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UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and chief UN weapons
inspector Hans Blix at UN headquarters in New York, earlier this month. Annan
says there is no argument for a US strike against Iraq before late January, with
ordinary Iraqis holding out hope that the New Year will bring no war at all. (UN
photo/E Schneider)...
So where are these weapons of mass destruction George?
Well the U N inspector's in Iraq have been busy and unimpeded in their search for weapons of mass destruction. But so far nothing of consequence has been found.
So where is the beef? Where is the weenie? Where are the nuclear bombs and launch vehicles? Where are those hoards of weapons of mass destruction?
Maybe they are hidden at the bottom of all the oil wells in Iraq and the only way we can be sure there are no weapons of mass destruction is to drain every single one of those wells.
John WorldPeace
January 1, 2003
December 31, 2002 6:15 PM U.N. says no excuse for quick Iraq strike By Huda Majeed Saleh
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says there is no argument for a U.S.
strike against Iraq before late January, with ordinary Iraqis holding out hope that the New
Year will bring no war at all.
Annan said Iraq was cooperating with arms inspections and he saw no need for military
action until inspectors searching for suspected weapons of mass destruction report back to the
U.N. Security Council by January 27.
"I really do not see any basis for an action until then, particularly as (the inspectors)
are able to carry out their work in an unimpeded manner," Annan said in an interview with
Israel's Army Radio monitored in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
On the streets of Baghdad, Iraqis were hoping for more than a stay of execution.
"God willing, peace will prevail in Iraq in the New Year and the phantom of war will be
lifted," said Samer al-Amiri, 52, sipping black tea in a cafe in the Iraqi capital.
The United States already has declared Baghdad in material breach of a Security Council
resolution giving Iraq one last chance to disarm or face "serious consequences".
EIGHT SITES VISITED
Baghdad says it has no banned weapons and tensions over inspections were high on Tuesday
despite Annan's insistence they were running smoothly.
The U.N. arms experts swooped on at least eight suspect sites in central Iraq, and the
head of an engineering facility described their conduct as provocative and annoying.
"They looked at personal documents and searched everything, including briefcases of the
employees and drawers in an annoying way, and even notebooks of some of the ladies were looked
into thoroughly," said Riyadh Khalil al-Hashimi, head of engineering and designing firm Sa'ad
General Company.
The official Iraqi News Agency (INA) said on Tuesday Iraq has invited chief U.N. weapons
inspector Hans Blix to visit Baghdad to "review cooperation" in January, before the experts
report back to the Security Council.
On Monday, the United States won approval for a new Security Council resolution,
co-sponsored by Britain, aimed at preventing Iraq from importing goods which could be used in
war.
The 15-nation council voted 13-0 to expand the list of civilian goods under sanctions.
Russia and Syria abstained.
IRAQ COMPLAINS
Iraqi envoy Mohammed S. Ali said the resolution would aggravate the suffering of the Iraqi
people, which could be eased only by a lifting of U.N. sanctions imposed after Iraq's 1990
invasion of neighbouring Kuwait.
The resolution modified a "goods review list" itemising goods Iraq is barred from
importing without U.N. approval.
Additions to the list range from drugs to protect Iraqi soldiers from both anthrax and
poison gas to boats similar to the one used in the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen two years
ago. Electronic gear that could jam global positioning systems used to guide some U.S. smart
bombs will also come under review.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, providing the logic for a possible reversal in his
strong anti-war stance, said that force was sometimes needed against dictators.
"We Germans know from our own experience that sometimes only violence can stop dictators,"
Schroeder said in his New Year's televised address to the nation. "But we also know what
bombs, destruction and losses at home mean for people."
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said he feared Israel might exploit a war in Iraq to
escalate its own military attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
How can we manifest peace on earth if we do not include everyone (all races, all nations, all religions, both sexes) in our vision of Peace?
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