[The Wizard]

This was originally post under a different headline, I send my respects to maquiladora who pointed it out original post

[The Wizard]

presage the start of war

[JohnHuang2]

Superb catch -- this should be under breaking news.

[firewalk]

bttt

[GraniteStateConservative]

You should have just had the admins rename her post and move it to breaking news. Her post also gives the insight that contrary to the media, Bush wasn't on the phone begging countries for support, but instead was expressing gratitude to countries who long ago got on board.

[leadpenny]

Andrea Mitchell-Greenspan was on the Imus show this AM, and I thought I heard her say that President Bush will address the nation on Monday.

[The Wizard]

Bush shifted his feverish diplomacy from pressing undecided council members to thanking leaders who have supported the U.S. policy.

[kcvl]

UK, US, Spain Considering Summit to Discuss Iraq Strategy
VOA News

14 Mar 2003, 13:22 UTC


President Bush and the British and Spanish prime ministers are considering a three-way summit to discuss diplomatic strategy ahead of a possible U.N. vote on Iraq.

U.S. and British officials say no plans for a summit have been finalized, but the meeting could be held within the next few days. The three countries are struggling to win U.N. Security Council approval of a draft resolution that would set a deadline for Iraq to disarm or face military action. They face stiff opposition.

French President Jacques Chirac says he is ready to work with Britain to explore ways of disarming Iraq, but a spokeswoman says Mr. Chirac continues to reject any talk of an ultimatum. Mr. Chirac made the remarks in a telephone conversation Friday, with Mr. Blair. France has threatened to veto the draft resolution.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder told the parliament in Berlin Friday that he is convinced the Iraq crisis can still be solved peacefully. He insisted that U.N. weapons inspectors can produce "sustainable and verifiable disarmament." Diplomats at U.N. headquarters in New York are holding intense discussions on the draft resolution ahead of a possible vote in the next few days. The 15-member Security Council failed to reach agreement on a British compromise proposal after several hours of talks Thursday. The proposal spells out six steps for Iraq to prove it is disarming. In Moscow Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov said the British proposals are not constructive and do not resolve the key problem, which he says is preventing the use of force against Baghdad.

[kcvl]

WAR LEADERS PLAN SUMMIT

Mar 14 2003

By Naveed Raja


Tony Blair and George Bush will meet in a neutral country this weekend to finalise their plans for war, it was reported today.

Spanish leader Jose Maria Aznar will also attend the meeting if it goes ahead. Spain is backing British and American calls for a second UN resolution to sanction a US-led invasion of Iraq.

The move is the latest development in the march to war and another signal time is short for diplomacy to solve the Gulf crisis.

Meanwhile the Prime Minister spoke with Jacques Chirac for ten minutes by phone today. But the leaders' positions remain as far apart as ever, despite the French leader saying he was prepared to compromise over the crisis.

Downing Street said France re-stated its opposition to a UN resolution for war while the Prime Minister argued for an ultimatum to be delivered to Saddam.

Earlier German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder insisted military action is not inevitable and pleaded for UN weapons inspectors to be given more time.

"We must have the courage to fight for peace as long as there is a scrap of hope that a war can be avoided," he told German MPs.


"Together with our French friends, with Russia and China, we are more than ever convinced that Iraq's disarmament can and must be achieved by peaceful means. It is still possible to solve this conflict peacefully."

At home Chancellor Gordon Brown said he believed a second resolution against Iraq could be passed at the UN, despite widespread opposition to war amongst the international community.

Meanwhile Westminster remained split over the moral and legal justification for launching a devastating blitz on Iraq.

Labour MP Alice Mahon called for the Government to prove war without UN backing was legal.

"These are extremely special circumstances. It is clear the country is split down the middle about whether we should go to war," she said.

"I just think we have a right to know before we commit our servicemen and women into what could be an illegal war."

And shadow attorney general Bill Cash said he had asked the Prime Minister to disclose the legal basis on which military action in Iraq would be justified.

[CedarDave]

Stalling just a couple more days to see if the new Turkish government can be brought on board. If that doesn't happen this weekend, it won't happen at all and Turkey can be factored out of the equation.

[CPL BAUM]

PROGNOSTICATION:

President Bush will address the nation from the Oval Office on Saturday or Sunday evening - prime time. The speech will be short and to the point -

"We have exhausted all diplomatic attempts to resolve this matter peacefully. I cannot and will not allow the safety and security of our nation and of our allies to be threatened by those who would do us harm...by those who develop weapons of mass destruction and demonstrate their callousness and willingness to use them...and by those who maintain close ties with - and provide safehaven to - the enemies of freedom.

It is time for the inspectors to leave.

God bless the United States of America - and God bless her sons and daughters who sacrifice so much to ensure that others may taste the fruits of freedom."

The troops go in on Tuesday. Let's Roll.

[mhking]

"Two-minute Warning" as it were...