In a bit of a follow up to my previous post detailing two different conclusions from the exact same report regarding a possible move of WMDs from Iraq to Syria in the days leading up to the start of the war in Iraq, The Independent is now reporting why Charles Dueffler had to cut short his investigation into if the alleged WMDs were transfered to Syria which is outlined in the report.

The American who led the hunt for Iraq’s missing weapons of mass destruction has revealed that the investigation was cut short after he was targeted by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the militant leader in an attack that left two people dead. The head of the Iraq Survey Group, Charles Duelfer, has reported that his investigation into the possible transfer of WMD to Syria had been wound up because of the “declining security situation”.

But, in an interview with The Independent, Mr Duelfer said that Zarqawi had claimed responsibility for the car-bomb attack on his convoy on 6 November 2004. “A car-bomb tried to get me and my follow car,” Mr Duelfer said. “Two of my guards were killed and one was badly wounded. My hearing’s not been right since.”

I am not prepared to argue whether or not Iraq had WMDs and if they did they were transfered to Syria. I have done so in the past regarding satellite images showing 18 trucks moving to Syria days prior to the invasion. Furthermore, one could argue why Charles Dueffler was targeted in the first place and draw several conclusions based upon where a good portion of terrorists enter Iraq from and where the Saddam loyalist leadership is believed to be based. Again, I will not do that because frankly any assertions either way would be nothing more than rumormongering.

I feel the time has expired for me to try to assert any position and frankly it matters not in the grand scheme of things. It does however matter that some in the media elite have tried to spin the conclusions of the report to whichever means suits their fancy.

Dueffler also responded to The Independent regarding the alleged pressure upon him to both find WMDs in Iraq or find a direct link that there were WMDs in Iraq that were possibly moved to Syria in which The Independent reports Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has asserted in the past.

“There was political interest, but that’s not the same as political pressure,” he said. “There was a desire on the part of capitals to find WMD. It would have made everyone’s life much easier. But the view was: let the chips fall where they may.”

While the case is not closed on whether any WMDs were moved to Syria prior to the start of the war, though in all probability we will never know the conclusive truth, the case should be shut on any type of political pressure conspiracy theories in which several media outlets have thrown out there which reasonably have originated in certain Democrats’ political camps.

Sure, public perception manilpulation is a mainstay of the press, in fact one could say it is their sole purpose (influencing public perception does not have to be editorializing the news rather it can be simply informing the public), however each time I see multiple articles on the exact same news story with completely different points stressed and hiding certain other fact it does disgust me. I do admit that I feel the need to stress certain points as well, but I also feel that I have done a pretty good job in both relaying contradictory points and exposing my pre-existing beliefs. The media does not do either well.

Rusty Shackleford, wrote a post on this matter yesterday that pretty much sums much of this information up. His conclusion is similar to mine in that the jury is on an extended leave on whether or not any WMDs were sent West into Syria.

Update:
Following more on the political aspect of suspected WMDs in Iraq, former CIA Director George Tenet now says he regrets using the words “slam dunk” refering to the CIA’s belief Iraq had WMDs.

“Those were the two dumbest words I ever said,” Tenet told about 1,300 people at a Kutztown University forum Wednesday.

[snip]

Tenet, who left the CIA in July after seven years as director, also said apathy toward terrorism — including congressional restrictions and budget and personnel cuts — had sapped U.S. intelligence efforts for most of the last decade.

“The atrophy was tremendous,” said Tenet, 52. “We were nearly bankrupt.”

As argued on this site multiple times, following the conclusion of the Cold War, U.S. intelligence was gutted of funds leaving the country vulnerable to attack. Yet again the words of Tenet disprove those same Democratic talking points that were commonplace during this past election cycle and sadly still come out from time to time today.

The Jawa Report linked with Zarqawi Responsible for Closing of Iraq WMD Investigation