Did Bush manipulate Iraq data?

[kandrathe]

Although, Nico, you too may be surprised to find yourself in a hole, if they ever do find them. For me, I'm not sure, so I'm going to wait to see what evidence is revealed. My instinct is that due to what Iraq revealed to UNSCOM in 1996-7, that it does not make sense that they would have illegally, and clandestinely destroyed their programs, after stonewalling and intimidating the weapons inspectors, forcing them to leave Iraq.

And, as I'm sure you are, the longer it takes to produce them, the more skeptical I will be of their validity. I will want to know much more about how they were found, how they were hidden, etc. There needs to be credibility, and it is looking like the UN will be the only way to achieve that. But so far, I've been, and am unwilling to argue about a topic that has no way of determining right or wrong, just opinions and speculation. This topic has plenty of opportunity for heat, without much prospect for light.

For me, only time will tell. I wish it was sooner than later, however.

One insight that I have: The US was/is very unhappy with the UNMOVIC team under Hans Blix. If you look at US published signal, satellite and observed intelligence that the US conclusion was that the UNMOVIC team was compromised. My feeling is that the US became suspicious of Hans Blix, and his team, and so the US will prefer to wait until Hans Blix is replaced and the UNMOVIC house cleaned here in the near future. If they feel that UNMOVIC is again an impartial and effective weapons inspection team, they will be allowed to resume their prior role.