In a statement to the UN Security Council on February 14, 2003, chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix said “that UNMOVIC [UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission] had not found any weapons of mass destruction, only a small number of empty chemical munitions. There were no smoking guns to report. Another matter–and one of equal significance…was that many prohibited weapons and other items were ‘not accounted for.’ I went on to say: ‘One must not jump to the conclusion that they exist. However, that possibility is also not excluded. If they exist, they should be presented for destruction. If they do not exist, credible evidence to that effect should be presented.’ “
– Hans Blix, Disarming Iraq, Pages 176-177