Posted on 04/09/2003 12:34:42 PM PDT by Steven W.
PARIS, April 9 (UPI) -- In harsh remarks published Wednesday, U.N. weapons chief Hans Blix roundly criticized Washington's decision to go to war in Iraq, and faulted U.S. intelligence for offering what he called bogus information about an alleged Iraqi weapons purchase from Niger.
"There is evidence that, in fact, this war was planned for a long time," Blix told Spain's leading El Pais newspaper, adding he had doubts about the U.S. "attitude" regarding arms inspections at the U.N. Security Council.
During the lengthy interview published in Spanish, Blix complained the United States and Britain did not allow inspectors sufficient time to do their job, responding to the dictates of an approaching Iraqi summer instead.
"It seemed the high temperature in Iraq came at a point where they needed to launch attacks," Blix said.
"Unfortunately, the two governments were very impatient during the first days of March, and they didn't let us finish our job," he said. "A few more months would have been enough to affirm -- as asserted by the Americans and British -- whether Iraq really possessed the arms" of mass destruction.
The United States and Britain eventually sidestepped the Security Council, when it looked like they would have insufficient votes to pass a war resolution -- and possibly a veto from France, or another permanent, anti-war council member. Washington, however, maintained that previous U.S. resolutions gave it the authority to wage war against Iraq.
Blix also denounced as "absolutely false" U.S. intelligence reports, apparently sent to the International Atomic Energy Agency that Niger had sold enriched uranium to Iraq. Niger has denied the charge.
Washington's mind set on Iraq, Blix suggested, was largely shaped by post-Sept. 11, 2001, security concerns.
Now, Blix said, the United States, too, may have doubts about Iraq's reported stash of weapons of mass destruction.
"I think the Americans started the war thinking so," he said. "Today, I think they believe less in this possibility."
The military conflict may indeed liberate Iraqis from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, Blix said, and prevent Baghdad from amassing weapons of mass destruction in the future.
But, he said, "it's at a very high cost in human lives and the destruction of a country," which could have been avoided through weapons inspections.
He is NOT the news anymore.
Blaming the USA the way he has done is disgusting. He should be blaming SH for NOT coming clean like the regime was required to.
Would somebody please "flush" this guy!!!!!
hawk
They? Who's they Mr Blix? You didn't do a damn thing for 12 years and in all that time the people of Iraq suffered from your gd insistance on keeping that egotistical wanker in office. You'd be perfectly happy to have left him there too and you're also whining about him being tossed out. That's why I wouldn't mind giving you a punch in the nose, or seeing you spend 6 months, or a few years in one of the bozo's torture chambers.
Leftists are sick in the head.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.