A large new U.S. team heading into Iraq to search for weapons of mass destruction will shift its focus away from areas identified as suspicious sites before the war, the Army general heading the effort said Friday, according to AP.
Instead, the searchers will concentrate on areas where documents, interviews with Iraqis and other new clues suggest biological or chemical weapons could be hidden, Maj. Gen. Keith Dayton said.
Dayton leaves Monday for Baghdad, where he will head the Iraq Survey Group. The team of some 1,400 experts from the United States, Great Britain and Australia will take over the weapons search from a smaller U.S. military group.
The shift comes amid growing questions from allies and some members of Congress about why no chemical or biological weapons have been found.
Before the war, the United States drew up a list of more than 900 "suspect sites" where weapons of mass destruction or evidence of such programs might be found. Military teams have visited more than 200 of those sites without finding any actual weapons. (Albawaba.com)
