The top U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq is stepping down from the position and will be succeeded by a veteran of weapons inspections during Saddam Hussein's regime, CIA Director George Tenet stated Friday.
David Kay, who has led the search since the fall of Saddam's regime, is "stepping down," according to a CIA statement. He will be replaced by Charles Duelfer.
The ISG (Iraq Survey Group) has been stymied for months in its search for clear evidence of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons in Iraq, one of the Bush administration's main justifications for the invasion.
Duelfer served from 1993 to 2000 as the deputy executive chairman of the U.N. Special Commission on Iraq, making him the No. 2 U.N. weapons inspector there at the time.
As recently as last week, Tenet had met with Kay, congressional aides said. The two men discussed the strategy for the weapons search and Kay's views on other subjects, The AP reported. (Albawaba.com)
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