[MadIvan]

I sense "strategery" is going to triumph again shortly.

Regards, Ivan

[what's up]

Hold info close to the chest until needed.

The info has been there for months. They'll release it just in time for the Invasion.

[lds23]

There's no lack of clamoring for GW to release this evidence. But he's playing it smart. Waiting to release it until we'll have massive force aligned to quell any uprising by Saddam or his sympathizers.

Checkmate in advance by the US.

The "alternative" view is to let the evidence out now (with the risk that it's leaked to Iraq - perhaps by the Syrians or French?). And THEN they suggest we should begin to send troops. Sounds to me like a recipe to put our troops in danger.

I prefer the way that the administration is playing it, just fine.

[Imal]

"Strategery?" Did somebody say "strategery"?

[Kevin Curry]

I don't know. I suspect no amount of smoking gun evidence will satisfy his critics. They are already prepared to discount it and they haven't even heard it.

[terilyn]

"I sense "strategery" is going to triumph again shortly."

Was there ever a doubt? ;)

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Hey cousin! How come the most pertinent press these days comes from the UK? On second thought, you don't have to answer. Cheers.

[rolling_stone]

There can't be a smoking gun, Scott Ritter said Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction & Islam is a religion of peace. sarcasm off/

[america-rules]

Here's how it's gonna go down:

Iraq has a mountain full of WMD. It's been hidden and they know where it is. The US needs another few weeks to get everything in place to take action.

Bush sicks the UN Inspectors on the mountain and Saddam either stops them from going in the mountain or they go in and find the smoking gun. Either way Saddam looses and we have our troops there ready to strike.

Checkmate !

[paul51]

I sense "strategery" is going to triumph again shortly

Yup, set them up once again.

[The Great Satan]

My guess is that Bush will just up the ante a bit. He did this before the September 11 anniversary last year. Exactly one month before the anniversary, "person of interest" Steve Hatfill broke his silence and held a press conference denying any role in the anthrax killings. Around the same time, a top administration official leaked to the LA Times that the administration would be "talking more" about Mohammed Atta's meeting with a known Iraqi spy in Prague. The FBI announced a sudden and unexpected return to American Media, scene of the first anthrax killing, telling the press that the purpose was to look for the letter(s) which contained the anthrax that killed Bob Stevens -- letters whose public description has been suppressed by the FBI, by the way. The unexpected and, indeed, inexplicable, return visit to the crime scene was scheduled to end on 9/11/02. On September 8, a few days before the anniversary and Bush's UN speech, Dick Cheney brought up the topic of anthrax out of the blue on Meet the Press:

VICE PRES. CHENEY: Who did the anthrax attack last fall, Tim? We don’t know.

Meanwhile, Bush was dropping a few hints himself. On August 11:

"But I do believe the American people understand that weapons of mass destruction in the hands of leaders such as Saddam Hussein are very dangerous for us and our allies. They understand the concept of blackmail and that when we speak of making the world more safe, we do so not only in the concept of terrorist groups but of nations that have proven themselves to be bad neighbors and bad actors."

While all this was going on, Tony Blair's government was building up the suspense by promising the release of a dossier on Iraq's WMD.

And yet, although he took it took the brink, Bush blinked. The Amerithrax charade -- written by and starring Steve Hatfill -- was not retired: it lumbers on, ever more ludicrous, to this day. The administration is still playing peek-a-boo with the evidence of Atta's meeting in Prague. And Saddam still hasn't taken exile. The bottom line is, Saddam can still kill millions of Americans if we take him out -- that's what the anthrax letters signify -- and there's still nothing we can do about it. So, you can expect these gambits from time to time, to put the pressure on Saddam, make him consider the virtues of exile. But I wouldn't get your hopes up too much. The ultimate determining factor here is how much pain can Saddam inflict on the American people if we take him out. His destruction of the WTC on 9/11/01 will seem like a tiny pin-prick compared to the destruction implied in the Daschle letter. I'm highly doubtful that Bush will go all the way in the State of the Union speech. Expect things to be ramped up a notch, expect the heat to be kept on, but don't expect the truth. Some truths are too hard to handle.

[Mr. Mojo]

I hope this is the big one -- a revelation by the administration that Saddam was complicit in 9/11 and wholly reponsible for the subsequent anthrax attacks/warnings. Expecting Bush to connect Saddam to OKC is a bit too much to ask for, but that would be the icing on the cake.

[lavaroise]

Kit Bond and all should be aware that it is

Iraq

and not us who should provide evidence.

[patriciaruth]

The most fun would be if the evidence comes from MI6. That would explain why Tony has been on board from the beginning. And it would be nice if it was a nonAmerican source so the liberals couldn't claim we manufactured it.

So, hope your side cements the case, Ivan!

[angkor]

Over the weekend, Tony Snow reported that they do have a smoking gun, but to announce it would cause the death of one or more high-level sources inside Iraq.

[philman_36]

Well pony that sucker up!

[stuartcr]

Of course there is evidence. Anyone that thinks we would go to all the effort and expense incurred with our recent troop movements, for no reason, or for a bluff, or the presidents ego, is a fool.

[1Old Pro]

I sense "strategery" is going to triumph again shortly.

Yep

[pfflier]

OK so here is my question. When the president is vindicated what will become of the Chancellor of Germany, the PM of Canada, the 100+ movie stars, the three senators, that sympathized with Iraq, and the leftist peaceniks...all of whom were quite willing to betray their country or who call our president some very unpleasant names?

Answer remember them always, they were selling us out. Put Ramsay Clark at the top of your list. He is getting paid by Iraq to sell us out.

[PISANO]

I for one do NOT understand when,how or why a "SMOKING GUN" became the mantra of the press? Now it seems as though the administration has fallen into this trap. Nothing....repeat NOTHING will satisfy those who are against us attacking IRAQ. No amount of EVIDENCE will suffice. There will always be an OUT.

That being said; The SIMPLE fact us this: IRAQ UNCONDITIONALLY SURRENDERED to end the Gulf War. Stipulations and demands were made that HAVE BEEN BROKEN!! That ALONE is enough to attack. Nothing else is necessary.

Would anyone have critized the US for resuming hostilities IF the Japanese did NOT adhere to all the surrender terms? Enough is enough.....attack IRAQ NOW, today and forget the UN and the entire "SHOW ME THE PROOF; GIVE ME THE SMOKING GUN crowd!

[fso301]

I just hope no intelligence assets lose their life over the disclosures or that any very secret technology is compromised.