Iraq arms hunt in doubt in '02

[POed_Ex_Repub]

WASHINGTON — A classified U.S. intelligence study done three months before the war in Iraq predicted a problem now confronting the Bush administration: the possibility that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction might never be found.

The study by a team of U.S. intelligence analysts, military officers and civilian Pentagon officials warned that U.S. military tactics, guerrilla warfare, looting and lying by Iraqi officials would undermine the search for banned Iraqi weapons. Portions of the study were made available to USA TODAY. Three high-ranking U.S. intelligence officials described its purpose and conclusions.

More...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-02-12-wmd-hunt_x.htm?csp=24

[fearnobush]

1. A Question? If WMD's were looted, then why have the looters

not used them? <snip>

Some of the obstacles outlined by the study included the expected rapid movement of U.S. ground forces over wide areas, leaving critical sites vulnerable to looting. Guerrilla warfare, the report predicted, also would make the weapons search difficult.