6-3-03  SPECIAL REPORT   WMDs? Seeing is believing (Weapons of Mass Deception, Part II)

Another month has gone by and US troops in Iraq still haven't found any WMDs. As the Bush administration continues to bat .000 (unless one wants to count the purported biolabs, but more on that in a moment), the concern over this failure grows more widespread. And at the same time, the powers-that-be grow ever more defensive, to the point where Secretary of State Colin Powell, speaking in Rome, weakly insisted: "There were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It wasn't a figment of anyone's imagination." (Cited in We didn't imagine weapons: U.S..)

But given the ongoing lack of any tangible evidence, skeptics are permitted to wonder if pipe dreams are not the order of the day. And President Bush hasn't done anything to inspire confidence in the merry weapons chase, either. He's gotten so desperate that he's become reduced to grasping for straws. Remarks made during a visit to Russia indicate just how weak his position has become:

"We've discovered weapons systems, biological labs ( supposed labs, as seen in photo), that Iraq denied she had, and labs that were prohibited under the U.N. resolutions," Bush said.

Earlier this weekend, Bush pointed to two suspected biological laboratories found in Iraq. But both the Pentagon and U.S. weapons hunters have said the labs do not constitute arms. U.S. intelligence concluded last week that the mobile labs probably were designed to produce biological weapons. (Emphasis added. For the full article, see "US, Russia warn Iraq, N. Korea" in the 6-1-03 Latest News & Analysis postings.)

Remember that in his State of the Union address in January, President Bush said intelligence reports from the CIA and the FBI indicated that Saddam Hussein “had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent,” which put the United States in danger of a possibly imminent future attack. So now, the two "biolab" trailers are being touted by him as definitive proof that Iraq was feverishly working to produce bio/chemical "weapons of mass destruction." One can only wonder how long it would take such tiny facilities to produce five hundred tons of poisonous gas, anthrax or other noxious substances? If, indeed, that was their use.

The qualifier "if" is required because it is known that similarly equipped trailers have other functions (the production of hydrogen, vaccines, biopesticides, etc.). This uncertainty is clear in the quotation already cited above: "U.S. intelligence concluded last week that the mobile labs probably were designed to produce biological weapons." (Emphasis added. See also, CIA: Trailers are arms labs ) All tests run on the trailer equipment  have proven negative in finding substances used in creating bio/chemical weapons, so these cannot with certainty be identified as biolabs. And, as will be seen in a moment, there are strong reasons to doubt the contention altogether. But the claims were important, because they provided Bush with the slightest of "evidence" he could run with, something he greatly needed to retain credibility.

There is an very important point to keep in mind about the "mobile labs": Considering that no traces of chemicals have been found in them consistent with the manufacture of either biological or chemical weapons, if they ever were used to make such weapons, it had to be some time well in the past. Or, conversely, it is possible that the Iraqi recently contemplated using them for weapons, but abandoned the project due before making any weapons to the pressure that was being exerted against them. In either case, it's clear they were not actively being utilized for that purpose and thus did not constitute a threat to the United States. That being the case, contrary to the above-cited charge of Bush, Iraq was (at least in this instance) shown to be in compliance with United Nations Resolution 1441, not in defiance of it.

Yet to even acknowledge them as biological warfare labs may be conceding too much.  In the article, About those trailers that the US insists must be biological weapons plants?, the above photo and two others are examined in great detail. The conclusion? That the claim the trailers were being used as bioweapons labs is highly questionable, at the very least.

However much President Bush may wish to ballyhoo the alleged biolabs as his "smoking gun," the fact remains that the hard evidence of weapons is still found wanting. Questions arise: Have thousands died, in the final analysis, because of a figment of someone's imagination—or, worse, because of a deliberate deception? If certain members of our government are deceiving about this, what else are they lying about?  Will another war fought over non-existent weapons be permitted to ensue? How long should the search be allowed to continue before those prosecuting the Iraqi War be called to task? Should those leaders and their advisors who mongered the war be prosecuted as war criminals if the weapons aren't found? (See "War crime threat to Blair" in 6/2/03 Latest News & Analysis postings.)