Banned weapons may never be found in Iraq: Bush

Banned weapons may never be found in Iraq: Bush
Last Updated Fri, 25 Apr 2003 8:21:07

WASHINGTON - U.S. President George W. Bush has hinted that chemical and biological weapons might not be found in Iraq, saying the arsenal could have been destroyed or moved out of the country.

Bush said Thursday he's certain Saddam Hussein's regime had such weapons at one time, even though U.S. forces in Iraq have so far turned up nothing.

At a speech at an Ohio factory that makes parts for battle tanks, Bush for the first time hinted that Saddam's weapons cache might never be found.

"It's going to take time to find them, but we know he had them. And whether he destroyed them, moved them or hid them, we're going to find out the truth," said Bush.

"One thing is for certain: Saddam Hussein no longer threatens America with weapons of mass destruction," he said.

But much of the world is asking whether Saddam was ever a threat to the U.S., since no trace of the weapons that were the original justification for the war in Iraq has been found.

At an earlier stop in Ohio, Bush portrayed the war in Iraq as one of liberation, designed to remove a despot.

Written by CBC News Online staff