This past Spring, I authored two  articles for The American Thinker concerning the search by the Coalition and the Iraqi Survey Group for Saddam Hussein's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).  In these articles, I was most troubled by the faulty search methodology used by the ISG, including the group's over—reliance on interrogating Iraqi scientists.

Based upon my experience at the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Coalition Provisional Authority, I concluded that these scientists would provide information of little of value, or would deliberately deceive their interrogators because they feared retribution from members of the former Baathist regime, or because they understood the ISG had not yet analyzed the reams of potentially corroborating documents seized by the Coalition.

In addition, my articles made reference to Dr. David Kay's report in regard to the number of ammunition dumps present in the country, and the large number that had yet to be examined.  Coalition forces also discovered large stockpiles of pesticides and chemical weapon precursors (in some cases these tested positive for actual chemical agents) in ammo dumps in Iraq.  These findings had also been documented by major media reporters.  Again, based upon these reports, and my own experiences, I concluded that there were at least 131 known ammo dumps, with many more 'neighborhood' arms caches that had could have harbored chemical weapons precursors and binary—type projectiles.

However, I am now forced to admit my errors.

In a Washington Times article  published this past Friday, Charles Duelfer not only noted that the ISG has found 10 to 12 more mustard agent and Sarin nerve gas shells, but also said that

Former experts in the WMD program are being recruited by anticoalition groups.  They are being paid by anticoalition groups.  We're seeing interest in developing chemical munitions.

Rather than solely being frightened by the Coalition interrogators, or threatened by Baathist dead—enders about spilling their beans as I originally concluded, it seems that the scientists were still employed by their former regime managers.  It also appears some of these weapons experts are now retained by the terrorist bosses in Iraq.  The article also points out that Coalition forces have discovered 8,700 ammunition and arms depots, rather than my estimate, which I thought would number in the hundreds.

The American Thinker and I regret the errors.

Posted by Doug  06 28 04