To: T L Comiskey who wrote (85823 ) 12/17/1998 3:36:00 PM From: Chuzzlewit Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 176387
Tim, ** OT ** I share you sentiments in the abstract. But I read a report published by the British around a year ago detailing Saddam's then current CBW capabilities, which included things like botulinum toxin and and various nasty bacterial agents. The report indicated that there is ample evidence that he has stockpiled these agents in massive amounts. The problem with this man is that he has no compunction against using these things against his neighbors. Scud missiles can provide a crude delivery system. One of the legacies of European colonialism in the area is that all borders are artificial. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Israel, and the Arab Emirates were created out of whole cloth. As a consequence, there has been continual reemerging conflicts between the more powerful states in the area to try to establish hegemony. That was the point behind the ill-fated creation of the UAR, and that is the goal of the Iraqi Baath party. And that was the reason for the Iraqi attack against Iran, and its repeated attempts to annex Kuwait. Make no mistake about it. There are people with similar aims in Damascus and other parts of the Arab world. The difference is the existence and use of CBW by the Iraqi regime. The primary goal of UNSCOM was to dismantle these so called WMDs. But according to the British report, Saddam has continued to stockpile weapons while frustrating all attempts at inspection. So what to do short of military action when diplomacy simply doesn't work? Should the world simply turn away and say let the people in the region work it out by whatever means they have at hand? Are we then not tacit accomplices through inaction? Isn't that exactly what the world did in the 1930's allowing the rise of the most monstrous evil in recorded history? Some general food for thought. TTFN, CTC