Doug, if the US and Russia aren't sure they have the capability to successfully pull off a biological attack on a foreign populace, it seems ludicrous to jump to the conclusion that a relatively poor, embargoed country like Iraq could. Having biological and chemical agents is vastly different than having the delivery mechanisms. It's like saying because someone has a pile of gunpowder, they can shoot somebody. You need the gunpowder, but you also need the gun.

Example: the guy/gal mailing out the anthrax letters. Said culprit had access to a weaponized (US) military strain of anthrax. The Russians may have better stuff, but this is pretty close to premium grade. How many people died despite the deliberate attempt to deliver the goods?

Chemical weapons are easier to deliver, and almost anyone can make them. You. Me. Short range delivery is pretty easy. Land mines, bombs, SCUDs, etc. Long range ballistic delivery requires sophisticated rocketry.

If Saddam had long-range rocketry, we'd know. You can't test rocketry in secret, and it's awfully hard to hide with folks pouring over daily satellite photos. We know he has SCUD capability, because he's used them before. It's reasonable to assume he still has a few stashed away at least.

Nuclear: you also can't test this stuff in secret anymore. It's relatively easy to build a small nuclear device (we did it in 8th grade Physics with a couple of potato pieces standing in for uranium), but again, delivery is the hard part. Overland delivery, to, say, Jerusalem, would be a cakewalk compared to getting the supplies or the completed weapon into the US.

We KNOW he can hit Israel. It seems doubtful he could really damage the US.

Truthfully, it would be easier for you or me to attack the US, Doug. I daresay you have a local dam or busy bridge you could take out with a little side trip to the hardware store and a thorough disregard for law? Or maybe just a government building? How about a busy Wal-Mart at 2pm on Saturday?

Wanna know more about missiles and other nasties, some of which relate to Iraq's capabilities?
http://www.cdiss.org/hometemp.htm Mostly non-partisan, info-only kind of site.

http://www.crimesofwar.org/thebook/biologocal-weapons.html Mostly non-partisan article on BW here. This site tries real hard to present all sides of the issue, but seems to lean a wee bit left in total. Good commentary and discussion of various positions, including the Iraq/US issue.