“On October 7 [2002], [CIA Director George] Tenet released selected material [from the classified October 1 National Intelligence Estimate], including an assessment that ‘Baghdad for now appears to be drawing a line short of conducting terrorist attacks’ against the United States with conventional or chemical or biological weapons. Indeed, Tenet went on to say, ‘Should Saddam conclude that a U.S.-led attack could no longer be deterred, he probably would become much less constrained in adopting terrorist actions.’ Finally, Tenet said, ‘Saddam might decide that the extreme step of assisting Islamist terrorists in conducting a WMD attack against the United States would be his last chance to exact vengeance by taking a large number of victims with him.’ ”
– Todd S. Purdum and The New York Times Staff, A Time of Our Choosing, Page 58