Time is running out for Saddam

[Darth Viscera]

Text of U.N. resolution on Iraq (1441) (http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/11/08/resolution.text/index.html)
Text of Iraq's letter to the U.N. (Re: 1441) (http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/11/14/iraq.letter.ap/index.html)

Iraq has until 5pm, Friday 15th to signal that it is prepared to comply with UN resolution 1441. Read Iraq's letter to the U.N., and notice that they haven't signaled their desire to comply.


Iraqi Letter excerpt:
Dealing with the inspectors, the government of Iraq will also take into consideration their way of conduct, the intentions of those who are ill-intentioned amongst them and their improper approach in showing respect to the people's national dignity, their independence and security, and their country's security, independence and sovereignty. We are eager to see them perform their duties in accordance with the international law as soon as possible. If they do so, professionally and lawfully, without any premeditated intentions, the liars' lies will be exposed to public opinion, and the declared objective of the Security Council will be achieved. It will then become the lawful duty of the Security Council to lift the blockade and all the other unjust sanctions on Iraq. If it does not, all the peoples of good will in the world, in addition to Iraq, will tell it to do so. The SC will be compelled before the public opinion and the law to activate paragraph 14 of its resolution No. 687, by applying it to the Zionist entity (Israel), and then, to all the Middle East region, to make it a region void of mass destruction weapons. The number of just people will, then, increase in the world, and Iraq's possibility to drive away the cawing of the crows of evil that daily raid its land, and kill Iraqis and destroy their property by their bombs. This will help the stability of the region and the world, if it is accompanied by a resolution that will not be based on double standards, to put an end to the Zionist occupation of Palestine, and other occupied Arab territories, and if the warmongers strop their aggressions on the Muslims and the world.

Wowza. Iraq is basically saying that it will be treating the inspectors as spies, which means that the inspections will again be impeded.

Oddly enough, everyone is acting like Iraq's letter of defiance and thinly veiled threats is a good thing. When Saddam says he'll "deal" with someone, it usually means that the Someone in question, along with the person's family, will be killed.

This is no diplomatic breakthrough, I'll hold to that. Mister 100% of the Life Extension Vote has his old bag of tricks open again.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well the ambassador has said they will allow them in, which I think they will. Honestly this could be huge mess mainly because of Israel, they scare me, they say if Iraq attacks them they will attack back, there has even been threats of nuclear weapons. Of course with that we know Saddam will attack them if the US invades this all the more reason to try to come to a diplomatic solution. The consquences of Israel attacking could lead to a holy war, all the Muslim states could rise to Iraq's side and who knows who else could be drawn into it. Hopefully Iraq lets them in and we can get this whole mess cleared up.

[Dutchy]

Originally posted by Darth Viscera
[URL=http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/11/08/resolution.text/index.hIraq has until 5pm, Friday 15th to signal that it is prepared to comply with UN resolution 1441.

Saddam has already said he will comply with the resolution yesterday, as far as I know.

[Darth Viscera]

They will be allowed in, but Saddam will hinder their efforts. Then we'll retaliate against him.

Saddam has backed himself into a corner with his illegal lies about not having WMDs. Essentially, he's perjuring himself now, only in a political way. Saddam can't allow the inspectors to find his WMDs. We know that he has WMDs, and we have to find them. It's a cat and mouse game, and Saddam has to decide to lose, or face the wrath of the U.S./U.K. military.

[Darth Viscera]

Originally posted by Dutchy
Saddam has already said he will comply with the resolution yesterday, as far as I know.

No, he didn't. He said that he would "deal" with the resolution. Never once did he say that he would comply. Not once. Allowing inspectors back in is different from complying with the resolution. The resolution in its entirety makes the inspectors useful and unhindered.

[Jedieb]

The news was reporting yesterday that Saddam had accepted the resolution. This was on news services yesterday. I'm pretty sure that's what Dutchy is referring to. What surprises me is why Saddam allowed the Iraqi parliament to bluster earlier this week. It was almost as if he was trying to set himself up as a peace maker in the eyes of some of the countries that had previously opposed the adminstrations harsh stance.

[Jedieb]

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Iraq's response to the United Nations is unclear on whether Baghdad has really accepted the U.N. resolution -- and that could mean a military confrontation is waiting.

Iraq's defiant nine-page letter, delivered Wednesday to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, does not use the word "accept" but states that "we will deal with resolution 1441, despite its bad contents."


This is what was reported yesterday. It was widely interpreted as Iraq's acceptance of the resolution. A whinny, whimpering acceptance, but an accpetance nevertheless.

