Part V: WMDs-the Evidence

Most Americans believe the Iraqi WMD debate is over. This is not surprising considering that David Kay, Bush's top weapons expert in Iraq, said in January of 2004 that "My summary view, based on what I've seen, is we're very unlikely to find large stockpiles of weapons- I don't think they exist." In 2005, Charles Duelfer, the chief U.S. investigator officially "gave up" the search for WMD in Iraq. Former US secretary of state Colin Powell referred to his presentation to the United Nations, offering "proof" of Iraq's WMD program, as a "blot" on his record.

Though both Republicans and Democrats widely believed that Saddam possessed WMD before the war, the consensus has now changed. Now both sides largely believe that Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction at the time of the invasion-or at least, he had no substantial weapons program.

But Charles Duelfer, among others, never ruled out the possibility that Iraq's WMDs had been moved to Syria. "[We are] unable to rule out the possibility that WMD was evacuated to Syria before the war," he told reporters, remarking that they had uncovered "sufficiently credible" evidence that this may have occurred. According to a report from the Telegraph David Kay told reporters "We are not talking about a large stockpile of weapons... But we know from some of the interrogations of former Iraqi officials that a lot of material went to Syria before the war, including some components of Saddam's WMD programme. Precisely what went to Syria, and what has happened to it, is a major issue that needs to be resolved."

Saddam's Secrets will largely be marketed as "the book that proves Saddam hid his WMDs in Syria." This aspect of Georges' book has already earned him an interview on the Fox News' show, Hannity and Colmes. Unfortunately, the Syria-Iraq WMD connection is probably the weakest link in Georges' narrative.

On June 4th, 2002 a dam in Zeyzoun, Syria collapsed. The flood waters covered an area of nearly forty square miles. The Syrian government reached out to its neighbors, Jordan and Iraq, for assistance. Georges believes that Saddam used this as an opportunity to transfer his remaining WMDs across the Syrian border. Though Georges did not personally witness this transaction, he knows someone who did. Which is the basis of his evidence. "My knowledge of these transfers," he states, "[comes] from a man who was actually involved in the transfers-a civilian pilot who witnessed the commercial 747 go back and forth between Syria and Iraq."

Don't get me wrong-Georges may be right. U.S. intelligence has been unable to rule out the possibility that Iraq transferred WMDs to Syria and David Kay has suggested that a small amount of WMD components were shipped across the border (but not the "large stockpiles" Saddam was believed to have possessed). Israeli intelligence has recently made similar allegations. But most readers won't find the fact that Georges knows a guy who claims to have witnessed the transfers particularly compelling. Worthy of investigation, yes. But not, to quote George Tenet, a "slam dunk" case.

Georges is largely dismissive of those who question the presence of WMDs in Iraq, stating, "I'm convinced it was only politics that made some people change their minds after the fact." This is clearly an exaggeration. Every effort was made to track down the weapons of mass destruction, but our weapons inspectors came home empty-handed. Politicians from both parties have pointed to this as a sign of "intelligence failures" on the part of the CIA. Even if Saddam did still have some elements of a WMD program before the invasion (which seems plausible), the politicians who dragged America into war made much more sweeping claims. We were told not only that Saddam had large stockpiles of weapons but that, with these weapons, he posed an imminent threat to the United States.