US ‘lacked weapons data before war’

AS the Bush administration was pushing last autumn for a war against Iraq because of alleged weapons of mass destruction, a defence department report said it did not have enough “reliable information” Iraq was amassing chemical weapons, a defence official said yesterday.

News of the classified September 2002 report by the Defence Intelligence Agency has added to claims the White House and Pentagon slanted US intelligence on Baghdad’s weapons programme to justify the war.

No such weapons have been found since Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was ousted in April but US President George W Bush has said repeatedly he believes US forces will find them.