A draft report on the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq provides no solid evidence that Iraq had such arms when the United States invaded the country in March, ABC News reported on Monday.

Citing unidentified officials, ABC said the report by the civilian leading the search for hidden weapons will detail Iraq's effort to maintain the capability to produce biological, chemical or nuclear weapons.

Before ordering the invasion that toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, President Bush referred to an imminent threat posed by Iraqi weapons of mass destruction as a prime justification for war.

U.S. forces in Iraq searching for evidence of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons have not found any. But U.S. officials said in July that the search had uncovered documents pointing to a program to develop such weapons.

The Iraq Survey Group, headed by Maj. Gen. Keith Dayton of the Defense Intelligence Agency, has led the search since June, with guidance from former U.N. weapons inspector David Kay.

A U.S. intelligence official said Kay's report on the search was not finished and the ABC report was mere speculation.

A senior Pentagon official said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had stressed that Kay was expected to provide an interim report in the coming weeks, but the official was not aware of the receipt of any initial report.

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