Saddam claimed that he had destroyed these stockpiles. It is now clear that this is exactly the case.

Your certainty is probably comforting to you, but sorry, your faith in Saddam is a lot higher than mine is. I'd just as soon we keep looking, thanks.

As Blix said in the highlighted portion of my excerpt:

Our Iraqi counterparts are fond of saying that there are no proscribed items and if no evidence is presented to the contrary they should have the benefit of the doubt, be presumed innocent.

UNMOVIC, for its part, is not presuming that there are proscribed items and activities in Iraq, but nor is it – or I think anyone else after the inspections between 1991 and 1998 – presuming the opposite, that no such items and activities exist in Iraq. Presumptions do not solve the problem.