For Immediate Release
June 9, 2003

Global Message

We are continuing as a top priority to unmask the full story of Iraq's WMD programs. We have already found a very revealing component of Iraq's biological weapons program -- two mobile production facilities equipped to produce BW agents.

• The configuration of these mobile facilities is almost identical to that described by Secretary Powell in his February 5 presentation to the UN Security Council. The Secretary's presentation was based on an account of an eyewitness who had firsthand experience with these BW systems. The description of this witness, which had been corroborated by other informants,

• U.S. officials, UN personnel, and other independent experts have long said that Saddam Hussein 's regime had WMD programs, and was continuing to pursue the capability to produce such weapons, particularly biological and chemical. These mobile production facilities are entirely consistent with this assessment.

• Mobile facilities are much less susceptible to discovery by inspectors, and less vulnerable than a fixed site to discovery and attack.

• Mobile facilities can also support a mobilization production concept to provide BW agents to operational units just before use. This concept -- "just in time WMD on demand" -- may also apply to Iraq's CW program.

• U.S. officials, UN personnel, and other independent experts have long said that Saddam Hussein's Iraq had not accounted for large quantities of chemical and biological agents and delivery means -- hundreds of tons of CW, thousands of liters of BW agents such as anthrax, and thousands of specially designed shells and bombs. All of these estimates were taken from UN inspection reports -- cited not just by the United States but also by UN inspectors prior to the conflict.

• If Saddam Hussein could have accounted for these materials, it's reasonable to suppose that he would have done so, rather than risk his regime, his fortune, and possibly his life.

• We continue to look for chemical and biological weapons and agents. This is a process that will take a major effort and a lot of time -- similar in approach to an organized crime investigation.