There's no turning back

The Sun ^ | January 28, 2003 | TREVOR KAVANAGH

[MadIvan]

Saddam ... a cheat and liar

GEORGE Bush won’t declare war on Saddam Hussein tonight. He doesn’t have to.

Hans Blix did it for him with his scalding indictment of the Iraqi tyrant.

This elderly Swedish gent does not want to end his days as the man who brought the world to the brink of conflict in the Gulf.

But even he could not conceal his anger at the ruthless games played by a man who casually slaughters his own people whenever he feels like it.

He did not produce the "smoking gun", but he handed President Bush a loaded revolver for his State of the Union speech tonight. Nothing can save Saddam Hussein now apart from assassination or exile. Neither seem likely.

So we will see American and British forces going into action by the end of February or early March.

Fear of war is understandable. Even hard-headed money men are fleeing the stock market in panic.

But however hard it may be to believe this, failure to fight now would be even more catastrophic.

Any sign of weakness by the "American Satan" would be seen in Baghdad as an open admission of defeat.

America is sending 250,000 troops to the Gulf region. It cannot afford to leave them there indefinitely without seeing political capital drain away at home.

It would send shockwaves through the Gulf where neighbouring Arab states have been watching with vigilance.

Despite their failure to speak openly in support, these leaders have invested heavily in a swift American victory. They loathe Saddam and want him out.

Syria and Iran, sponsors of state terrorism, have reigned in their own extremists as the drama unfolds.

If Saddam is left untouched, it will be an admission by the world’s only superpower that its President is all talk. It would send a dangerous message to rogue states like nuclear-armed North Korea.

Saddam himself would be strengthened and his territorial ambitions would be revived. We would swiftly learn that he does indeed have long-range weapons of mass destruction - and is prepared to use them.

So far we have no direct evidence of a link between Saddam and Osama bin Laden’s al-Qa’ida.

But don’t be too surprised if it emerges soon.

It is worth remembering that Saddam was the first to try bombing the Twin Towers in New York. He also sent Iraqi killers to assassinate President George Bush senior.

He would swiftly resume the export of terror.

There is every chance that he would try to achieve his original goal - seizing control of oil rich Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

The Middle East is already volatile, but it could tip over into almost certain war as Saddam flexes his muscles.

The possibility of an Arab-Israeli war could not be ruled out, with America being forced to help the region’s only democracy.

For George Bush, the price of delay is too great even to consider.

THE world was last night on course for war within weeks - as UN arms inspectors branded evil Saddam Hussein a cheat and liar.

Their boss Hans Blix accused the Iraqi tyrant of hiding weapons of mass destruction.

America hailed his damning 15-page report as proof that Saddam has defied the world by failing to co-operate in the hunt for his arsenal.

And it looked like there is now no turning back from military action.

The usually mild-mannered Dr Blix stunned peace campaigners as he snapped: "Iraq appears not to have come to genuine acceptance of the disarmament demanded of it."

He blasted Saddam’s henchmen for harassing his inspectors - often outnumbering them by five to one - and making false claims that they were spies for America.

Dr Blix said: "It is not enough to open doors. Inspection is not a game of catch as catch can. It is designed to lead to trust."

He said the discovery of empty rocket shells could be "just the tip of a submerged iceberg".

And he added: "There may be several thousand rockets unaccounted for. There can be no sanctuaries for proscribed items, activities or documents."

The Swedish diplomat listed a string of blatant breaches of UN Resolution 1441. He said Iraq had:

FAILED to prove it destroyed 8,500 litres of anthrax virus and known stocks of other biological weapons.

FAILED to account for 6,500 chemical bombs and deadly VX nerve gas.

FAILED to account for 550 artillery shells filled with evil mustard gas.

BANNED the use of U-2 spy planes to track down hidden weapons and BLOCKED attempts to question Iraqi rocket scientists.

Dr Blix, 74, was delivering his verdict on the first 60 days of inspections. His statement to a hushed meeting of the UN in New York did not deliver the "smoking gun" demanded by anti-war campaigners.

But it handed President Bush all the ammunition he needs for tonight’s crucial State of the Union speech to the US people.

He will insist the UN will be exposed as a toothless talking shop unless the Security Council backs action. A White House source said: "He will tell the world the prospects of war are now very real."

America and Britain swiftly condemned Saddam for playing games with the UN arms inspectors.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell warned last night: "We will not shrink from war if that is the only way to rid Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction. When we feel strongly about something, we will lead. We will act, even if others are not prepared to join us."

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer warned the plug could soon be pulled on inspections if they do not get results. He said: "Saddam is now running out of time. The President has not put a period of time on it. He has said, though, time is running out.

"Iraq is giving the inspectors the runaround. The more time the inspectors get, the more they get the runaround from Saddam Hussein."

Signalling that war is inevitable, he added: "Events will develop and they will be driven to a conclusion by Saddam’s refusal to comply."

He rejected the need for "smoking gun" evidence to persuade America’s critics that Saddam is a threat to world peace.

Mr Fleischer said: "There is a problem with waiting for a smoking gun. When you see the smoke it is too late - the damage has already been done."

