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| Axis of Evil |
| US set to win battle over Iraqi scientists |
| 2003-01-11 |
| 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 |
| #2 Actually Hans Blix's bumbling cowardice could prove to be a good thing. A noncompliance message from Hans is more credible to the Euroappearsl than one from Richard Butler. |
| Posted by: mhw 2003-01-11 17:44:04 |
| #1 I've always thought that UN inspectors, no matter how hardworking and aggressive, would not succeed in Iraq. But I thought it a useful experiment to the UNthem prove they could prevent a shooting war by facilitating disarmament. The lazy attitide about moving the scientists and their families, the failure to inspect one freaking weapons depot and the lethargic deployment of inspectors proves I was right. I hate Blix more than Sammy. He wants a peace prize for preventing the imperialist Americans from beating up on poor Iraq. He could have pursued this goal by recruiting a strong team (someone like Richard Butler could have been invited to consult) and being assertive with the Iraqis as authorized in the latest UN resolution. Instead, he's taking the easy way out by providing Sammy with the good housekeeping seal of approval. Say what you want about Sammy, he works hard to run the best police state he possible can. Blix just phones it in. |
| Posted by: JAB 2003-01-11 13:57:18 |