[TLBSHOW]

He is alright and we have agreeded and disagreed before. Fact is we have been ready for over 1 year to do this but the UN is being courted and in my opinion for one reason only to make it stronger than it ever was. I hope I am wrong and I hope they vote not to go and we go without them. But fact is we have wasted 6 months and let the world opinion come against us and we have let the anti-war commies get in place to do us damage when if we had gone earlier we would be done with the UN dance by now and Iraw would be liberated now. As it is we are instead hoping the UN is on our side. Why? You tell me. I say because the President or Powell wants to make them strong.

[BJR]

I wish you were right but don't think you are. I believe Powell has brainwashed Bush into believing that the US will face isolation and reprisals from the world if we stiff-arm the UN and go without them. It's wrong, but I could have accepted it if Bush had not been so outspoken and posturing about going to war for the last six months.

No matter what happens now, the US has been made to look weak and intimidated by France and its friends.

[TomB]

As it is we are instead hoping the UN is on our side. Why? You tell me. I say because the President or Powell wants to make them strong.

Wrong again.

Aside from killing time until the pieces are in place and weakening the UN, we are doing this to give Tony Blair political cover. Here is a quote from one of the rebel MPs Martin Salter, "Even among those who have fundamental problems with the government's policy towards Iraq, there is a grudging and genuine respect for his manifest personal convictions on the issue, and for persuading America to put the issue to the U.N."

And if Bush wanted to strengthen the UN, why all this comparison to the League of Nations? By ignoring the UN when we go into Iraq, Bush is weakening it not strenghtening it.