[The Great Satan]

Arms inspections are meaningless. It looks like Bush is blinking. For a while back there, in the weeks before the September 11 anniversary, I got the impression Bush was going to turn the tables on Saddam, expose his blackmail and let the chips fall were they may. Looking back, I guess that was just brinkmanship -- we were making overtures behind the scenes to trade exile for silence, and we needed to pile the pressure on. Now, that gambit's failed, and it looks like Bush is about to fold his hand. Of course, every one will play their respective parts: Bush will demand "intrusive" (but still meaningless) inspections, which will make him look tough; the euros and the dems will scream blue murder, which will make Bush look tough, and Saddam will hold tight and then give way at the last minute, which will make Bush look tough (except to the Arabs, who understand what Saddam is up to). Game, set and match to Saddam Hussein. This is playing out like the Gulf War denouement, and for much the same reasons.

[johnny7]

Nah... he's not blinking. Just crossing his t's and dotting his i's.

It's like a cat toying with a mouse... it's not when... just how.

[Zack Nguyen]

Actually, I think Bush wants to invade soon and is just trying to find a way militarily. Powell is throwing his own monkey wrench in the works because he does not believe in "unilateral action." Bush should not tolerate this, as it borders on insubordination, but he will tolerate it because the laternative is firing Powell, and Bush doesn't want to do that.