If Saddam Used Chemical Weapons, Why Did the Media Say He Had No WMDs

This is a great and important question that highlights a key distinction in modern geopolitics and media coverage.

Here’s the short version:

Yes, Saddam Hussein did use chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s—notably mustard gas and nerve agents like sarin—but by the early 2000s, there was no solid evidence that Iraq still possessed these weapons or active programs to produce them. That’s why the media (and intelligence agencies later) said Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) at the time of the U.S. invasion in 2003.

Let’s break it down:

1. Saddam's WMD Use in the 1980s Was Real and Documented

Saddam used chemical weapons during:

• The Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) — including attacks on Iranian troops and civilians.

• The 1988 Halabja Massacre, where 5,000 Kurds were killed with chemical weapons.
  These attacks were well-documented and widely condemned after the fact. At the time, many Western governments (including the U.S.) downplayed or ignored them due to Cold War alliances.

2. UN Weapons Inspections After the Gulf War

After Iraq’s defeat in the 1991 Gulf War, UN inspectors (UNSCOM and later UNMOVIC) were sent in to dismantle Iraq’s WMD programs. Over the 1990s, they:

• Destroyed large stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons.

• Dismantled labs and production facilities.

• Monitored Iraq’s military and industry closely.

By 1998, inspections stopped when Saddam expelled inspectors. The U.S. bombed suspected sites, but no new proof of WMDs was found.

3. 2002–2003: Claims vs. Reality

Leading up to the 2003 U.S. invasion:

• The Bush administration insisted Saddam had restarted his WMD programs.

• The media largely reported these claims, often without critical examination.

• However, UN inspectors returned in 2002 and found no evidence of active WMD programs. They asked for more time, but the U.S. invaded anyway.

After the invasion, the Iraq Survey Group (a U.S. military team) found that:

Iraq had destroyed its WMDs in the 1990s and had no ongoing program by 2003.

 

4. Why the Media Said "No WMDs"

Once it became clear after the invasion that no active WMDs or programs existed, major news outlets began reporting this. The phrase “Iraq had no WMDs” refers to this lack of current stockpiles or production in 2003, not Saddam’s past use of WMDs.

5. Why This Matters

The distinction is critical:

• Past use = real and criminal (Iraq did have WMDs).

• Present possession in 2003 = false and based on bad or exaggerated intelligence.

That false claim was the central justification for the 2003 Iraq War. Many officials and media outlets later apologized or admitted their failure to challenge the narrative more aggressively.

Latest News on Chemical Weapons Used by Saddam

The Spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry wrote a message on X, aka Twitter, on Saturday, June 28th.  Thirty-eight years ago, Iraq's leader used chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war.  

He wrote that "Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Netherlands each played a role in the development of Iraq's chemical weapons program in some way. The role of German companies in the production of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program was very significant, and the German government was actively aware of the issue."

He concluded his X post by emphasizing that "Germany must shoulder its legal and moral responsibility by revealing the truth about its role in Iraq's chemical weapons program. The Iranians' demand for truth and justice will not fade because war crimes and crimes against humanity are not subject to the passing of time."

Now, we research everything that Iran tells us, and we know for a fact that this is true.  There is legal documentation of the chemical weapons attack on Iranians as well as Iraqis who sided with the Iranians during the Iran-Iraq War.