Hans Blix ... accused tyrant of hiding his deadly weapons

But he said President Bush will NOT use tonight’s TV speech to issue a final ultimatum to Saddam.

He said: "They won’t hear a deadline or declaration of war."

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in New York: "There is now clear evidence that Saddam has made this into a charade. Listen to the very careful words from Hans Blix about VX nerve gas, mustard gas and the failure of co-operation by Iraq, including crucial interviews with Iraqi scientists.

"People will be very deeply disturbed by them."

Britain’s UN Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock said giving the inspectors more time was pointless as long as Saddam was determined to thwart them.

He said: "It is not a matter of time. It is a matter of attitude.

"What we have heard is a catalogue of unresolved questions."

America is now drafting a second UN resolution that would authorize military action.

But the report by Dr Blix threatens to drive a wedge between America and Britain and their EU critics.

France and Germany both rejected any early military action and insisted that the UN inspectors must continue searching in Iraq.

[MadIvan]

Just thought you might enjoy reading what the average bloke in the UK will be reading this morning about Iraq.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[goldstategop]

Its just a matter of when. President Bush is not going to lay his cards on the table in his State Of The Union address. But he is going to leave no doubt America will be ready to act at an hour of its choosing.

[happygrl]

It's all over but the shouting.

[goldstategop]

Hear, hear!!! :)

[Cachelot]

France and Germany both rejected any early military action and insisted

Looks like the Old Axis is insisting on being part of the New Axis. Time to bomb them back to the stone age again - and not stand ready with help to rebuild this time...

[MadIvan]

I'm thoroughly fed up with Chirac and Schroeder. We should not even speak to them anymore - it's a waste of time.

Do we speak to them because they are powerful? No, not in any meaningful sense.

Do we speak to them because they can make a contribution? No, not in any meaningful sense, really.

We only speak to them because they can create problems at the UN. Fine. Walk out of the UN and that ends the problem.

Regards, Ivan

[Carolinamom]

Your solution works for me.....BIG Time.

[Cindy]

[MadIvan]

Well I have to admit, I'm tired of all this.

We know Saddam is a brutal dictator. No one is denying this. Just think about the stories of what happened to the Iraqi Olympic team under the care of his son Uday.

We know that Saddam is a threat to his neighbours. He invaded two of them after all.

We know that Saddam has weapons of mass destruction. Ask the Iranians he gassed - or rather, you can't - they're dead.

We know that Saddam is lying - the chemical warheads proved that his document saying that he had nothing, was a total fabrication.

We know that Saddam supports terrorism - at the very least to the tune of $25,000 per suicide bomber family in Israel. We know that he provided shelter for Abu Nidal. It is likely he helped Al Qaeda too.

All this is known and clear. But the French and the Germans do not want to make the next logical step - from realising that Saddam is a problem, to realising that he should be removed. Whether it is out of cowardice or greed, or both, is not worth speculating on. What is clear is that they are an impediment to doing what is right and necessary, hoping to bog down everything in endless, tedious procedure, and just hoping the nasty Americans and British will give up and go away in the process.

To aid a brutal dictator in this manner, is to be an accessory to this brutal dictator. France and Germany are more than weasels - their leadership is firmly putting them into the camp of the likes of Saddam Hussein. Now, the Germans and French may deny this - they'll say, "We're not like the Iraqis, we actually have electricity and running water" - but in some ways they are worse. Iraqi lies are so brazen that the face of the enemy is clear. French and German duplicity takes place in the corridors of diplomacy, requires speaking platitudes out of one side of the mouth, and refusing to denounce Iraq out the other. Unlike the Iraqis, they do not have the virtue of being so brazen in their lying that it is a form of honesty - they are thoroughly deceitful.

We should not listen to them any longer. We've listened for long enough.

Regards, Ivan

[SLB]

Thanks for the post.

The French and Germans are forgetting what can happen when they turn their backs on the horrors of a dictator like this. Chirac and Schroeder are a couple of weak sisters if I have ever seen one. They should be pointing out what the possibilities of leaving Sadam in power is likely to bring. Instead they fumble around in trying to sound like a super power while in reality they are nothing but third rate countries.

[ch.man]

Hi Ivan,

I was listening to the french news this morning. It is really amazing how their people are playing down Mr. Blix statements. Actually it was quite puzzling yesterday, listening to all the different interpretations of the Blix report by european media. I wondered many times if they were all talking about the same report. A gigantic bunch of liars and hypocrites. maybe they think nobody will understand what was said at the UN.

[Cachelot]

Bomb Europe?

Germany is not "Europe". It is a nazi-infested cancer in Europe. They seem to require a smacking at regular intervals just to keep them from metastazising into a "Reich".

[MadIvan]

What is Switzerland's view on this? I know your foreign policy is strictly neutral, but the man in the street must have some opinion on this issue.

Regards, Ivan

[GailA]

How much money does saddam owe France & Germany? Maybe they are afraid they won't get paid for all the "aid and comfort" they've given him.

[William McKinley]

Like you, I am getting very tired of this long, drawn out and protracted rush to war.

[ch.man]

I frankly dont know. People dont talk too much. Of course our social democrats are aghast and whining abundantly. The meeting between our foreign minister (a socialist) and Powell in Davos is presented as a significant event by the socialists.