How U.S. Technology and Leadership Unintentionally Powered Saddam’s WMD Program

Saddam’s WMD: U.S.-Origin Technology Delivered Under Rumsfeld’s Watch – Emptywheel

As the world continues to reassess the Iraq War and its enduring consequences, fresh attention has turned toward the origins of Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Investigative journalist Emptywheel reveals a tangled web of technology transfers that significantly bolstered Saddam’s weapons programs, uncovering direct links to American manufacturers and key policymakers—including Donald Rumsfeld during his role as Special Envoy. This article explores how numerous essential components in Iraq’s WMD arsenal were originally sourced from the United States,sparking urgent debates about accountability, transparency, and ethical dilemmas surrounding such international exchanges. Emerging evidence demands a critical reevaluation of the accepted story behind Iraq’s WMD development—a narrative that shaped one of modern history’s most consequential military interventions.