[Darth Viscera]

Iraq's response to the United Nations is unclear on whether Baghdad has really accepted the U.N. resolution


Originally posted by Jedieb
This is what was reported yesterday. It was widely interpreted as Iraq's acceptance of the resolution. A whinny, whimpering acceptance, but an accpetance nevertheless.

What you're saying conflicts with the CNN report you use to illustrate your statement. It may be widely interpreted as an acceptance letter, but it's clearly not.

[Jedieb]

The letter was reported by many as an acceptance. It was certainly a step back from what the Iraqi parliament said ealier in the week. The inspectors are heading back early next week. They're going to be let in regardless. There's nothing he can do to stop them now. I'm just waiting for the inspections to begin in N. Korea. I mean, they've ADMITTED to having weapons of mass destruction. Can't wait to see Bush get tough with them. :rolleyes

[Jedieb]

Is this enough proof that yesterday's letter was interpreted as an acceptance by many?

Wednesday, November 13, 2002 Posted: 12:59 PM EST (1759 GMT)

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has welcomed Iraq's decision to invite U.N. weapons inspectors back to Iraq -- but warned of "serious consequences" if the mission is thwarted.

Russia and China also hailed the move, with the former saying it was urging Baghdad to fully comply with the inspections -- though stressed it was opposed to unilateral action by the United States.



And some of those statements came from Britain, the administrations strongest ally against Iraq.

[Darth Viscera]

It may be widely interpreted as an acceptance letter, but it's clearly not.

[JonathanLB]

"A whinny, whimpering acceptance, but an accpetance nevertheless."

LOL.

[Darth23]

We'll soon show HIM that the U S of frickin A is the ONLY country allowed to have Weapons of Mass Destruction!!!!

Today Iraq, Tomorrow North Korea, Iran, Lybia, Cuba, India, Pakistan and China!

The next day: France!

(And Canada better watch out too.)

[JMK]

The only weapons of mass destruction we have are Celine Dion and Bryan Adams.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Maybe we should send her to Iraq, Saddam would probably shoot himself after hearing her sing once.

[JediBoricua]

:lol :lol

Some of the remarks in this thread make me feel as if some people want a war to happen, weird...on the other hand, the US has over 500 journalist on boot camp gettin them ready to be sent to the front. Sad thing. I just hope the inspectors get to see every nook and cranny, for the sake of the world.

[Darth Viscera]

Originally posted by JediBoricua
:lol :lol

Some of the remarks in this thread make me feel as if some people want a war to happen, weird...on the other hand, the US has over 500 journalist on boot camp gettin them ready to be sent to the front. Sad thing. I just hope the inspectors get to see every nook and cranny, for the sake of the world.

I want a war to happen. The idea that we wouldn't fight this war is an extremely ugly thought to me. All things considered, the Middle East will be much better off post-Saddam. The Islamic fanatics may get all the airtime, but they represent a very small percentage of people there.

@Darth23

The U.S. and members of NATO, yes.

[Admiral Lebron]

I want war. USA Today reported Iran may be willing to help US. Thats good.

[JonathanLB]

War is a terrible thing and should be avoided whenever possible...

[Darth Viscera]

Saddam is already at war with us, and has been ever since we took away his precious Kuwait. He tried to assassinate Bush 1 back in 1993 in Kuwait, he offers to pay the family of a suicide bomber $15,000 if they "martyr" themselves against the U.S. or Israel, and in the last 9 days he's opened fire on U.S. and U.K. warplanes more than the USSR did in 46 years of cold war, and with deadlier weapons, too. Recently the Iraqis have attached booster rockets to their missiles, extending their range. Next time they might hurt one of our fighter pilots, or god forbid, kill one. And remember, they're still firing since Thursday, after they accepted the U.N. resolution.

Now, I ain't not no edjukated feller with my nummers, but seeing as how the average seems to be that the Iraqi military fires at U.S. or U.K. airplanes about twice a day, and that's been going on for 11 years, Iraq has committed about 8,030 acts of war, and violated U.N. articles such as "Iraq shall not take or threaten hostile acts directed against any representative or personnel of the United Nations or the IAEA or of any Member State taking action to uphold any Council resolution" 8,030 times.

I admire the desire to avoid war, I truly do. However, there comes a time in life when it is better to wage war, if only to end it, than to sit back and allow it to be inflicted upon us through perpetuity. Let's get it over with.

As if we don't know that war is terrible. Maybe we should just sit back and wait until he slaughters another 3 million people throughout half a dozen countries, then kill him, eh?

[Darth Viscera]

Excerpts From Iraq's Letter to the U.N. Secretary-General (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33507-2002Nov24.html)