Assume for a moment our troops have found a large stockpile of nerve gas weapons. Would it be in our interests to reveal that information now? Certainly it would have been in our interests during the diplomatic phase to show this. However now, if we revealed to the world that the Iraqis do indeed have WMDs (which is probable), what would the Iraqis do? Answer: They'd start using these weapons immediately. So long as there was a propaganda advantage, the Iraqis would hold these weapons in reserve until their backs were against the wall. We do not want them to use these weapons because it'll kick the war's level of violence up to a higher quantum level, e.g. we'd have to respond with tactical nukes. We do not want to start using WMDs until this thing reaches its endgame, e.g. Baghdad has been conquered but we still have to deal with Saddam's hometown of Tikrit. The folks in Tikrit have family connections with Saddam, are almost all Sunni Arabs and loyal to the regime. We'll probably end up having to kill most of them. The time to go nuclear is after Baghdad has been taken semi-intacted with conventional weapons.

Gary