The funny thing about WMD's is that, in one sense, the claim that you have them serves the same purpose as actually having them. So Hussein uses what he has against the Kurds in the North and Shiites in the south, and proves that he's the baddest guy on the block. Now he can go back to licking the wounds he suffered at the hands of the original Gulf War coalition without worrying that he will be beset by hoards of religious fanatics from across the border trying to unseat him. As a deterent to hostile neighbors, such as Iran, and his own hostile citizenry,the belief that Hussein had chemical and biological weapons was as good as having them - as long as the inspectors didn't come back with proof that they were all gone.

So Saddam puts off the inspectors, leading everyone to believe he has something to hide; and, in truth, he does:he is hiding that he is a toothless tiger, trapped in a box of his own making.

So, what's his plan? Syphon off all the dough he can into hidden accounts while keeping his house of cards from imploding. And when it looks like the game is up, get while the getting is good, leaving videos and look-alikes to make it appear that he's still around. Let America spend Billions of dollars and its entire stock of goodwill on a pointless war that was, in reality, over before it began.

Until we find either WMD's, or Saddam and his sons, we won't really know what went on in Bagdad in the days before the War.

Wishing you all a great Beltaine,
From here at conspiracy central.

Bart