A piece by John O'Sullivan in the Chicago Sun-Times highlights some helpful if obvious points about the great intelligence witch-hunt. First, the Senate report confirmed that every intelligence service in the world, including France and Russia, believed Saddam had WMD. Second, Bush and Blair have been cleared of the charge of deliberate exaggeration.

But his further point is more significant. He reminds us of evidence not reported in Britain (but mentioned on this website) which suggests that the conventional, er, wisdom that there were no WMD stockpiles in Iraq might be unadulaterated horse-manure. For why? Here's why:

'A report to the U.N. Security Council in June this year by the acting executive head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission claims that before, during and after the war, Saddam shipped WMD and medium- range ballistic missiles to countries in Europe and the Middle East. U.N. officials say they do not yet have a full accounting of exactly what weapons passed out of Iraq in this way, but that entire factories were among the items transported abroad. If that is so -- and this report may turn out to be exaggerated -- then our current conventional wisdom will have to be overturned.'

I want a front-row seat when that happens.

Posted by melanie at July 20, 2004