The White House confirmed on 12 January 2005 that the United States had ended its search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, a mission that served as the primary public justification for the 2003 invasion.
The Iraq Survey Group, which led the search for nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, had concluded its work before Christmas. Spokesman Scott McClellan said the group's attention had largely shifted elsewhere.
Charles Duelfer, who directed the survey group, was finalizing a report to Congress. McClellan said the document would not substantially alter Duelfer's September findings: Iraq held no such weapons at the time of the invasion. Duelfer's earlier report found that Saddam Hussein had harbored ambitions to develop the weapons but lacked the capacity to produce them.
The White House acknowledged that more than a decade of intelligence accumulated by the United States and its allies had proved wrong. President George W. Bush had moved in October 2004 to overhaul American intelligence operations in response.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in January 2005, in its own words.