wmd.search/index.html

U.S. ends search for WMD in Iraq



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. inspectors have ended their search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in recent weeks, a U.S. intelligence official told CNN.

The search ended almost two years after President Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, citing concerns that Saddam Hussein was building weapons of mass destruction and may have hidden weapons stockpiles.

Members of the Iraq Survey Group were continuing to examine hundreds of documents and would investigate any new leads, the official said.

Charles A. Duelfer, who headed the Iraq Survey Group's search for WMD in Iraq, has returned to Iraq and is working on his final report, the official said.

In October, Duelfer released a preliminary report finding that in March 2003 -- the United States invaded Iraq on March 19 of that year -- Saddam did not have any WMD stockpiles and had not started any program to produce them.

The Iraq Survey Group report said that Iraq's WMD program was essentially destroyed in 1991 and Saddam ended the country's nuclear program after the 1991 Gulf War.

The report found that Iraq worked hard to cheat on United Nations-imposed sanctions and retain the capability to resume production of weapons of mass destruction at some time in the future. (Full story)

"[Saddam] wanted to end sanctions while preserving the capability to reconstitute his weapons of mass destruction when sanctions were lifted," a summary of the report said.

Many of the military and intelligence personnel, who had been assigned to the weapons search, are now working on counterinsurgency matters, the official said.

Well, at least we're not spending any more money on THAT operation.

--PunkDavid

A for effort.

Now we have time to concentrate on Terririss and Evil Doers.

And yet, nobody was fired. If I was in the Bush Admin, I'd be doing all sorts of dirty shit since I know I'd never get fired for it.

People get fired all the time in the Bush administration. Just last week the inspector general of the Dept. of Homeland Security got canned because he produced over 100 reports demonstrating that the department was not having much impact in protecting us from terrorism.

--PunkDavid

PORK, I SAY, DAMNED PORK!

I would also like to announce that I have ended my search for WMD's in Iraq.

WMD's was so 2003. Social Security is now in style.

did you end your bid to video tape yourself eating your hat also?

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

We've taught every nation in the world a valuable lesson: DO NOT pretend to have WMD.

Truer words have never been spoken.

Saddam paid for his vicious lies, he did.

--PunkDavid

Oh shit I laughed at that.

You may incur the wrath of C W with that one, though.

I don't think so, and I was being completely serious.

Several of the investigations of the WMD threat have determined that Saddam didn't have any significant weapons program for the last ten years before the invasion, but that he had a very sophisticated counter-intelligence system to hint to the world that he might actually still have such weapons. It seems that it was not meant to intimidate the United States but more so Iran and his other unfriendly neighbors.

Kind of bit him in the ass.

--PunkDavid

Just like you to kill a good joke, I say.

Actually, I think what was determined is that Saddam had little idea about what was going on in his WMD "programs".
I'd be curious to see a source for your assertion.
Honestly, the idea of anything being "very sophisticated" in Iraq is kind of funny.

Of course he had to pretend to still have some defenses up, be it with chemical or biological weapons. He was the leader of his country, he needed to protect it. Since he didn't have these weapons, and the Bush Administration was pretty understanding of that, otherwise why pull out all the phony, fabricated, false intelligence? He had to keep a threat presence in the region to secure his own stay in power. EVERY leader is like this. You still dont' invade and occupy a country over a PERCEIVED THREAT. That in the end never existed. This is one of the biggest lies put upon the American people, and as stated NO one has been fired for all the deception and lies leading up to this illegal invasion.

Hilarious, isn't it?

Not really.

WMD became a quest of vindication for the Bush admin. Saddam had them, he was just really, really good at getting rid of them.

I'm still thinking Syria has them. Laugh all you want.

Better start bombing Syria then, due to another perceived threat!

How do we know Saddam has WMD's?

We saved the receipt.

Now, laugh all you want!