Posted on 03/01/2003 11:18:34 PM PST by Dont Mention the War
Iraq began decommissioning its arsenal of banned al-Samoud 2 missiles last night as ministers disclosed to The Telegraph that America and Britain are prepared to launch military action immediately after the United Nations Security Council votes on a second resolution, regardless of its outcome.
Senior ministers said that Tony Blair was prepared to override the objections of his backbenchers and launch military action, irrespective of whether Britain, the United States and Spain secured a majority vote for a second resolution in the UN.
Such a move would almost certainly trigger ministerial resignations, particularly as the speed of the attack would rule out a debate in the Commons before military action. A senior minister said: "Win or lose at the UN, the Iraqi army will get flattened quickly. It will be almost immediate. We are not going to hang around."
Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, said that he believed the war could be over quickly. A minister said: "There is a sense of immediacy. It will be two, three weeks from now. Not longer. This is a phoney peace."
Peter Hain, the Welsh Secretary, told The Telegraph: "This is a matter of the whole Government being on the line. It is not a matter of the Prime Minister being on the line. I am in this just as every other member of the Cabinet. We are absolutely rock-solid behind the Prime Minister."
In an interview last night, the Prime Minister said there "no plans" to use nuclear weapons in any attack. Plans for a rapid attack received a setback when Turkey's parliament narrowly failed to approve the deployment of more than 62,000 US troops on its territory.
Washington had put increasing pressure on Turkey to approve the move, but while MPs voted 264-250 in favour of the deployment, the motion required more than half of those present in the chamber to approve it - there were 19 abstentions. The Turkish government must now decide whether to try to present a similar resolution to the assembly again and gather the few votes it needs.
Last night Pentagon officials warned that any military action could be delayed by up to 40 days if the US had to establish a new northern front from which to launch attacks.
Iraq's decision to bulldoze four al-Samouds, its most advanced surface-to-surface weapons, was called a "significant piece of real disarmament" by Hans Blix, the chief UN weapons inspector.
America condemned Saddam Hussein's concession as "propaganda wrapped in a lie inside a falsehood. Resolution 1441 called for full, immediate and complete disarmament," the White House said, "not partial disarmament."
Russia and France, however, welcomed the move, although Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said it was simply a "cynical attempt to divide the Security Council".
The four missiles - whose range exceeds the 93-mile limit set in UN resolutions - was crushed by bulldozers at a military base near Baghdad. The inspectors had asked for them to be blown up, but the Iraqis insisted on crushing them. The destruction was delayed because their bulldozer was too small.
Ari Fleischer, President Bush's spokesman, insisted, however, that disarmament would only be achieved if Saddam was ousted. "Every time Saddam is under pressure, he tries to relieve it by disarming just a touch, just a little, playing the deception game."
Colin Powell, the secretary of state, said that time was running out for Iraq. "We have not yet asked for a vote on the second resolution because we're still looking for a peaceful solution. We are giving the inspections process more time, as many have asked. In the end, one must conclude we can't go on very long like that."
More pressure was brought to bear from an unexpected quarter yesterday when the United Arab Emirates became the first Arab nation to call openly for Saddam to step down. While Washington has said that such a proposal - made during an emergency Arab summit in Egypt - could lift the threat of war, Saddam claims that he would rather die than go into exile.
Ouch!
Blah, blah, blah. Same old f*cking broken record -- I'm sorry. Powell to "sternly address" the UN again!?!!! Again?! Why?! Jack Straw's quote says it best: the destruction of the missiles are nothing more than a cynical attempt to divide (an already divided) Security Council.
What, does the Pentagon think it can get Boy Assad to agree to troop movements now? And this will take about 40 days, give or take?
Here's another theory: this is a totally screwed-up story.
Why? Can you say, New World Order?
Doubtful, otherwise there is much more wrong than we know.
Dear Sadaam,
The Turkey thingy could delay our attack on you by up to 40 days.
Get it?
The Pentagon.
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