What happened to the Kay Report?

For weeks the administration has been hinting about the imminent release of the Kay Report -- the one that would conclusively prove that Iraq had a WMD program (you know, after moving the goal posts and all). However, Josh Marshall (permalinks not working) now says the report may not be released at all.

The administration has been telling us for months that it would be released in mid-September. And now, of course, it's mid-September.

Then a couple days ago NBC's Andrea Mitchell reported that Kay's survey had come up short, but implied that a report would indeed be issued when Kay returns to Washington this week.

But this morning the Sunday Times of London is reporting (subscription required) that "Britain and America have decided to delay indefinitely the publication of a full report on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction after inspectors found no evidence that any such weapons exist."

Let's be honest: there's no reason for delaying or refusing to issue this report, save for domestic political concerns in the US and Britain. None.

Remember, the administration has had four months to find not weapons -- it's clear they had long ago ceased to exist -- but simply proof that Saddam planned to resume weapons work after sanctions were lifted.

If the administration refuses to release the report, it will be because they have no "smoking gun" to trumpet.

Posted September 14, 2003 02:51 PM | Comments (63)