[George W. Bush]

I'm guessing Blix is busy editing the report he's due to give tomorrow.

Yes. Britain's Shaw is twisting that arm pretty hard, along with Powell. Bush's heavy "inevitability" gives it a bigger push. So, unless Blix wants his report to be the basis under which the U.N. becomes utterly powerless in world affairs, he has to make it tough enough to Britain and the U.S. adequate pretext. Then he has to let the rest of the SC be political and destroy the U.N. if that's what they want.

Blix isn't just a fact-finder. It's a sensitive political job where absolute truth is not actually the objective. Blix gets a lot of criticism here because most people don't understand the nature of his job at the U.N. We all know what his job should be. But not what it really is in practice.

[jwalsh07]

Blix isn't just a fact-finder.

The real GWB vehemently disagrees with you and made that quite clear tonight.

[Cboldt]

Blix isn't just a fact-finder. It's a sensitive political job where absolute truth is not actually the objective. Blix gets a lot of criticism here because most people don't understand the nature of his job at the U.N.

I'll take a stab at it. He was hired by the UN. He is therefore beholden to the employer. If the UN was truley a force, its words would have force behind them. The UN does not have that quality. So, to keep the boss (UN) happy, he is an obedient servant. Acting as he must, to preserve the illusion of imprtance and effectiveness.

I'll be quite happy if I see that charade (the UN) end in my lifetime.

[glock rocks]

blix is monica to the u.n.

he will do anything to:

keep his job...

make everybody happy with him...

avoid critism....

avoid conflict...

in other words, he's the perfect suckup, sans blue dress.