France aims to delay Iraq solution forever - Powell

Reuters | February 12, 2003

[HAL9000]

CAIRO, Feb 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said in comments published on Wednesday French proposals to increase the number of inspectors hunting for banned arms in Iraq aimed to delay a solution to the Iraq issue forever.

In an interview with Egypt's semi-official al-Ahram newspaper, Powell said a call by French President Jacques Chirac on Monday to increase technical and human inspection resources did not aim to help the U.N. arms hunt.

"On the contrary, (the proposal) aims to delay the process of dealing with this issue forever," Powell was quoted as saying.

"The issue isn't an increase in inspectors or technical capacities. The issue is Iraq's compliance and cooperation," Powell said in the interview, published in Arabic.

France distributed proposals to U.N. Security Council members on Tuesday which included doubling and perhaps tripling the number of U.N. weapons inspectors in Iraq -- accused by Washington of hiding weapons of mass destruction. Baghdad denies it possesses the weapons.

France, Russia and Germany issued a joint appeal on Monday saying they were determined Iraq should be disarmed peacefully.

Chief U.N. weapons inspectors are due to brief the Security Council on Friday on their efforts to assess Iraq's arms programmes in an address Washington has described as "very important" in deciding whether to go to war.

[chiefqc]

France, Russia and Germany issued a joint appeal on Monday saying they were determined Iraq should be disarmed peacefully.

The answer is so simple, just follow the money trail.

[RJayneJ]

That would be like adding more eggs to a bad omelet.

[syriacus]

"On the contrary, (the proposal) aims to delay the process of dealing with this issue forever," Powell was quoted as saying.

I'm glad Powell is being so forthright.

[Catholicguy]

) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said in comments published on Wednesday French proposals to increase the number of inspectors hunting for banned arms in Iraq aimed to delay a solution to the Iraq issue forever.

<> I wonder if this means Mr. Powell thinks Saddam is immortal?

Let' see...how many countries has Saddam invaded since the Gulf War?

Were more of Saddam's WMD destroyed during the War or during the inspections process?

Is Saddam's military stronger or weaker since the first war?

If it was wrong for France to do business with Saddam, was it wrong for Mr. Cheney to be doing business with Saddam as recently as 1998?<>

[John Valentine]

you WILL be flamed. And with good reason.

[Petronski]

Let' see...how many countries has Saddam invaded since the Gulf War?

So the only harm he can do in the world is conventional ground invasion?

Were more of Saddam's WMD destroyed during the War or during the inspections process?

There would be no inspections process (or disarmament mandate) had there been no war.

Is Saddam's military stronger or weaker since the first war?

Again, stronger as in better suited for a ground war, or stronger in more subtle ways?

If it was wrong for France to do business with Saddam, was it wrong for Mr. Cheney to be doing business with Saddam as recently as 1998?

Citation or proof please ('business with Saddam as recently as 1998...').

[Catholicguy]

http://www.sobran.com/columns/2003/030206.shtml

<> This isn't about Terrorism. This is all about Oil. And yes, I do expect to get "flamed" but I am Irish-Algonquin and my skin is thicker than Rosie O'Donnell's ass is wide so, falme away:)<>

[Catholicguy]

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/6/24/80648.shtml

<> Your other responses, imo, seem quibbles. Saddam is no threat to his neighbors. He is boxed-in with the inspections and the unGodly sanctions. He is a guy on a goat with a grenade in his jock and his innocent countrymen are about to be destroyed by the Death Star<>

[Chancellor Palpatine]

I wouldn't expect any other statement from you, considering that you are shilling for the third, most critical leg of the Axis of Weasels - your buddy in the Vatican.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

LOL!

"How many folks saw Colin Powell at the UN? ........I thought he was pretty persuasive, but a lot of folks are *still* demanding more evidence before they consider Iraq a threat. For example......France. France wants *more* evidence.........The LAST time France wanted more evidence it rolled right through France with a German flag."

LOL!

- David Letterman

[CWW]

That's a very unfair and bigoted statement. When you live through WWII in Poland and live under communist rule and are persecuted then you might be able to criticize the Pope.

By the way, the Pope's position is that war is never the preferred way of resolving disputes not that war is never justified. Think about what you're doing. You're critisizing the Pope because he does not favor war as the primary method of resolving dispute. What did you want him to say -- Kick ass and take names!? Give him a break.

He, unlike you, lived through WWII and in occupied Poland and then again under 50 years of communist rule. By the way, as Ronald Reagan has noted many times, this Pope was critical in precipitating the fall of the old Soviet empire and the Berlin Wall. What have you done for freedom?

[ez]

Iraqi are dying every day under Saddams regime. Those who argue to keep inspections going could be responible for the deaths and torture of hundreds of Iraqi dissidents.

By your ignorance, you support this...

