• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
WMD in Iraq: Evidence and Implications
Report

WMD in Iraq: Evidence and Implications

A groundbreaking report details what the U.S. and international intelligence communities understood about Iraq's weapons programs before the war and outlines policy reforms to improve threat assessments, deter transfer of WMD to terrorists, strengthen the UN weapons inspection process, and avoid politicization of the intelligence process.

Link Copied
By Joseph Cirincione, Jessica Tuchman Mathews, George Perkovich, with Alexis Orton
Published on Jan 8, 2004

Additional Links

Table 6. Summary: Missile and Delivery SystemAppendicesNotesFull Text (PDF)Guide to Key Findings and Summary of RecomendationChapter I: IntroductionChapter II: Iraq's WMD CapabilitiesChapter III: Findings and RecomendationsTable of ContentsTable 1. Summary of WMD Search TeamsTable 2. Key NIE DissentsTable 3. Summary of Iraq's Nuclear Weapon ProgramTable 4. Summary of Iraq's Chemical Weapon ProgramTable 5. Summary of Iraq's Biological Weapon ProgrTranscript: Authors present findings
Program mobile hero image

Program

Nuclear Policy

The Nuclear Policy Program aims to reduce the risk of nuclear war. Our experts diagnose acute risks stemming from technical and geopolitical developments, generate pragmatic solutions, and use our global network to advance risk-reduction policies. Our work covers deterrence, disarmament, arms control, nonproliferation, and nuclear energy.

Learn More

Summary
This new study details what the U.S. and international intelligence communities understood about Iraq's weapons programs before the war and outlines policy reforms to improve threat assessments, deter transfer of WMD to terrorists, strengthen the UN weapons inspection process, and avoid politicization of the intelligence process.

The report distills a massive amount of data into side-by-side comparisons of pre-war intelligence, the official presentation of that intelligence, and what is now known about Iraq's programs.
 

Click on the link above for full text or the links to the right for specific sections of this Carnegie report.

About the Authors
Joseph Cirincione is a senior associate and director of the Non-Proliferation Project. Jessica T. Mathews is president and George Perkovich is vice president for studies of the Carnegie Endowment. Alexis Orton is a Junior Fellow with the Non-Proliferation Project.

This is a web-only publication.

About the Authors

Joseph Cirincione

Former Senior Associate, Director for NonProliferation

Jessica Tuchman Mathews

Distinguished Fellow

Mathews is a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She served as Carnegie’s president for 18 years.

George Perkovich

Japan Chair for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, Senior Fellow

George Perkovich is the Japan Chair for a World Without Nuclear Weapons and a senior fellow in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Nuclear Policy Program. He works primarily on nuclear deterrence, nonproliferation, and disarmament issues, and is leading a study on nuclear signaling in the 21st century.

with Alexis Orton

Authors

Joseph Cirincione
Former Senior Associate, Director for NonProliferation
Joseph Cirincione
Jessica Tuchman Mathews
Distinguished Fellow
Jessica Tuchman Mathews
George Perkovich
Japan Chair for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, Senior Fellow
George Perkovich
with Alexis Orton
Middle EastIranIraqSecurityNuclear PolicyNuclear Energy

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Commentary
    President Lee Jae Myung: A Year in Power

    President Lee marked his first year in office after one of the most tumultuous periods in South Korean politics. Though Lee has enjoyed a high approval rating, a large majority in the National Assembly, and foreign policy victories, Lee and his party’s political fortunes depend on generating economic growth, learning the right lessons from the recent local elections, and managing contentious factional strife within his political base.

      Chung Min Lee

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Multiple Wars Are Ruining Central Asia’s Efforts to Diversify Its Trade Routes

    This year’s wars have made alternative routes to transit through Russia no less risky for Central Asian countries.

      Galiya Ibragimova

  • Three people standing outside a fancy building
    Commentary
    Emissary
    The Latest Iran Deal Ignores the Lessons of the Past

    By burying disagreements in imprecision, the new deal risks same fate as its predecessors.

      James M. Acton

  • Man sitting in a chair reading a newspaper with Trump's face above the fold
    Commentary
    Emissary
    Iran Wanted to Survive the War. Now What?

    The United States and Israel may have unwittingly revived the Islamic Republic’s “zombie regime.”

      Suzanne Maloney, Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour

  • Commentary
    Strategic Europe
    Taking the Pulse: Is European Diplomacy on Iran Outdated?

    When the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding was announced, the UK, France, Germany, and Italy declared their readiness to help demine the Strait of Hormuz and lift nuclear sanctions on Tehran. But does Europe need new tools to recover a diplomatic role?

      • Rym Momtaz

      Rym Momtaz, ed.

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.