Bush, Blair give Saddam 21 days to disarm or face war

The Times of India ^ | 2/21/03

[areafiftyone]

LONDON: In a significant trans-Atlantic pincer movement to make the case for war, US secretary of state Colin Powell has given British television viewers advance notice of next week’s second United Nations resolution, while America’s chief ally, Tony Blair, canvasses support on the European mainland.

In a rare interview to the BBC, billed by the organisation as "exclusive", Powell revealed that the second UN resolution would contain no deadline and would not authorise or specify military action.

Meanwhile, in an apparent quickening of the pace to war, President Bush and Blair are reported by at least one British paper to have decided on a 21-day deadline.

The paper said the two men, who had a 30-minute telephone conversation on Thursday, had agreed to give Saddam Hussein until March 14 to disarm or face war.

The two men were reported to have put in place the "endgame" in the long stand-off with Baghdad.

In an orchestrated initiative, late on Friday, British foreign secretary Jack Straw made a hard-edged "moral case for war", ahead of Blair’s Saturday meeting with Pope John Paul II in the Vatican.

The Pope has spoken out against war and a reluctant Vatican is understood to have granted Blair an audience, only to appear even-handed.

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz was given an unprecedented half-hour meeting with the Holy Father last week.

The rising rhetoric of a "moral war" comes as the heads of both the Catholic Church and of 70 million Anglican Christians around the world, have firmly rejected the morality of bombing Baghdad into submission.

On Thursday night, Powell, who spoke with quiet intensity, insisted a second UN resolution did not need to authorise the use of force. That hurdle had already been crossed, Powell indicated.

The new resolution, he said, would "summarise the situation... as it exists - show that Iraq is not in compliance …will point out that lack of co-operation".

Military force had already been authorised by the six-page UN Security Council resolution 1441 unanimously passed last November, Powell said.

He said the resolution would probably not contain a specific deadline for Iraqi compliance, but added the mantra: "Clearly time is running out…"

In the British government’s most outspoken attack on last weekend’s unprecedented anti-war protests in Britain and around the world, Jack Straw criticised the demonstrators’ "relativist nonsense" about human rights abuse.

Saddam’s was a brutal regime, he said and it was not enough to say Iraq should not be invaded because human rights abuse occurred in other countries as well.

[RobFromGa]

see my #71. This is CRAP.

[RobFromGa]

see my #71. This is CRAP.

[MJY1288]

He might have been corrupt, I don't really know, But I wouldn't call this as proof Prescott Bush is guilty of Treason. Was Asset Management a Defense Contractor?

GHW Bush was ambassador to China, I guess he is a traitor too Huh?

[Malcolm]

The only reason to have gone through the UN is to save Tony Blair's rear end. Maybe some of you State Dept nuts can clue me in on any other legit reason to have gone to the UN, a dead-end street for American interests. It delayed our action, (LOL, don't give me any crap about it taking 6 months minimum to move our forces to the Middle East; we all know it doesn't take nearly that long), gave time for opposition to grow domestically and worldwide, (not a obstacle, but not something that is desirable either), and gave Saddam time to prepare for the invasion, (not that he could stop it, but a lot of casualties could result, that a surprise attack would not have allowed). But like I said, show me the NECESITY, other than Blair, for the UN to have to be part of this. I've got an open mind, but it would take a lot to convince me otherwise.....

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Today, the U.N. told Saddam to destroy his weapons of mass destruction. So according to France,Germany, Russia and China and Hollywood leftists, Saddam will, we just have to wait a wee bit for him to destroy all of them. (Maybe in the morning as he will have light to see to destroy these)

Will Wolf Blitzer be in Iraq to get this coverage of Saddam destroying all his weapons? And it is OK if a shroom cloud appears when Saddam is destroying them and surrendering OBL to the authorities.Maybe CNN's Christiane Armanpour will be there.

[Beck_isright]

The UN is our smokescreen while we move assets as is the State Department.

[RobFromGa]

My guess is that we needed the 6 months time to:
1. rebuild our smart bomb supplies
2. take out Islamic terror cells in the US and Europe
3. get ready for the next stage in this war (which will happen quickly after Iraq is liberated).

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

This is crap.

But don't worry the U.N. told Saddam to destroy everything so move along nothing else to see or hear on this.

Imagine this political correctness back with Hitler.Adolf will you please release the thousands of folks in the camps? We will give you 12 years Adolf it is OK.

[PsyOp]

Too damn long.

If they're giving him 21 days that means they weren't planning to go before then anyway.

