Iraq weapon claims

Catholic New Times, Oct 5, 2003

LONDON -- Reuters News agency reported that former UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix attacked the "spin and hype" behind U.S. and British allegations of banned Iraqi weapons used to justify war against Saddam Hussein.

On September 18 former chief UN weapons inspector said the U.S-led war on Iraq was not justified. Blix maintained that lraq had destroyed its weapons of mass destruction 10 years ago, and the United States and Britain "over-interpreted" intelligence about Baghdad's weapons programs.

In response, the British government said it stood by the case it had made to the public for going to war.

Blix compared London and Washington to medieval witch-hunters, saying they convinced themselves on the basis of evidence which was later discredited, including forged documents about alleged attempts to buy uranium for nuclear weapons.

"In the Middle Ages when people were convinced there were witches they certainly found them. This is a bit risky," said Blix, whose inspectors left lraq on the eve of war in March after just a few months of inspections.

Blix said a pre-war British dossier on Iraqi weapons "leads the reader to conclusions that are a little further-reaching" than was the case.

"What in a way stands accused is the culture of spin, the culture of hyping.... Advertisers will advertise a refrigerator in terms that we don't quite believe in, but we expect governments to be more serious and have more credibility," he said.

Published on Monday, September 15, 2003 by US Today