U.S. says smoking gun not needed

Responding to chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blixs comment that inspectors had found no smoking gun in Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell today made clear that U.S. action to disarm Iraq would not require one.

According to Powell, If the international community sees that Saddam Hussein is not cooperating in a way that would allow you to determine the truth of the matter, then he is in violation of the U.N. Resolution 1441. So, you dont really have to have a smoking gun.

White House spokesmen Ari Fleischer told reporters that the U.S. knew for a fact that Iraq has produced weapons of mass destruction, regardless of what UN inspectors uncover.

Powells statements come as U.S. continues to prepare for military options against Iraq by moving 7,000 Marines to the region and securing permission to for possible deployments there.