WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Former arms inspector David Kay went before Congressional panels Thursday, presenting a progress report on the search for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.
After testifying, he told reporters no weapons have yet been found but investigators have a pretty good understanding of the weapons program. A lot more work needs to be done, he said.
"I believe in six to nine months we will be at the stage ... we won't have found everything (but) we will know the program," Kay said.
He said he'd like to be in the scrap metal business because people will be finding the remnants of the Iraqi weapons program for the next 100 years.
"We're still at the early phases of sketching out and reporting the program. ... We're not at the bottom line yet," he said.
Kay noted the Iraqi population is still fearful and reluctant to cooperate with U.S. investigators.
Kay's report to the House and Senate intelligence committees was secret.
The Australian newspaper noted Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reaffirmed Thursday the report is "preliminary" and that experts in Iraq still have a lot of work to do.
Said Rumsfeld: "It is not clear that it (the intelligence) was off by a little or a mile at this stage. If it was a lot then that would be unfortunate." He noted Kay's team still has "a lot of leads" to follow and "a lot of work left to do."
