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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (153377)	12/5/2004 2:30:31 PM
From: Michael Watkins	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Yes, diplomacy takes time. But its cheaper than unjustified war, any day. > What motivated the increased surveillance that caught the Libyan ships? < Libya had been suspected of having a program in place for eons, long before the first US soldier stepped foot into Iraq. I am not at all surprised that interdiction found something, particularly since everyone and their dog suspected increased activity by the Libyans once the sanctions were lifted. No doubt lifting the sanctions was seen by all as an invitation to cheat (Libya, unlike Israel, had signed the NPT) that Libya would not resist, and therefore a good opportunity to catch them in the act. It was only a matter of time, and a darn good strategy at that. Incidentally this goes to support my argument that sanctions would never be lifted on Saddam without complete and total verification programs permanently put in place. > If that was the final reason, why didn't Libya flip in October, what made it wait two more months? Ever heard of the term "closer"? < Ever hear of the phrase "holding out for a better deal" ? Its only human nature that the "caught" tries to get a better deal for himself rather than rolling over for nothing. If you can't get the simple stuff, its only because your biases are too firmly imprinted. I suspect this is true with you, and I say that without malice and with no intent to insult.