U.S. weapons inspector finishes work without finding any Iraqi WMD
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Monday, Apr 25, 2005


U.S. weapons inspector finishes work without finding any Iraqi WMD

WASHINGTON (AP) - In his final word, the CIA's top weapons inspector in Iraq said Monday that the hunt for weapons of mass destruction has "gone as far as feasible" and has found nothing, closing an investigation into the purported programs of Saddam Hussein that were used to justify the 2003 invasion.
"After more than 18 months, the WMD investigation and debriefing of the WMD-related detainees has been exhausted," wrote Charles Duelfer, head of the Iraq Survey Group, in an addendum to the final report he issued last fall.

"As matters now stand, the WMD investigation has gone as far as feasible."

In 92 pages posted online Monday evening, Duelfer provides a final look at an investigation that occupied over 1,000 military and civilian translators, weapons specialists and other experts at its peak. His latest addenda conclude a roughly 1,500-page report released last fall.

On Monday, Duefler said there is no purpose in keeping detainees who are in custody because of their knowledge on Iraq's weapons, although he did not provide any details about the current number. A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ultimate decision on their release will be made by the Iraqi authorities.

The survey group also provided warnings.

The addenda conclude that Saddam's programs created a pool of experts now available to develop and produce weapons and many will be seeking work. While most will probably turn to the "benign civil sector," the danger remains that "hostile foreign governments, terrorists or insurgents may seek Iraqi expertise."



"Because a single individual can advance certain WMD activities, it remains an important concern," one addendum said.

The report also noted that military forces in Iraq may continue to find small numbers of degraded chemical weapons - most likely misplaced or improperly destroyed before the 1991 Gulf War. In an insurgent's hands, "the use of a single even ineffectual chemical weapon would likely cause more terror than deadlier conventional explosives," another addendum said.

Leaving the door to the investigation open just a crack, the U.S. official said a small team still operates under the U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq, although the survey group officially disbanded earlier this month. Those staying on continue to examine documents and follow up on any reports of weapons of mass destruction.

Among unanswered questions, Duelfer said a group formed to investigate whether WMD-related material was shipped out of Iraq before the invasion wasn't able to reach firm conclusions because the deteriorating security situation limited and later halted their work. Investigators were focusing on transfers from Iraq to Syria.

No information gleaned from questioning Iraqis supported the possibility, one addendum said. The survey group believes "it was unlikely that an official transfer of WMD material from Iraq to Syria took place. However, ISG was unable to rule out unofficial movement of limited WMD-related materials."



U.S. weapons inspector finishes work without finding any Iraqi WMD | CP © The Canadian

Why don't we just do what we did with the German and Japanese scientists after WW2: brought them here and gave them research jobs so the 'bad guys' didn't get them first?

Jordan Says Iraq Refused to Hand over Al-Zarqawi

The regime of Saddam Hussein rejected repeated requests from Jordan to hand over Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who now heads al Qaida in Iraq, the Jordanian king said in an interview published today.

King Abdullah II told the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat that Jordan exerted “big efforts” with Saddam’s government to extradite al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian sentenced to death at home for terrorist activities.

“But our demands that the former regime hand him over were in vain,” Abdullah said.

“We had information that he entered Iraq from a neighbouring country, where he lived and what he was doing. We informed the Iraqi authorities about all this detailed information we had, but they didn’t respond,” the king said.

Washington accuses al-Zarqawi, 38, of forming a network of terrorists to attack US-led forces in Iraq and has a £13.5 million bounty on him.

Abdullah also addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, insisting that Israel withdraw from both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

“If withdrawal from Gaza isn’t followed by withdrawal from territories in the West Bank, we will go back to square one,” the king said.

“The demanded peace is one that would end occupation and reinforce justice and establish a balanced relationship between the Palestinians and Israelis, on one side, and between Arabs and Israelis, on the other.”

On Mideast democratic reforms, an issue the US has pushed for, Abdullah said Jordan has started reforms that are in harmony with the country’s Arab and Islamic heritage.

“I’m fully convinced that reform is essential and important for the Middle East,” Abdullah concurred but added: “Our stance is that reform that comes under foreign pressure won’t succeed.”

Many Arab leaders have taken a similar stance.

“I believe that the Middle East is at a crossroads and we have to root in reform to combat poverty, unemployment and tension,” Abdullah said.

“The coming two years are crucial.”

Since ascending to the throne five years ago, Abdullah, 43, has sought to press ahead with reforms introduced by his late father, King Hussein, who died in 1999. A computer and internet enthusiast, Abdullah wants to make Jordan a regional information technology hub. He also wants to see his nation geared toward open-market economy and globalisation and has introduced relevant legislation in recent years.

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