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

§ Human rights organizations and opposition groups continued to receive reports of women who suffered from severe psychological trauma after being raped by Iraqi personnel while in custody.13 § Former Mukhabarat member Khalid Al-Janabi reported that a Mukhabarat unit, the Technical Operations Directorate, used rape and sexual assault in a systematic and institutionalized manner for political purposes. The unit reportedly also videotaped the rape of female relatives of suspected oppositionists and used the videotapes for blackmail purposes and to ensure their future cooperation.§ In June 2000, a former Iraqi general reportedly received a videotape of security forces raping a female family member. He subsequently received a telephone call from an intelligence agent who stated that another female relative was being held and warned him to stop speaking out against the Iraqi Government.15

§ Iraqi security forces allegedly raped women who were captured during the Anfal Campaign and during the occupation of Kuwait. 16

§ Amnesty International reported that, in October 2000, the Iraqi Government executed dozens of women accused of prostitution.17

§ In May, the Iraqi Government reportedly tortured to death the mother of three Iraqi defectors for her children’s opposition activities.18

§ Iraqi security agents reportedly decapitated numerous women and men in front of their family members. According to Amnesty International, the victims’ heads were displayed in front of their homes for several days.

19 TORTURE § Iraqi security services routinely and systematically torture detainees. According to former prisoners, torture techniques included branding, electric shocks administered to the genitals and other areas, beating, pulling out of fingernails, burning with hot irons and blowtorches, suspension from rotating ceiling fans, dripping acid on the skin, rape, breaking of limbs, denial of food and water, extended solitary confinement in dark and extremely small compartments, and threats to rape or otherwise harm family members and relatives. Evidence of such torture often was apparent when security forces returned the mutilated bodies of torture victims to their families.20 § According to a report received by the UN Special Rapporteur in 1998, hundreds of Kurds and other detainees have been held without charge for close to two decades in extremely harsh conditions, and many of them have been used as subjects in Iraq’s illegal experimental chemical and biological weapons programs.21 § In 2000, the authorities reportedly introduced tongue amputation as a punishment for persons who criticize Saddam Hussein or his family, and on July 17, government authorities reportedly amputated the tongue of a person who allegedly criticized Saddam Hussein. Authorities reportedly performed the amputation in front of a large crowd. Similar tongue amputations also reportedly occurred.22

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Its interesting that even now, confirming any actual work Wotyla did in bringing down the Soviet Union is like catching smoke - reporters have tried - leading one to the conclusion that it didn't happen. How many times did he get arrested? Did he get pet capital projects approved by Communist authorities and get along well with them? Are many of his alleged underground contacts willing to confirm events or corroborate dates of activity?

Admirers of JPII won't like the answers to these questions.

IMHO, JPII has been the most relentless self-promoter of our age, and has had a very talented team of spinmeisters flakking for him.

[Dog Gone]

Kuwait sure has a funny way of showing that it opposes war. I think you're out of touch with reality.

[Vinnie_Vidi_Vici]

For what it's worth, I think that the statements attributed to the Pope do not in fact come from him. He is so infirmed that almost all of his day to day things are being handled by the left wing Cardinals and Bishops that surround him.

[ez]

PS. You do know, don't you, that if you lived in Iraq, based on only what you said here, you would be in the hole right now having your tongue amputated or worse.

It's very easy for those who live in freedom to propose that others should continue to undergo brutality, mutilation, murder, rape, and torture.

But you appear an ignorant little boy playing at politics to me...

[Catholicguy]

By your ignorance, you support this...

<> No, that is not the case. I do not advocate Wars of agression against any country, but, that does not mean I support the evil done against folks living in those countries.

North Korea has nukes and so the U.S. will negotiate with them and not undertake a War of agression. That does not mean that Dubya supports North Korea starving their innocent citizens - although it would mean that if the standard you want to use against me applied to Dubya<>

[7thson]

If this is all about oil, since we have over 100,000 troops in Kuwaitt right now, as well as materials and machines, plus 5 aircraft carrier squadrons in the area, why not just take over Kuwaitts oil fields? Who could push us out? If it was just about oil, why not lift the sanctions? If it is about oil, why not go down to Venezula and take "liberate" them from a communist.

Sadly, I think you are one of the people who would rather see Americans die than have us protect ourselves and other nations.

[Catholicguy]

PS. You do know, don't you, that if you lived in Iraq, based on only what you said here, you would be in the hole right now having your tongue amputated or worse.

<> Were I alive in Iraq, I would hope I were a Catholic willing to stand for the same truth. Who knows if I would? It is easy to say that I would, who knows? It is like being a cheerleader for war; is easy when one isn't going to war themselves<>

It's very easy for those who live in freedom to propose that others should continue to undergo brutality, mutilation, murder, rape, and torture.

<> Well, of course, that is not what I propose. What I do propose is our troops be usd to defend the United States. That is seen as timidity now-a-days.<>

But you appear an ignorant little boy playing at politics to me.<> I am the same age as Israel. I do admit to ignorance about many things, but I do not think speaking my mind a game - that used to be a conservative virtue - speaking one's mind. Now-a-days, it appears that is a vice, if one's mind does not resonate with the dissonance of Empiric rumblings<>