Blix says Iraq war may have worsened terror threat (Bf alert)

Reuters ^ | March 19, 2004

[jwalburg]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The invasion of Iraq has polarized the Middle East and may have worsened the threat of terrorism, former United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix charged on Thursday.

On a tour of the United States to promote his book, "Disarming Iraq," Blix criticized U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair for engaging in a "witch hunt" to justify the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq one year ago.

In a speech sponsored by the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, Blix listed the negatives he believes have resulted from the war: polarized societies in the Middle East, a rift in NATO, damage to the U.N. Security Council, and no easing in the threat of terrorism.

"The terrorism threat has not abated," he said.

Asked to expand on his comments in light of the March 11 train bombings in Spain that killed more than 200, Blix said "it's clearly an increase in the terrorism.

"It was ... al Qaeda or some related terrorist movement trying to tell states that they should not participate in the actions in Iraq," he said.

Blix said his task of seeking weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was undermined by the Bush and Blair governments, which probably knew they were exaggerating the threat to justify the invasion. "(The war) was more punitive than preemptive," he said.

Apart from removing Saddam from power, Blix said he saw no benefit from the invasion and was skeptical of U.S. claims that Libya's subsequent decision to disarm was based on a fear that it could be next.

What bothered him most, he said, was the manipulation of intelligence on Iraq and the lack of support for the weapons inspections process and the UN in general.

"They are politicians, and we understand the need for hype. But still, as citizens, as voters, we want critical thinking, we want sincerity, not advertising hype," he said.

Blix said the UN could play a key role in a fight against terrorism. "First of all, the struggle against terrorism must be a multilateral one, and I think the United States realizes that," he said.

"This is not just an alliance of the willing, of big industrial states, but must have the rest of the world behind it."

[jwalburg]

This is not just an alliance of the willing, of big industrial states, but must have the rest of the world behind it."

Why? To shake their fingers all at once at Iraq? It must be a multilateral effort to DO WHAT? There is never any plan.

[CheezyD]

He's just trying to stay in the news to sell his book.

Ignorance is Blix.

[conservativecorner]

The UN is a complete joke. Ignorance is Blix!

[jwalburg]

[RJL]

Blix says Iraq war may have worsened terror threat

Yeah, Saddam Hussein, a madman with tens of billions of dollars at his disposal was no threat, but removing that madman will surely make things worse.

I guess one has to be EUrabian to understand this logic.

[telebob]

Hans Blix...the new Tariq Aziz.

[roses of sharon]

The US is now getting the decades long Israel treatment.

Fight back against those who want you dead, and those who want you dead become the "victims", and you become a bully.

Leftist claptrap sold to the world everyday for 30 years.

[Montaignes Cat]

Even though I voted for Kofi Annan and Hans Blix, I now support a recall initiative..... oh wait, I didn't vote for them, no one did.

To me Blix and Annan and El Baradei are wannabe foreign overlords. How can we shake them off?

[jwalburg]

That is a point that should be hammered home every time a liberal announces "not unless the U.N. is in charge." Just how democratic IS the U.N.? And they would rather have that bumbling, corrupt organization in charge, with no democratic representation, than a country built on the principles of a democratic republic?

[Levante]

Hans Blix reminds me of Bill Clinton:

Full of S**t and won't STFU.

[claudwitz]

Why thank you Hanz for that brillant insight into your new book, "How to Keep Your Head Up Your Rearend Without Trying."

So how's retirement? Bored, huh? Why not protest this injustice and start by sewing your lips shut?

[OldFriend]

He'd be the perfect consultant for Kerry. On the one hand he says if he had more time he'd have found those weapons of mass destruction, that don't exist.

[Eva]

My guess is that his book was written at the suggestion of Bill Clinton.

[lilylangtree]

Blixie baby you're out of a job. You can shut up anytime. The line "Blix said the UN could play a key role in a fight against terrorism" is positively hilarious.

[ApplegateRanch]

If his book makes as much sense as his ravings, then it is inexBlixable reading.

[geedee]

I'm not quite as old as Blix and not nearly as infirmed or senile, I hope -- although reasonable people could disagree . . . but I'd still be willing to take a public scolding for whacking the old, demented fart upside the head. I know violence settles nothing . . . but I'd still like to have just one shot . . . just one damn shot . . . at nailing his egotistical, elitist, Euro-we-are-the-only-enlghtened-species-on-Earth ass.

How this punk can be so righteous now is beyond me. When he said all along . . . or at least most of the time before we decided to act . . . that Iraq was hiding their WMD's and then the pacifist asshole TURNS ON A DIME to start declaring that Iraq has none, never had any, and WE . . . WE THE ONLY SOB'S WHO HAD THE COJONES TO TAKE ANY ACTION . . . are wrong because we're finally enforcing some of the multiple, multiple UN resolutions.

Why did he say Iraq had WMD's in the first place if there wasn't any proof? Job security? To feel important? To keep us off So-Dumb Insane so Kewpie Doll Kofie and his UN minions could get rich off the oil-for-food program? Ditto for France and ChIRAQ? Ditto for Russia? Ditto for . . .

I suspect the answer to all my questions is yes, and there's probably over a hundred questions I didn't ask.

Why'n hell aren't we demanding . . . DEMANDING!!!!! . . . an accounting from the UN????????

We all have loved ones putting their lives on the line for us so I'm claiming no more moral-high ground than others . . . but my beloved nephew is over there. He's been over there from the start. I've said this a thousand times and I'm sure some of you are getting tired of it, but it's still true. I love that boy more than life. I have no "real" son by some folks' definitions, although him and his brothers and sisters are my legal dependents, and if anything happens to him I'll . . .

I'm so sick of these self-righteous UN assholes I could just . . . just . . . just one shot. That's all I ask for. Just one damn shot.

[Consort]

Blix has MLS (McCain Limelight Syndrome).

[Spruce]

Name one thing the UN has done right. Anyone? <crickets chirp> Anyone?

[ApplegateRanch]

I know violence settles nothing

I repectfully disagree.

Ask the Neanderthal; the dodo; the passenger pigeon; the Celts; the Jebusites; the Essenes; the Gnostics; the Aztecs; the Mohicans; Nazi Germany; the Taliban Government...

Never mind; too many of those simply aren't around any more to ask; or have had their attitudes adjusted.

What settles nothing is incomplete violence.