May 25, 2015 6:19 AM GMT
NYT: Bush said that Iraq had stockpiled large amounts of biological weapons. The best intelligence at the time–and it was wrong–concluded that Saddam had an active biological weapons R&D program, which is not the same thing as a massive stockpile.
- Bush said in December 2002 that it was possible that Iraq already had nuclear weapons. No intelligence indicated that was a possibility, and no intelligence analyst or expert in the matter believed this. The CIA had concluded that Iraq was years away from developing a nuclear weapon.
- Bush said that Saddam was “dealing” with al Qaeda. The intelligence possessed by the US government did not support that assertion.
- Bush said the International Atomic Energy Agency had released a new report stating that Iraq was rebuilding its nuclear weapons facilities. There was no such report.
- Bush said there was “no doubt” about the WMD intelligence possessed by his administration. There was doubt about most of the significant WMD findings: the aluminum tubes (supposedly bought by Iraq to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons but actually purchased for rocket launchers), the mobile biological weapons labs (which did not exist), the uranium-shopping in Niger (which did not occur), Iraq’s development of unmanned aerial vehicles that could hit the United States with biological and chemical weapons (which also did not exist).
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/03/23/was-bushs-case-for-wmd-solid/
- Bush said in December 2002 that it was possible that Iraq already had nuclear weapons. No intelligence indicated that was a possibility, and no intelligence analyst or expert in the matter believed this. The CIA had concluded that Iraq was years away from developing a nuclear weapon.
- Bush said that Saddam was “dealing” with al Qaeda. The intelligence possessed by the US government did not support that assertion.
- Bush said the International Atomic Energy Agency had released a new report stating that Iraq was rebuilding its nuclear weapons facilities. There was no such report.
- Bush said there was “no doubt” about the WMD intelligence possessed by his administration. There was doubt about most of the significant WMD findings: the aluminum tubes (supposedly bought by Iraq to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons but actually purchased for rocket launchers), the mobile biological weapons labs (which did not exist), the uranium-shopping in Niger (which did not occur), Iraq’s development of unmanned aerial vehicles that could hit the United States with biological and chemical weapons (which also did not exist).
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/03/23/was-bushs-case-for-wmd-solid/