The report, prepared after 1,200 inspectors headed by American chief weapon inspector Charles Dolfer conducted an 18-month search campaign, says that Iraq had no biological, chemical or nuclear weapons before the US occupation of the oil-rich country.

It more or less overturns the US pretext for invading Iraq in March 2003. And it has ignited more anger among Iraqis who already harbor hatred toward the occupation forces, for the war, and for the ensuing chaos, destruction and bloodshed.

An Iraqi citizen said: "This comes as no surprise to us. As far as we are concerned the war was not about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or with Saddam Hussein. Many countries in the area do have weapons of mass destruction. If the American administration knew that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, it would not have waged the war."

In the US people were not quite as angry but their responses, after reading the headline news on Thursday, were cynical.

An US citizen said: "It doesn't surprise me at all. I knew that Bush was lying to us from day one and that he never really thought that there were weapons of mass destruction and it was just a deception."