A eagerly awaited US inquiry is expected to report finding no solid proof that Baghdad had the banned weapons used to justify the invasion of Iraq.
A senior US official said the report by weapons inspector Mr David Kay is expected to report finding "documentary evidence" of Iraqi chemical and biological weapons programmes, but no proof of the arms themselves.
The Kay report "generally will be about chemical and biological weapons and I think he's going to find evidence, documentary evidence, statements by Iraqi scientists and technicians, that they had chemical and biological weapons production programmes," the senior US official said.
The official also said former Iraqi Defence Minister Sultan Hashim Ahmed, who surrendered to US forces, was given "effective" immunity from prosecution and Washington has high hopes he will provide significant information on Saddam's weapons activities.
The CIA described the Kay report as an initial document that will "reach no firm conclusions".
US Defence Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld has made his case for $87 billion to occupy and rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan to legislators in Washington.
He told the US Senate Appropriations Committee that US-led military and civilian forces have "racked up a series of achievements in both security and civil reconstruction that may very well be without precedent".