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By: Chris Stevenson

"No WMD's in Iraq, but Saddam still wanted them," I don't commit adultery, but my wife's best friend has big boobs, I don't cheat on my taxes, but I renege in bid-wisk, all of these amount to one huge giant implication folks. Nothing! You either got 'em or you don't, and Iraq ain't got 'em. That's right Larry, if you can't see, feel, or touch the merchandise then you must don't have them. Wishing, thinking about, and fantasizing about them don't count. The basic premise behind the 10/6 report on WMDs in Iraq by Charles Duelfer is that it is unlikely that Saddam had actual stockpiles of these deadly weapons. The "extensive new evidence showing that Saddam did indeed pose a threat to the international community" on the other hand, is Bush and his supporters being unable and unwilling to say 'we were wrong.' Here's the problem, over one thousand American soldiers are actually dead. Saddam's loyal followers aren't wishing those troops away anymore than the election wished Bush away. The insurgents are winning.

According to the report by Foriegn Secretary Jack Straw, his summary is the most elaborate proof of nothing that I ever seen. Although Duelfer concluded that Saddam intended to restart his weapons program, that conclusion was based more on inference than solid evidence. According to the wire services, "Duelfer also supports President Bush's argument that Saddam remained a threat." Who is the threat now that almost 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives-used for demolishing buildings and detonate nukes-are missing from a former Iraqi military installation. That complex was supposed to be under American military control (Al Qaqaa?), and they vanished after the American-led invasion last year. The White House says National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice knew since sometime in September. I haven't heard anything about Bush knowing, but it seems to be a case of either Iraqi military confiscation (the US will then call it thievery), or US thievery (the US will then call it carelessness).

I get the feeling that in spite of Duelfer's pointed findings, he still leaves some room for right wing pundits to speculate. There were in fact "clandestine laboratories in the Bagdad area," and that team had not completely ruled out the possibility that some have been smuggled to a neighboring country. Those laboratories were for the purpose of research to test the chemicals and poisons intended for use in assassinations, not mass casualties, and those moved were reportedly for use against Iran. It's been known for years that Iraq destroyed the bulk of it's WMDs by the end of '91 in order to avoid UN sanctions, the last of the bio-weapons factories was destroyed in '96. This latest situation regarding the explosives seems to have taken place over a period of time that opens speculation over when & who.

Chris Stevenson is a columnist for the Buffalo Criterion, pointblank appears in www.BrownWatch.com, and www.voiceoffreedom.com