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Politics : Impeach George W. Bush -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MSI who wrote (16076)	10/25/2002 1:11:44 AM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93284

Bottom line, Iraq has been contained for 11 years. Bottom line, we haven't been able to wipe out Saddam's WMD program in 11 years of trying. Like the USSR, containment has worked. Trying to just contain the USSR was dangerous but it was our only alternative. If we could have taken out the USSR as easily as we could take out Saddam now then it would have been a good thing for us to have done so. But of course it wasn't an option with the USSR. Unlike Korea, Iraq isn't in possession of a functional nuclear program. Iraq does have a functional nuclear program. What they don't have is a functional nuclear weapon. Thats the time to attack, if they have effective nuclear weapons that would be one reason NOT to attack. The time to attack is before they get the weapons. A poll that asks the simple question:"Do you completely trust what the administration says?" would be interesting. I'd be surprised if it was 30%. I don't completly trust what any administration says but I don't see that as relevant. The evidence of the existance of Iraq's WMD program is massive and exited before the current administration (and also before the previous one) Tim

To: MSI who wrote (16076)	10/25/2002 12:14:33 PM
From: Thomas M.	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 93284

Bottom line, Iraq has been contained for 11 years. I think that is the problem. Containment is not a good thing, it is a fiasco. We need war! ;-) Tom

To: MSI who wrote (16076)	10/25/2002 8:41:54 PM
From: Brumar89	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 93284

Containment efforts have been breaking down for years. Iraq hasn't allowed any weapons inspectors in the country for 4 years - in violation of the agreements they made at the end of the Gulf War. They shoot at our planes patrolling the "no-fly zones" established by the UN on a daily basis. Below are public statements on the subject of Iraq's "containment" made by Kofi Annan, Richard Butler, Bill Clinton: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan told reporters on 16 October 1998 that he believes Iraq will never be fully disarmed and that weapons inspectors may have to avoid confrontational inspections in order to regain Iraq's cooperation. Annan cited the United States disinterest in military force to push Iraq to comply to inspections and the sympathy of Russia, France, and China as reasons why Iraq will not comply with inspections. Annan stated he fears Iraq will bar the U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) from entering Iraq completely. UN officials reported on 12 August 1998 that Iraq had blocked all UN weapons inspections. Iraq also announced that UN inspectors would not be allowed to act on any violation that they discover. .... In statements to the UN Security Council, Richard Butler, executive chairman of the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM), and Mohammed el-Baradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that "Iraq's refusal to cooperate with active inspections was already weakening what they called ongoing monitoring and verification." ..... In a speech to the Pentagon on 17 February 1998, US President Clinton described Iraq's history regarding weapons inspections after the 1990-91 Gulf War as "delay and deception." While a military strike may be necessary the United States said it prefers a diplomatic solution. Clinton said that the terms for a US agreement for UN weapons inspections are inflexible. "We have no business agreeing to any resolution of this that does not include free, unfettered access to the remaining sites by people who have integrity and proven competence in the inspection business." UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will visit Baghdad on 21 February 1998. An official in the Clinton administration said the US does not believe Annan's mission will be successful. If not, US officials said "an extended air bombardment campaign will become a virtual certainty." Clinton's speech was aimed at building public support for a US confrontation with Iraq. Clinton does not want to be portrayed as "bloodthirsty" for war, especially since France, Russia, and other US partners on the Security Council oppose a military strike. They have proposed that the inspection of the presidential palace be put directly under Annan's command instead of under UNSCOM. However, the United States does not agree to such a plan. Saddam believes that blocking these inspections is "merely asserting legitimate national pride and sovereignty by restricting access to personal residences." Clinton criticized the Iraqi President by saying "Now, instead of playing by the very rules he agreed to at the end of the Gulf War, Saddam has spent the better part of the past decade trying to cheat on this solemn commitment. Iraq has filed false reports about what programs it has." cns.miis.edu