Do you really think that we have to show teeth? Everyone in this damn world knows we are armed up the wazzoo. Its not an issue of teeth....
Yes I do. Hussein knew we were armed up the wazoo when he first kicked out the inspectors as well. He only responds to direct threats. We've had 12 years to see how he reacts to diplomacy.
Frankly, I think everyone has blown Saddam and his talents way out of proportion. Saddam is another version of Kim jong. Have you noticed how Kim Jong is behaving......he's like a kid. He keeps saying threatening things to see what the reaction will be. A couple of weeks ago, he said he reactivated NK's nuclear reactors. It turns out he made it up.
Saddam is the same way......he says and implies all these things that sound ominous, but I bet you he hasn't done squat since 1992. Does he possess WMD? Probably, but not in the quantities Bush suggests. Both he and Kim Jong are ruthless assholes that need to be kept contained but I don't think they should be getting the amount of attention Bush is giving them.....by doing so, he empowers them to act out in very stupid ways.
I know you will disagree vehemently.
Our weak points are that we never got consensus from our allies; that we seemingly were too lazy or too arrogant to do the work necessary to make that happen.
Well, it wasn't all that long ago when 1441 was passed that everyone was on the same page. "Serious consequences" was code for military action (remember that whole fight?). They agreed to serious consequences, now they don't have the stomach to follow through (or other reasons=oil), so they are backpedaling.
Its not that they don't have the stomach for it......they don't see Iraq in the same way we do. In fact, they think we are reacting to Saddam a little over the top. And remember they are much closer to Saddam then we are and just that much more accessible.
Bush was clear from the start and everyone agreed when working on 1441 that this was his last chance and there would be no negotiations etc. Now Hussein is negotiating over U2 flights, private interviews, etc and the UN doesn't blink an eye.
Let's look at the facts.....since 1992 Iraq has been on the food for oil program. Essentially, Iraq gets food, med. and educ. supplies, and recently was allowed to get oil equipment paid for by the only oil he's allowed to export.I figure he's grossed around $40-50 billion the past ten years. There is very little surplus cash for him to put in his pockets so any WMD had to be bought on the black market by selling stuff on the black market.
The weapons inspectors of 1992 believed they got rid of most of Iraq's WMD. Furthermore, Iraq's military is limited in its mobility and very poorly equipped. Its supposed to be at 1/3 its 1992 levels. The country is trashed and looks like its on its last leg.
Given the above scenario, what makes you think that Saddam has huge quantities of anything. I supposed its possible but I will be very surprised.
Does he continue to work on WMD? Of course. Is he going anywhere with it? It doesn't look like it too me.
Don't you get it........anything bin Laden says is meaningless to us...its intended to scare us and to inform his concerts......its mostly double talk...Can't you tell the difference between when Saddam speaks vs OBL?
Huh? I didn't even mention Saddam. What I was referring to was an interview with Bin Laden after 9/11 and he was being frank about his thinking the US was weak etc. That is very different from his released tapes etc. that are code.
I understood it was an interview......you don't think OBL knew that Westerners would be reading that interview. Everything he does is for the cause. And I suspect the words even in interviews have special meaning to his followers.......at least the ones in Arabic.
ted |
