Today's News: the liberal slant...

[CagedTroll]

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And oh yeah let's not forget---, [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

[CagedTroll]

I'm such a lonely person.

[KingCantona]

So Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell were right?...

They both said in 2001 that Saddam had no WMDs and he had no way of manufacturing them, I saw both of them say this with my own eyes and it is just a little bit reassuring that some statements made by Republicans are true......

Trouble is they totally recanted this later in the year (after 9/11), but I just call that reverting to type...

But maybe they were referring to the civilian tractor that they mercilessly obliterated last week... ...

Shoot first and then shoot later...... ........

[Taxman]

Originally Posted by KingCantona

So Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell were right?...

They both said in 2001 that Saddam had no WMDs and he had no way of manufacturing them, I saw both of them say this with my own eyes and it is just a little bit reassuring that some statements made by Republicans are true......

You are is rare form lately, aren't you?

I'm willing to admit that we may have been wrong about Iraq's WMD, but then I can't help but wonder if that was the case, then why the obstruction and maneuvering by Saddam?

[Jwelch111]

As I recall the UN inspectors were in Iraq until just prior to the initiation of the Iraq Invasion.

I'm not sure how Saddam obstructed or manuevered their inspections.

Links??

Maybe slightly OT, but should the UN return to Iraq now, as requested by The Bush Administration?

[Taxman]

Originally Posted by Jwelch111

As I recall the UN inspectors were in Iraq until just prior to the initiation of the Iraq Invasion.

I'm not sure how Saddam obstructed or manuevered their inspections.

Links??

Maybe slightly OT, but should the UN return to Iraq now, as requested by The Bush Administration?

You seriously don't recall any of the news items spanning 12 years dealing with the restrictions placed by Saddam on the teams or the "now you see it now you don't" records ect? Ok, here are a couple of links to refresh your memory:

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As to the question of the UN returning to Iraq, that would depend on what role they wish to play...

[CagedTroll]

Originally Posted by Taxman

You seriously don't recall any of the news items spanning 12 years dealing with the restrictions placed by Saddam on the teams or the "now you see it now you don't" records ect? <SNIP>

Saddam claimed some of the UNSCOM inspecters were CIA spies, he said with the intent of overthrowing him. That's when he started refusing to let them inspect sites, instead of just being sneaky when they got there. That was in '98, methinks, when inspectors left Iraq.

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"Sneaky" was everything prior to '92 or '93, when that son-in-law or whatever he was snuck out of Iraq and spilled the beans on everything. "Evasive" was everything between than and '98, and "incompetent but eager" everything after 2002.

[Taxman]

Originally Posted by CagedTroll

Saddam claimed some of the UNSCOM inspecters were CIA spies, he said with the intent of overthrowing him. That's when he started refusing to let them inspect sites, instead of just being sneaky when they got there. That was in '98, methinks, when inspectors left Iraq.

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"Sneaky" was everything prior to '92 or '93, when that son-in-law or whatever he was snuck out of Iraq and spilled the beans on everything. "Evasive" was everything between than and '98, and "incompetent but eager" everything after 2002.

I'm no expert, but isn't it true that he insisted on managing the access of the inspector from the begaining?

OT: Not sure about the objectivity of globalpolicy.org... The whole "American Empire" thing rubs me the wrong way...

[CagedTroll]

Originally Posted by Taxman

I'm no expert, but isn't it true that he insisted on managing the access of the inspector from the begaining?

OT: Not sure about the objectivity of globalpolicy.org... The whole "American Empire" thing rubs me the wrong way...

Only posted the globalpolicy.org, for the articles they quoted, not their commentary.

Saddam was evasive throughout the 90s. Still, between '91 and '98 UNSCOM inspectors accounted for the destruction of 90-95% of his WMD capability, according to their estimates. At a total cost of about quarter-billion dollars.

The second batch of inspections (led by Hans Blix) had double the budget, with access to more sites and more freedom of movement, including palaces. There were still some restrictions, like allowing interviews of scientists outside of Iraq, but nothing like what they had to deal with (95% successfully) prior to '98.