WASHINGTON (Reuters) - David Kay, the chief U.S. weapons hunter in Iraq, has told the CIA he will not return to his post, a U.S. government source has said, a move that critics could seize upon as a sign that he has given up hope of finding banned arms.

“He has told the DCI (Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet) that he doesn’t want to go back, they have been trying to get him to stay,” the source told Reuters on Thursday on condition of anonymity.

Well, he was set up to fail, wasn’t he? Given an impossible mission, I can’t say I blame him for wanting to quit.