It's geography.
The CIA dots their "i"s and crosses every "t" and makes it clear that Saddam's desire for WMD was driven by regional geopolitical interest. According to the Los Angles Times as they discuss Duefler's report and testimony, " [Saddam] believed it was vital to his own survival that the outside world - especially Iran - think he still had them. "
According to De Spectaculis:
" I ... have absolutely no difficulty in figuring out why [Saddam wanteed the world to believe he had WMD capacity] - because I know how to read a map. ... Chemical weapons, the easiest WMD to make and to deploy to good effect on the battlefield, are practically a necessary accessory in a dangerous neighborhood such as the Middle East - whether you actually have them or not. "
I don't claim any insight here. Anyone who actually looked at a map of the region around Iraq and put an iota of thought into the implications arrived at the same conclusion some time ago.
Posted by Martial