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US set to win battle over Iraqi scientists
Jussi passes this along...Iraqi scientists whose evidence could provide Washington with a trigger for war are to be whisked out of the country soon to a neutral venue, Cyprus. The foreign minister of Cyprus, Ioannis Cassoulides, told the Guardian: "It seems they will be coming." Well... ain't... that... a... surprise. A tug-of-war between the US and Baghdad over the scientists is shaping up as the crunch issue. The dilemma for the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, is that if he allows a scientist out to blow the whistle on a banned weapons programme, it could lead to war, but if Iraq were to block their departure, that too could be the cause of all-out conflict. Hmmm... Lemme see here. Rock... Hard place... Yep. That's about right. Ominously, the Iraqi government, which claims it has destroyed all banned weapons, insisted yesterday it did not expect any scientist would volunteer to leave. They were supposed to volunteer? Where's it say that? The UN chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, who briefed the security council yesterday on the work of his inspectors in Iraq, appears to be bowing to US pressure to make use of his powers to take inspectors out of the country. The US ambassador to the UN, John Negroponte, said the US expected inspectors to begin out-of-country interviews. Before Christmas, Mr Blix had been scornful of the idea, stressing the impracticalities of taking out not only the scientists and their immediate families but their extended families, who could be used as a lever if left behind. That's the diffo between "difficult" and "impossible," isn't it, Hansie? Cypriot officials said it was likely the scientists would be interviewed in the Larnaca hotel where the inspectors have set up their main field and administrative centre. The scientists and their families would be put up in the hotel. "Hello, room service? Send up some bomb-sniffing dogs, please." Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-01-11 |
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