The New Iraq Deadline? March 21st(My Title)

CBS News ^ | March 11, 2003 | Peter Maer

[maquiladora]

CBS News White House Correspondent Peter Maer reports the Bush administration views March 21 as the ultimate deadline for compliance, and rejected out of hand an extension to April 17.

French diplomats said the resolution would still mean authorizing war, which France is unwilling to do. Russia and France have threatened to veto the measure.

Whether the slightly longer time frame for inspections is acceptable to the undecided nations — Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea, Mexico and Pakistan — remains to be seen.

Pakistan's prime minister Monday said for the first time publicly that his country, a key swing vote on the council, wouldn't support war with Iraq. A spokesman for the ruling party later said this meant that Pakistan would abstain from voting. And Chile, another vote Washington is after, suggested it is not prepared to embrace the resolution without changes.

Though the resolution is in trouble, the White House would consider it a moral victory if it got the nine Security Council votes ordinarily needed for passage.

[maquiladora]

Another 4 days?

[mewzilla]

Oh for #@!#$#!

[Semper Paratus]

The moving date is giving me motion sickeness but if drop dead date for the UN vote is this week I can handle it.

[mhking]

Bush administration views March 21 as the ultimate deadline for compliance

F*** this. Bomb now. Talk later. Screw the UN.

[PhiKapMom]

Ditto for #3!

[Wait4Truth]

I can handle it, too. Four days is borderline acceptable.

[First_Salute]

It is now past sunset and dark in Bagdad. Shortly, true for the country and the border regions to the west. In about 1.5 hours, true for the general theatre of operations.

This is it; today, tonight, right now.

[mewzilla]

Now that I think about it a moment, though, this may make a lot of sense. If this starts on a weekend, then less to deal with on the homefront if Saddamn tries anything over here. Easier to deal with things on a weekend than a busy weekday.

[not too stupid]

DITTO! It's time to Sh*t or get off the pot.

[PhiKapMom]

I think the dealine is irrelevant. What is important is to have the vote -- let France veto it and then we are free to go on our own timeline!

[eureka!]

"I can handle it, too. Four days is borderline acceptable."

Strategery. W is letting the UN destroy itself. Setting up a history of delays. I would imagine that when he addresses the American people, he will recount these efforts--and I do hope that he lists the supporters that the presstitutes neglect to acknowledge....

[CougarGA7]

I agree with you mhking. I say that our first precision guided bomb should fall ON THE UN. It seems clearer and clearer to me that the lose of life in that strike would be very small compared to the lose of life that organization would cause.

[dawn53]

What difference does the date make if France or Russia are still going to veto?

What does a couple of days difference in the resolution make if that's what it takes to placate somebody. Because if we're promised a veto, the date has no real significance. If it's vetoed, we are held to no date.

[mhking]

It is now past sunset and dark in Bagdad. Shortly, true for the country and the border regions to the west. In about 1.5 hours, true for the general theatre of operations.

Baghdad weather for tonight: Partly Cloudy with a zero chance of rain, low 56.

[COBOL2Java]

March 21st? What year?

[mikenola]

recent FR "deadline" threads:

Undecided Countries Requesting a 45 day Deadline http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/862139/posts
Breaking News: U.S. Rejects April 17th Deadline Extension, Says Vote Will Happen This Week http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/862096/posts
U.S. Fails to Secure Iraq Deadline Votes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/861601/posts
U.S. May Extend Deadline On Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/861459/posts
UN's 6 Undecided Council Members Seek Delay in Iraq Deadline (April 17th!!!) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/861405/posts
Britain: Iraq Deadline Could Be Extended http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/861386/posts
Powell: No Extension of March 17 Deadline http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/861029/posts

[Keeper of the Turf]

Well...if they are going to delay it, they might as well wait till I get back from vacation. I couldn't handle not having access to FR during wartime.

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[EternalHope]

This is it; today, tonight, right now.

Don't think so. The best time to attack is a Friday night. That way our core cities are mostly empty when/if the evil ones use their weapons of mass destruction.

For the same reason, I also think the possible "delay" until March 21 is believable. That may be the planned start date anyway.

The next most likely date, IMHO, is the night of March 14 (also a Friday).

I, along with most Americans, am anxious to get going. By the time it starts, the dims are going to have a hard time using the "rush to war" mantra. They will also have a hard time defending the UN.

Looking a little further into the future, I'm also looking forward to Congressional investigations into the role France and Germany played in the arming of Iraq.