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US military believed Saddam had WMDs at the time of invasion
US military chiefs said on Tuesday they were convinced Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when they sent forces into battle last year. The heads of the navy, marines and air force testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee that their views remained unchanged even though no weapons have been found. General Michael Hagee said he saw intelligence from throughout the government as he prepared for the war. "I was absolutely convinced that Saddam had chemical, if not biological weapons," he said. General John Jumper, the air force chief of staff, said he had followed intelligence on Iraqâs chemical weapons since the 1991 Gulf War when the US and British air forces had enforced no-fly zones over Iraq. "The evidence then was compelling and continued to be throughout the years of our no-fly zone operations of stored chemical and biological weapons, even weaponizing on warheads," he said. Admiral Vernon Clark, the chief of naval operations, quoted from a letter he wrote to Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the outset of the war. "I said this: âFor some it is about WMD, for others it is about al-Qaeda, for us it is about all of that and more: Iraq has been shooting at our aircraft for over five years.â And I went on to say to him it was my belief that this cause was just," he said. Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-02-11 |
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