On 12/30/06 Saddam Hussein was executed for having ordered the suppression of rebellious Kurds in Iraq. That campaign left 180,000 Kurds missing and presumed dead. Numerous grave sites of multiple bodies reinforced that number. But an illuminating confession revealed--not under duress but with an alleged friend-- Hussein said no WMDs were left after 1991. And considering the circumstances, it’s likely he did not lie.
Ronald Kessler (reporter/author New York Times; Washington Post; Wall Street Journal) was the one to interview George Piro—the last confidante of Hussein before his execution. Piro was the perfect man for the job. An Arabic speaker born in Beirut, he came to the US at thirteen, eventually served in the military, became a police detective, and joined the FBI in 1999.
Being a subject-matter expert, Piro was given the special mission of debriefing Hussein before his execution. He became his best and only friend for 8 months. He wanted to find out Hussein’s thoughts on the initial invasion of Iraq, his role in ordering 300,000 people killed, and his WMDs.
Piro used his 8 months to perfection. He found out that Hussein did indeed order the use of chemical weapons against the Kurdish town of Halabja earlier, as well as many other atrocities. Finally, Hussein confided why he actually had no usable WMDs, but pretended he did.
Because of Iran’s war of attrition with Iraq, Hussein always felt Iran was a threat. And, if Iran thought he had serious WMD, they would be reluctant to attack Iraq. The only way Iran would believe it was if others thought it was true, particularly the US. So whenever the inspectors visited, Hussein gave them the runaround and acted like he still had WMD.
Given the fact that the Iraqi generals thought they had chemical weapons that were to be used during a US attack, it was impossible for anyone to find out otherwise. All were convinced there were WMD. They didn’t know where they were, but were convinced other Iraqis did.
Hussein was more astute than people believe. In fact, the (then) existing US administration warned profusely of Hussein’s WMDs. In separate occasions in 1998 harbingers included Madeline Albright, Sandy Berger, Scott Ritter (inspector), Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Mikulski, Diane Feinstein, Tom Daschle, and Bill Clinton. In 1998, 2001 and 2002 it was Bob Graham, Joe Lieberman, and Harold Ford. In 2002 alone it was Patty Murray, Jim Jeffords, Ted Kennedy, Wesley Clark, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Dick Gephardt, Al Gore, Bob Graham, Patty Murray, John Rockefeller, Henry Waxman, Dick Gephardt, Robert Byrd, Barbara Boxer, Tom Harkin, and Arlen Specter. In 1998, 2002, and 2003 it was John Kerry. Direct quotes from each are available about Hussein’s WMDs.
Knowing Hussein’s WMD history, Putin’s pronouncement that Hussein had planned WMDs to be used against the US, Hussein lying in his 14,000 page report to the UN, Hussein’s continued attempts to shoot down allied aircraft in the ‘no-fly’ zone, and his total disregard for 14 UN resolutions, Bush made the correct decision to depose Hussein. NOT, to attack Iraq. If Bush had not made some move, protection of American citizenry would have been easily in doubt.
Intriguingly, Hussein did confide with Piro about aspiring to develop nuclear capability in an incremental fashion. From payoffs to key officials, Hussein believed sanctions would be lifted within a year or so. He thought he could then recreate Iraq’s WMD capability, mostly destroyed in 1991.
“His goal was to have the sanctions lifted,” Piro stated, “and they likely would have been lifted if it were not for 9/11.” Given Hussein’s eventual intentions, it seems as Condoleeza Rice’s words about “being too late if you see the mushroom cloud” was omniscient. It’s frustrating to admit that the British M15 was right about Iraq looking for yellowcake in Niger.
Of course, Hussein could have shipped many of his WMDs to neighboring terrorist states like Syria before things became dicey. That would mean he didn’t have WMDs at the moment of the US incursion after Hussein. Maybe a lot of Hussein’s secrets died with him in Iraq. Then again, maybe not.
Kevin Roeten can be reached at roetenks@charter.net or kevin@kevinroeten.us.
