4.4 | The
search for WMD
646.
On the former,
Mr Blair wrote:
“We know
Saddam had WMD. We know the ISG has not yet found weapons,
though
it has
found evidence of programmes. The truth is that we anticipated
finding the
weapons
during or shortly after the conflict. So to say we are surprised at
the ISG’s
findings is
no less than the truth.
“The issue
of US/UK good faith can be laid to rest. We received the
intelligence. We
honestly
believed it.
“The issue
now is: was it right; and if it wasn’t, what can we learn about
the
difficulties
of gathering intelligence in these situations?
“What we
can say is this:
“(a) there
is no doubt that Saddam had WMD. It was not just US/UK
intelligence
agencies
that said so, it was many others around the world. In any event,
Saddam
used them.
The UN when it left in 1998 found stockpiles unaccounted for.
That
is why UN
resolution 1441 unanimously described his weapons as a threat
to
world peace.
“(b) we
should exercise some caution in saying definitely no stockpiles now
exist. In
the 1990s
despite intensive investigation, the full extent of his programmes
remained
concealed
for years. We know from intelligence pre-war that he intended to
conceal
them. The
ISG has found ample evidence of an intention to conceal. Look at
what
we know now
Libya is co-operating, compared with what we could speculate on,
on
the basis
of intelligence.
“I don’t
concede there are no weapons. But I do concede we expected to find
them
sooner and
there is plainly a legitimate issue about the accuracy of the
intelligence.
“(c) let us
get it clear what the ISG has said so far and what Dr Kay has
said.
“The ISG
has found:
•
Evidence of
efforts to maintain BW and nuclear capabilities
including
equipment,
documents and organisms. Teams of scientists were retained
to
work on
them.
•
Planning
and design work for missiles of up to 1,000km in
range.
•
Equipment
and documentation being systematically destroyed …
•
Undeclared
laboratories and facilities that have a potential for BW and
CW
production,
that should have been declared to the UN.
•
In 2002,
Iraq successfully tested an UAV with a range of 500km.
“All of
these things are a breach of the UN resolutions.
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