Habib Diab,

Interesting article in the Washingtom Post you forwarded. 
You got it Habib, An American "ruler" until they can drain the oil into 
reserves right here in the U.S.
In the meantime, the well connected weapons manufacturers, oil company execs. 
and all the other Republican insiders will make a fortune on the misery of 
poor people.

Heres' an article from CBSNews.Com

Jabou Joh

Feb. 20, 2003

So frustrated have the inspectors become that one source has referred to the 
U.S. intelligence they've been getting as "garbage after garbage after 
garbage." 

(CBS) While diplomatic maneuvering continues over Turkish bases and a new 
United Nations resolution, inside Iraq, U.N. arms inspectors are privately 
complaining about the quality of U.S. intelligence and accusing the United 
States of sending them on wild-goose chases. 

CBS News Correspondent Mark Phillips reports the U.N. has been taking a 
precise inventory of Iraq's al-Samoud 2 missile arsenal, determining how many 
there are and where they are. 

Discovering that the al-Samoud 2 has been flying too far in tests has been 
one of the inspectors' major successes. But the missile has only been 
exceeding its 93-mile limit by about 15 miles and that, the Iraqis say, is 
because it isn't yet loaded down with its guidance system. The al-Samoud 2 is 
not the 800-mile-plus range missile that Secretary of State Colin Powell 
insists Iraq is developing. 

In fact, the U.S. claim that Iraq is developing missiles that could hit its 
neighbors – or U.S. troops in the region, or even Israel – is just one of 
the claims coming from Washington that inspectors here are finding 
increasingly unbelievable. The inspectors have become so frustrated trying to 
chase down unspecific or ambiguous U.S. leads that they've begun to express 
that anger privately in no uncertain terms. 

U.N. sources have told CBS News that American tips have lead to one dead end 
after another. 

Example: satellite photographs purporting to show new research buildings at 
Iraqi nuclear sites. When the U.N. went into the new buildings they found 
"nothing." 

Example: Saddam's presidential palaces, where the inspectors went with 
specific coordinates supplied by the U.S. on where to look for incriminating 
evidence. Again, they found "nothing." 

Example: Interviews with scientists about the aluminum tubes the U.S. says 
Iraq has imported for enriching uranium, but which the Iraqis say are for 
making rockets. Given the size and specification of the tubes, the U.N. calls 
the "Iraqi alibi air tight." 

The inspectors do acknowledge, however, that they would not be here at all if 
not for the threat of U.S. military action. 

So frustrated have the inspectors become that one source has referred to the 
U.S. intelligence they've been getting as "garbage after garbage after 
garbage." In fact, Phillips says the source used another cruder word. The 
inspectors find themselves caught between the Iraqis, who are masters at the 
weapons-hiding shell game, and the United States, whose intelligence they've 
found to be circumstantial, outdated or just plain wrong. 

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Britain are planning to present a new resolution to 
the U.N. Security Council on Monday in a bid for support to use force to 
disarm Iraq. 

Finishing touches were being put on the resolution on Thursday. Adoption is 
by no means assured. A majority of the 15 council members are opposed to war 
at least until U.N. weapons inspectors report in mid-March. 

Secretary Powell said a headcount was "academic" because the resolution 
demanding Iraqi disarmament had not been put forward. 

Powell, who flies to Japan on Friday for the start of a five-day Asia trip, 
juggled resolution diplomacy with stressful negotiations with Turkey, a 
potential key ally in any war. 

Turkey is balking at U.S. terms for an economic aid package. Powell, who 
interceded on Wednesday with Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, said he had told 
the Turkish leader "our position was firm with respect to the kind of 
assistance we could provide." 

However, Powell said, "there may be some other creative things we can do." 

As for the expected U.N. resolution, the Bush administration sees little 
value in extending inspections and much to worry about in Iraq's connection 
to al Qaeda and other terror groups. 

One U.S. official said the projected day for presenting the resolution was 
Monday but that it could slip a day or two. 

Powell said, "We won't put a resolution down unless we intend to fight for 
the resolution, unless we believe we can make the case that it is 
appropriate." 

In Baghdad, meanwhile, Iraq allowed another flight by an American U-2 
surveillance plane Thursday as President Saddam Hussein's government sought 
to convince the world that it is cooperating with the weapons inspectors. 

In New York, a U.N. spokesman said Iraq also had submitted a list of people 
involved in the destruction of banned weapons — a key demand by chief weapons 
inspector Hans Blix. 

It was the second flight this week by a U-2 in support of the U.N. inspection 
program. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said the plane spent six hours and 20 
minutes over Iraq's territory, searching for evidence of banned weapons. 

In regard to the possible basing of U.S. troops in Turkey, Gul said in Ankara 
that a statement would be made on Friday. He did not elaborate. 

Powell did not elaborate on the refinements under consideration, but another 
U.S. official said one approach might be to seek a $1 billion congressional 
appropriation that would then permit Turkey to obtain loans at preferential 
U.S.-government rates for many times that amount. 

Ships carrying equipment for a U.S. infantry division are already at sea. The 
United States wants to base tens of thousands of soldiers in Turkey to open a 
possible northern front against Iraq. 

The dispute with Turkey is one of many problems the Bush administration has 
as it tries to line up support for an attack on Iraq if Saddam doesn't disarm 
quickly. 

Implying the United States might deploy troops elsewhere if terms could not 
be reached with Turkey, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said "we have to 
deal with realities, and we will." 

Meanwhile, President Bush sought to keep the pressure on the Security 
Council, telling a suburban Atlanta audience, "Denial and endless delay in 
the face of growing danger is not an option." 

The president has said the council risks irrelevance if it does not face up 
to Iraq's defiance of more than 10 years of disarmament resolutions. 

Mr. Bush also has said if the council does not approve a second resolution he 
is prepared to go to war with a "coalition of the willing" — nations like 
Britain that agree with him that Iraq's arsenals of biological and chemical 
weapons pose a threat. 

Mr. Bush planned to host Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar of Spain, an ally, 
at his Texas ranch Friday and Saturday. Another potential ally, Prime 
Minister Simeon Saxcoburggotski of Bulgaria, is due next Tuesday at the White 
House.


    

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