The Lowdown on the Showdown

[GLDNGUN]

While most are aware by now that President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar will confer Sunday in the Azores, it seems just as many do not realize the weight of this meeting. This truly is a “war council”...

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

I agree with the others - this is one smart little birdie. I like the analysis - makes a lot of sense.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Exactly. Now Blair can shift blame to the usual villian France. People forget the poll that showed good British support for war if the UN supported it. Chirac so obviously acting in bad faith won't be overlooked by the average Brit. His "Wellstone Memorial" moment.

[Diddle E. Squat]

My guess is B. Snerdley.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Or rather the artist formerly known as...

[Diddle E. Squat]

Something to consider ping.

[DugwayDuke]

Not three to seven days. Gives the initiative to France and the other allies of Iraq. Too much time for things to get out of hand. I suspect it will be 24 hours, ie, 1200 Noon, Washington time on Monday. That would be about 8 PM in Iraq. All night to bomb and for the troops to roll.

[Travis McGee]

Very Important Post.

Please give this the widest possible pingage. It lines up 100% with my own armchair anaylsis. 100%.

[section9]

Condie, is that you?

To long winded to be quidam.

Aw, come on, Condi isn't quidam. Condi as actually Congressman Billybob.>_<

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[MHGinTN]

Excellent analogy and good 'guesses'. I like it and I hope it goes down as you have described. One thig: Secretary Powell is a military man; he knows what war is and wants it to be only a last resort. I applaud Sec. Powell's efforts to get the damn feckless U.N. to actually enforce their own resolutions (albeit our force must do the job), and the linkage to 687, with the clause of 'serious consequences' was, in my humble opinion, a masterful stroke! When Saddam ignored 1441, he abrogated the 687 cease-fire, thus stamping military action against him as legal and proper. In all, I'd say the mish-mash of international sheriffing has been quite successful, kind of like herding alligators and rattlesnakes, but the ones not with us have exposed their own butts for all the world to take note. [BTW, the NATO alliance will now take on the gravitas it needs, sans froglegs.]

[Semper911]

this is the likely scenario from where I sit.

I like the view from where you sit. The "little birdy" must be the catbird.

Keep us in the loop as much as you can. I like seeing the big picture and the intimate details without the media hype and speculation.

Thank you for taking the time to bang out these details for us. I look forward to your future posts.

[FBD]

Celebrity Liberal Blacklist HERE. Find out whose movies and music to avoid, and also, who is on our side!

[Joe Hadenuf]

I grew tired of all the talk two months ago.... Let's get it on, or shut the hell up......

[MHGinTN]

Naw, Condi is a lot prettier than John.

[UnBlinkingEye]

“Big 3”

?????

One big dog, a poodle and a chihuahua.

[Jim Noble]

>> France can take the United Nations bureaucrats and delegates of the dictatorships to a new home of the U.N. outside Paris. May I suggest Vichy?<<

Compiegne would be more fitting.

[Miss Marple]

Size and wealth are not the measures of courage.

When measuring valor, they are indeed, the "Big 3."

[arjay]

I certainly hope you are correct. Yours is one of the more encouraging posts I have seen lately.

[Interesting Times]

Very convincing overview and analysis.

Thanks for providing it.

[UnBlinkingEye]

When measuring valor, they are indeed, the "Big 3."

It takes no valor for politicians to volunteer others to attack a nation that poses little or no threat to them or their constituents. When measuring hypocrisy the title of the "Big 3" is well deserved.

[Miss Marple]

I dearly hope your analysis is correct, and of course I do not have any inside information.

However, I look at the three men who will be at this meeting, and I notice that Berlusconi, who has been an outspoken ally of the USA, and Howard, who has sent Australia's forces, are not included.

The three who are attending share one thing: they sit on the UN Security Council, two permanently, and Spain as a rotating member.

Given this situation, I must give some credence to the possibility that there will be some sort of attempt with the UN.

If your post is speculation and you are incorrect, there will be a great many people disappointed and once again frustrated. In all courtesy, I ask you to please indicate how much of this analysis is speculation and how much is bona fide knowledge. Thank you.