David Kay Quotes

• A great deal has been accomplished by the team, and I do think it important that it goes on and it is allowed to reach its full conclusion. In fact, I really believe it ought to be better resourced and totally focused on WMD; that that is important to do it.

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Believe, Great

• And let me take one of the explanations most commonly given: Analysts were pressured to reach conclusions that would fit the political agenda of one or another administration. I deeply think that is a wrong explanation.

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Political

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  And like I say, I think we’ve got other cases other than Iraq. I do not think the problem of global proliferation of weapons technology of mass destruction is going to go away, and that’s why I think it is an urgent issue.

   

  David Kay

  Topics in Technology

  Tags in Think, Like

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  And never – not in a single case – was the explanation, ‘I was pressured to do this.’ The explanation was very often, ‘The limited data we had led one to reasonably conclude this. I now see that there’s another explanation for it.’

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Reasonably

• And you know, almost in a perverse way, I wish it had been undue influence because we know how to correct that. We get rid of the people who, in fact, were exercising that.

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Wish

• As leader of the effort of the Iraqi Survey Group, I spent most of my days not out in the field leading inspections. It’s typically what you do at that level. I was trying to motivate, direct, find strategies.

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Leader

• But I do think the survey group – and I think Charlie Duelfer is a great leader. I have the utmost confidence in Charles. I think you will get as full an answer as you can possibly get.

  David Kay

  Topics in Confidence

  Tags in Great

• Both of us are known for probably at times regrettable streak of independence.

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Time

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  But the most important thing about that story, which is not often told, is that as a result after the Cuban missile crisis, immediate steps were taken to correct our inability to collect on the movement of nuclear material out of the Soviet Union to other places.

   

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Crisis

• Fortunately, President Kennedy and Robert Kennedy disagreed with the estimate and chose a course of action less ambitious and aggressive than recommended by their advisers.

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in President

• I also believe that it is time to begin the fundamental analysis of how we got here, what led us here and what we need to do in order to ensure that we are equipped with the best possible intelligence as we face these issues in the future.

  David Kay

  Topics in Future

  Tags in Time, Best

• I came not from within the administration, and it was clear and clear in our discussions and no one asked otherwise that I would lead this the way I thought best and I would speak the truth as we found it.

  David Kay

  Topics in Truth

  Tags in Best

• I do believe we have to understand why reality turned out to be different than expectations and estimates. But you have more public service – certainly many of you – than I have ever had, and you recognize that this is not unusual.

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Believe

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  I had innumerable analysts who came to me in apology that the world that we were finding was not the world that they had thought existed and that they had estimated. Reality on the ground differed in advance.

   

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Apology

• I think that shows a level of maturity and understanding that I think bodes well for getting to the bottom of this. But it is really up to you and your staff, on behalf of the American people, to take on that challenge.

  David Kay

  Topics in Challenge

  Tags in Maturity

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  I think the aim – and certainly the aim of what I’ve tried to do since leaving – is not political and certainly not a witch hunt at individuals. It’s to try to direct our attention at what I believe is a fundamental fault analysis that we must now examine.

   

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Believe, Political

• I would also point out that many governments that chose not to support this war – certainly, the French president, Jacques Chirac, as I recall in April of last year, referred to Iraq’s possession of WMD.

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in War

• I’ve seen looting around the world and thought I knew the best looters in the world. The Iraqis excel at that.

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Best

• In my judgment, based on the work that has been done to this point of the Iraq Survey Group, and in fact, that I reported to you in October, Iraq was in clear violation of the terms of U.N.Resolution 1441.

  David Kay

  Topics in Work

  Tags in Fact

• Let me begin by saying, we were almost all wrong, and I certainly include myself here.

  David Kay

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Self

David Kay (28)

Birth:	1940
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Weapon Inspector

About

David A. Kay is an American weapons expert, political commentator, and senior fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. He is best known for his time as United Nations Chief Weapons Inspector following the first Gulf War and for leading of the Iraq Survey Group's search for weapons of mass destruction following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and also a master's in International Affairs and a Ph.D. from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. On 23 January 2004, the head of the ISG, David Kay, resigned his position, stating that he believed WMD stockpiles would not be found in Iraq.

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