The new report was released just over five years since the erroneous 2002 intelligence estimate that claimed Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons and was intent on restarting its nuclear program. The report proved mostly false but was used as the basis to drum up congressional support for war. Intelligence officials interviewed by the New York Times say the specter of the 2002 report hung over their activities. The report also comes as the UN’s weapon inspection agency for Iraq is preparing to close its doors. On Monday, UNMOVIC director Brian Mullady said looking back, his main regret is not having prevented a war.

UNMOVIC director Brian Mullady: “I guess my nostalgia is that if we had perhaps been more trusted by the world and then the fact that we were doing a good job over there, UNSCOM had done a good job — UNSCOM destroyed more missiles than the forces did during the 1991 war. So, if we had had more trust, more people that said, 'Yes, this is probably true,' and more doubt about what the US and the British position was, maybe we could have prevented a war.”