Are we blackmailing the UN Big Five?
So why are they all suddenly on our side against the regime in Tehran? This is a huge turnaround from successful sabotage against the United States and the UK four years ago. The political calculations have changed. But why?
Hereâs a thought. The US has a big cache of documents showing that Chirac and de Villepin received Oil-for-Food moneys from Saddam, contrary to their own laws. So did Putin. So did the Chinese. The US could leak some interesting stories to the international press, probably enough to defeat de Villepinâs election run for president of France, and to embarass Putin in Moscow. Even Chinaâs corrupt politicians might get a little nervous. The Communist Party has been known to turn on corruption when it becomes too public.
The US has now had four years to study 2 million documents from Saddamâs secret archives. A lot of Baath Party torturers must have been eager to talk to the US, just as the Nazis were eager to cooperate after WWII. There must be thousands of Kurds and Shiites out there gunning for their old Baath enemies. So there must be a steady flow of intelligence about Oil for Food and a lot of other Saddam-era influence buying abroad. It defies belief to think that we just havenât asked anybody how Saddam managed to buy at least three of the five permanent members of the Security Council.
Would it be silly to think that we have the goods on Chirac and Putin? Do we know who was bought off by Saddamâs oil in Beijing? Has Dr. Rice been dropping quiet hints in her travels to those places?
Weâve all been wondering why George W. Bush has been so quiet, in the face of an endless barrage of screaming accusations from the Left. Maybe he doesnât care about all that. Maybe heâs onto bigger game â like knocking down the next most dangerous member of the Axis of Evil. And given the huge political corruption in France, Russia and China, maybe Bush-Cheney-Rice-Rumsfeld are just doing what adults sometimes have to: They are taking their lumps for the greater good. Maybe we are quietly twisting some arms.
It certainly would answer some puzzles.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-01-13 |