[Mulder]

GHW Bush was ambassador to China, I guess he is a traitor too Huh?

I think Poppy Bush was a wonderful man. I think his betrayal of EVERY single conservative issue was good for the country, and I especially liked his "New World Order" agenda. To top it off, it was brilliant how he was totally silent on Klinton's crimes during the 1992 elections.

/sarcasm.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Good timeline. We are in the Phillippines and worldwide doing ops just as you said, as we speak. But the mindless leftists are stupid and or selfish to their own causes.

[WestCoastGal]

The longer we wait the worse it gets. More protesters, more time for the enemy to hit us first. If we are going to do this we have to think of the soldiers who are there waiting!! It's horrible for them to just sit there and think about this.

I trust out President and know that he has all the resources to make the right decision, so we shall see what really happens.

[Mulder]

If we had a logical nation, you are correct. But we are so damn naive, it's scarey.

Like I said earlier, it makes no sense.

If smallpox is a threat, why are we wasting billions on airport security, while leaving the borders wide open?

[RobFromGa]

The UN is a worthless debating society. The USA will lead a coalition of the willing to disarm Saddam.

Time is running out for the Butcher of Baghdad (weeks not months). Next week the UN proves whether it is relevant with the Final Resolution that is directed more at the UN than Saddam. France will likely veto, but maybe not.

Either way, the following week is SHOWTIME. in the darkness.

[MJY1288]

To be honest, I was no fan of Poppy either, But I can't bring myself to label them as traitors, and I don't believe he or Prescott deserve to be mentioned in the same breathe as Slick Willy

[clintonh8r]

Will this be the last 21 days, or is this the last 21 days before the final 21 days preceeding the ultimate 21 days prior to the last 21 days precedent to the terminal 21 days giving rise to the 21 days before the one-and-a-half fortnights next to getting really mad and threatening to go to the Security Council with another resolution that will foreshadow a really really mean resolution to consider another resolution that will require the Security Council to decide once and for all that another resolution would be necessary to resolve the prior resolution within 21 days of the previous resolution being due to expire upon the passing of 21 days prior to the execution of the resolution authorizing resolution 1441 to become inoperative upon a quorum being present to decide to resolve the contemporaneous resolution of the Security Council authorizing the General Assembly to deliberate for a period not to exceed 21 days(unless absolutely necessary) during which Hans Blix shall report on progress made during the past 21 days and resolves to request an additional 21 days (without objection) and to confer with UNMOVIC and NASCAR notwithstanding any deliberations within the purview of any ad hoc committees operating within the confines of 1441, absent the availability of 21 days wherein an additional 21 days may be specified by a plurality of non-aligned states provided, however, that such non-alignment not be too far out of line, and that such 21 days shall in no way infringe upon the rights of, nor offend any ethnic or cultural sensibilities of any of the aforementioned member states.

By that time, American troops should be sufficiently fatigued, stressed and leaning back, and Saddam's countermeasures and sabotage plans should be sufficiently prepared that we can go ahead and begin the attack.

W: WTF is going on? Are you trying to lose support?

[Mark17]

Alright, Saddam, we're going to give you one last chance.

For the 7,348th time.

[Beck_isright]

" If smallpox is a threat, why are we wasting billions on airport security, while leaving the borders wide open?"

Political correctness. The powers that be feel that they will gamble on controlling a small outbreak rather than mobilizing the nation and "offending" our neighbors to the north and south. A prime example of your illustration occurred here (well about 30 mins south of me) about two weeks ago. A Cuban patrol boat (4 man speed boat) defected to the U.S. These 4 sailors worked for their version of the Coast Guard. They were able to bring their boat up to and park it at the slip adjacent to the Hyatt in Key West then had to walk several blocks, with AK-47's and pistols on them, to find a Key West Police officer to surrender to!!!!!! To say some of us were alarmed in Florida is an understatement. Just imagine if that was two suicidal Al-Queda nuts with a speedboat loaded with 500 lbs of C-4. Border security is a joke in this nation so my observation that it will take 100,000 plus dead to fix it I think is valid.

[Beck_isright]

" Are you trying to lose support?"

Every day we delay is another day the frogs and Hollyweird fruitcakes can obstruct. This is not good. Once the soccer moms line up with the leftist nuts, W is in deep, deep trouble on this issue.

[RobFromGa]

Meanwhile, in an apparent quickening of the pace to war, President Bush and Blair are reported by at least one British paper to have decided on a 21-day deadline.

You are going to doubt President Bush's resolve based on this flimsy story?