Is there evidence of underground weapons production facilities in Iraq?
The Bush administration has repeatedly stressed its concerns about Iraqi underground facilities. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld referred to Iraqi construction of underground facilities as evidence of its efforts to conceal weapons. In August 2002 the media began to report that Iraq was starting to “dig in,” building more earthen bunkers and revetments to protect aircraft, trucks, armored vehicles, missile launchers, and a wide variety of military equipment. Intelligence sources said it was “impossible to know if the current Iraqi effort is specifically in response to international talk of the United States launching a military attack against Iraq.”39 The digging of underground bunkers would be a natural response to military threat. During the 3 February briefing Ekus was asked about the significance of underground activities: “Underground work was developed . . . during the war with Iran. Iraq was taught techniques for hiding things-the United States were courteous enough to help them w
