I’ve been doing my homework concerning the precursors that led the U.S. to war with Iraq, and the more I delve into it the more it becomes obvious that the American people were severely mislead into believing the Iraq had a significant Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) stockpile or that their WMD manufacturing capabilities were increasing. Of equal concern in comparison to Iraq’s perceived WMD stockpile was the potential threat of Al-Qaida terrorists linked to the Iraqi government. What follows is a chronolog of events with supporting documentation from credible media outlets and our own U.S. government that will prove that WMD did not exist in Iraq prior to the U.S. declaration of war. Moreover, the “truth” as to what really happened to the WMD reportly found in Iraq will shock you!
To understand how the U.S. went to war with Iraq you must start from the beginning,
United Nations Security Counsel 1441. This resolution basically addressed the difficulties U.N. weapons inspectors had in attempting to inspect specific facilities thought to be producing or stockpiling WMD in Iraq. While it remains unclear whether or not the Iraqi government actually used deceptive practices to “hide” their WMD stockpiles and/or manufacturing capabilities prior to the Iraq war including possibly transporting weapons stockpiles to neighboring counties, namely
Syria, Lebonon and Iran, in the weeks before Operation Iraqi Freedom began, began, one thing became clear after the U.S. led invasion into Iraq was well underway: Saddam Hussein was telling the truth! No production of WMDs was taking place in Iraq, and no WMD stockpiles existed prior to the U.S. declaration of war on Iraq. This assertion was substantiated when in 2006 the National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC), a US Department of Defense entity, released a report detailing that the weapons of mass destruction that had been found in Iraq, including pre-1991 sarin gas and mustard agent, were, in fact, destroyed by the Iraqi government as had been previously reported prior to the war. Moreover, in 2002 the Bush administration commissioned the Iraq Survey Group to determine whether in fact any WMD existed in Iraq. After a year and half of meticulously combing through the country, the administration’s own inspectors reported [link to
final report]:
“While a small number of old, abandoned chemical munitions have been discovered, ISG judges that Iraq unilaterally destroyed its undeclared chemical weapons stockpile in 1991. There are no credible Indications that Baghdad resumed production of chemical munitions thereafter, a policy ISG attributes to Baghdad’s desire to see sanctions lifted, or rendered ineffectual, or its fear of force against it should WMD be discovered.”
The review was conducted by Charles Duelfer and the Iraq Survey Group. In October 2004, Bush said of Duelfer’s analysis [
Washington Post article where quote derives]:
"The chief weapons inspector, Charles Duelfer, has now issued a comprehensive report that confirms the earlier conclusion of David Kay that Iraq did not have the weapons that our intelligence believed were there." (Also see this follow-up article from January, 2005)
Let’s back-track for a moment…
UNSC resolution 1441 was portrayed by many Americans (and the world-at-large) to be the American government’s justification to go to war with Iraq. However, while some politicians have argued that the resolution could authorize war under certain circumstances, the representatives present during the November 8, 2002 U.N. counsel meeting that voted on the U.N. resolution were clear that this was not the case. The ambassador for the United States, John Negroponte, said:
“[T]his resolution contains no 'hidden triggers' and no "automaticity" with respect to the use of force. If there is a further Iraqi breach, reported to the Council by UNMOVIC, the IAEA or a Member State, the matter will return to the Council for discussions as required in paragraph 12."
The wording of the resolution never indicated that military action would be authorized against Iraq should U.N. weapons inspectors not find WMD or if it was believed that they continued to meet “resistance” in locating WMD by the Iraqi government. The legal debate continues on this front. Nonetheless, it became clear that the call for war which originated with UNSC 1441 and “trumped up” on February 3, 2003 by former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's presentation to the U.N. Security Council on the U.S. case against Iraq was, in fact, the wrong call!
Let’s go forward to the War in Iraq…
The search for WMD was daunting! U.S. led coalition forces searched high and low in every nook and cranny for WMD. At last they found them…or did they? Remember those mobile chemical labs from the presentation Secretary Powell gave to the U.N.? Turns out they were actually used for the
production of hydrogen to fill artillery balloons, as the Iraqis have continued to insist. This linked
FoxNews report (June 2006) declares that 500 WMD were found in Iraq since 2003 in the early stages of the war. However, upon careful analysis, Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, along with Army Col. John Chu told the House Armed Services Committee that the
munitions found were “badly corroded” and that they could not currently be used as originally intended. So much for Iraq’s WMD capability being such an looming threat to U.S. national security. Nonetheless, in October of 2004 the New York Times reported that a large quantity of the
munitions that were discovered in Iraq suddenly came up missing without a trace. More surprising is the fact that despite their discovery, the American officials have never publicly announced their disappearance. You’d think the U.S. would be concerned that such a large weapons stockpile would suddenly go missing. The obvious questions are why wasn’t this reported at least with a stronger sense of urgency and how could such weapons simply vanish without a trace? The Answer: they were
American made weapons sold to the Iraqi government during the Reagan-Bush administration during the Iran-Contra affair. Seems as though the Iranian militia weren’t the only benefactors of U.S. arms during the Iran-Iraq war.
It should be noted that although the threat to America from Iraq’s WMD capabilities has been proven to be of far less consequence since the War in Iraq began, many top level U.S. official – both in government and in the military - still believe that Iraq was and remains a viable threat to our national security. Moreover, they believe there are still WMD stockpiles that remain undiscovered. But even if this is so, what troubles me is that certain things have not been reported and/or there doesn't seem to be any follow-up on reported 'substaintiated' claims that Iraqi WMD exists elsewhere whether in a remote bunker or in other countries. There's obviously more than meets the eye taking shape with the War on Iraq. And it's very doubtful that any amount of investigation - whether public or private - well ever get to the whole truth.
(
Sidenote: The question of Al-Qiada terror training camps was also in question during Secretary Powell's presentation to the U.N. While it is true that some
terror training camps were discovered and subsequently destroyed by U.S./coalition forces during the early stages of the War, most of these camps didn't come into being until after the war had began.)
Be mindful of what you hear and read in the mainstream media. I urge you to do your homework and research the accounts of what's being reported including the information contained herein. It's up to all of us to seak out the truth. Based on the information I've discovered coupled with what our government is not telling us, I remain convinced that the War in Iraq remains an unjust cause. This doesn't mean, however, that I do not believe that something didn't need to be done to put the Iraqi regime in check. It simply means I totally disagree with the merit for going to war with Iraq. Nonetheless, as a prior service veteran, I will continue to support our troops until they are all brought back home.
Re: Truth Behind Iraq WMD and Terror Associations 
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