The US government should be “embarrassed” over the apparent failure to uncover weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the main justification for going to war, retired intelligence officials said Thursday.

“It’s going to be very embarrassing when it turns out they have nothing to declare,” said former defense intelligence analyst Eugene Betit.

Another, former CIA station chief Ray Close, said: “I’m hoping they will be embarrassed into acknowledging a role for some independent body. And who could it be but the UN?”

As the “smoking gun” continued to elude US sleuths in Iraq, chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix called for experts to return to the country to determine whether the weapons allegations had any foundation. Agence France-Presse