Lawmakers Say U.S. Faces Loss of Credibility; No Weapons of Mass Destruction Found So Far in Iraq

Beginning of article

Byline: Audrey Hudson, THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Key Republican and Democratic lawmakers yesterday said the U.S. faces credibility problems if weapons of mass destruction are not found in Iraq, but they are optimistic such weapons will be uncovered by a new survey team.

Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., Delaware Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Mr. Bush unnecessarily "hyped" the extent of weapons in Iraq's arsenal.

"I do think that we hyped nuclear, we hyped al Qaeda, we hyped the ability to disperse and use these weapons," Mr. Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Such hype is customary for all presidents "when they want to accomplish a goal that they are trying to get broad …