Iraqi Scientists Say Kay’s Report Exaggerated Colleague’s Research

Several Iraqi scientists have said that a scientist described last month in an interim report by chief U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq David Kay as being involved in possible nuclear weapons research was actually working on advanced non-nuclear weapons, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 5).

In an Oct. 2 report on the progress of the Iraq Survey Group, which is searching for evidence of alleged Iraqi WMD efforts, Kay said that Iraqi scientist Khalid Ibrahim Said had begun in 2000 “several small and relatively unsophisticated” projects that “could be applied to nuclear weapons development.” Kay also said in his report that Said was killed in April when a car carrying him “attempted to run a coalition roadblock.”

Several Iraqi scientists who knew Said, however, have said that he had worked since 2000 to develop an electromagnetic or particle gun — research that was unrelated to nuclear weapons, according to AP. One scientist described Said’s research as having been “in a primitive stage,” while another said his work had been a failure.

Iraqi molecular physicist Abdel Mehdi Talib, dean of sciences at Baghdad University, said Said was decades behind in current nuclear physics information.

“What was Khalid, a one-man band? Playing the drums, the harmonica?” Talib said.

The scientists and several witnesses also discounted Kay’s report that Said was killed as his car attempted to run a coalition roadblock, saying instead that a U.S. tank had destroyed the car without warning on an open street, according to AP.

“This is a lie,” nuclear scientist Sabah Abdul Noor said of Kay’s report on Said’s death (Charles Hanley, Associated Press/Chicago Tribune, Nov. 9).

Meanwhile, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) last week canceled all business of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which is conducting an inquiry into prewar U.S. intelligence on Iraq, according to the Washington Post.

A committee meeting that was scheduled for Friday was canceled and no meetings have been scheduled for this week, according to a senior committee staff member.

Frist’s action was prompted by a leaked Democratic memo that outlined possible measures to expand the committee’s inquiry to investigate how prewar intelligence was used by the Bush administration, the Post reported. Frist called on the memo’s author to “identify himself or herself … disavow this partisan attack in its entirety” and to deliver “a personal apology” to committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kansas).

Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence panel, said he was “really disappointed” with Frist’s action. “Whose advantage is it to derail asking the tough questions on prewar intelligence and the use and misuse of it?” he said (Pincus/Priest, Washington Post, Nov. 8).

While the committee will complete its inquiry, the memo has “really poisoned the well” of bipartisan cooperation among members, Roberts said yesterday on FOX News Sunday.

“We’ve had a good working relationship. But somebody has to disavow this memo, or it’s going to be very difficult to put this committee back together again,” he said (Mike Nartker, Global Security Newswire, Nov. 10).

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