Iraq

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by osszie

Actually Saddam played a very clever diplomatic game during the last inspection (1998) as has been said several time in this thread, he discovered that members of the UN Inspection team were on the CIA payroll, therefore making the inspection illegal under the agreed conditions

Well I have heard rumours of CIA agents being on the payroll - but I have not seen proof. Provide me with proof that there were CIA Agents? Or is it just Iraqi propaganda?

[BeardofPants]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
Well I have heard rumours of CIA agents being on the payroll - but I have not seen proof. Provide me with proof that there were CIA Agents? Or is it just Iraqi propaganda?

Well, it depends on what you call proof. The fact that one of them came out and admitted it could be considered as proof... however, it could be an Iraqi conspiracy: he could be on Saddam's payroll.

[osszie]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
Well I have heard rumours of CIA agents being on the payroll - but I have not seen proof. Provide me with proof that there were CIA Agents? Or is it just Iraqi propaganda?

I would have thought that the fact that the inspections stopped and no move were made against attacking/enforcing the investigations at the time were proof enough .......surely if Saddam had acted illegally dismissing the UN inspectors that would have been justification for an attack at that time?

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by osszie
I would have thought that the fact that the inspections stopped and no move were made against attacking/enforcing the investigations at the time were proof enough .......surely if Saddam had acted illegally dismissing the UN inspectors that would have been justification for an attack at that time?

The British and American planes spent two or three days bombing various facilities after he kicked the inspectors out. And if it was the case - why didn't the UN condemn it?

Saddam Wants U.N. Sanctions Lifted Iraq Threatens All Inspections

B A G H D A D, Iraq, Jan. 17 — Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein marked the anniversary of the start of the Gulf War today by threatening to ban all U.N. arms inspectors if sanctions against the country are not lifted.

“President Saddam Hussein has warned that the government of Iraq will have to heed a recommendation by its National Assembly to stop cooperation with U.N. inspection teams unless the (U.N.) Security Council moved to meet its obligation and end crippling sanctions clamped on Iraq,” the Iraqi News Agency said in a report on a speech delivered by Saddam today to mark the start of the 1991 Gulf War. Saddam also demanded that the U.N. stop its disarmament activities by May 20.

“There is no other option left for Iraq but this position,” Saddam said.

Saddam also warned the United States against any military attack on his country, saying Washington would reap nothing from such action.

“They (Americans) should not deceive themselves to think that what they have failed to achieve through wickedness and tricks, they are able to realize by a military aggression, ” he warned.

“They should be more careful and they should reconsider what they are intending to do,” he said.

Nothing has changed from the end of the Gulf War to now. The 1998 articale above could have been printed yesterday practically.

On that page there is also an article about Scott Ritter who I think you might be referring to.

On a New Mission
Former U.N. Weapons Inspector Says Iraq Is Disarmed

W A S H I N G T O N, Aug. 2 — Once one of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s chief tormentors, Scott Ritter is now a changed man.
The former United Nations weapons inspector is spending the week in Iraq, convinced that Saddam no longer poses a military threat to his neighbors. The Clinton administration believes Ritter is wasting his time.
Ritter turned up in Baghdad last weekend with a camera crew to videotape weapons sites so he can assess first hand what the Iraqis have been up to since Saddam shut down the U.N. operation in December 1998. Ritter plans to make a documentary in hopes of dispelling what he believes are rumors about Iraq’s weapons activities.
The Clinton administration wants to replace the defunct U.N. operation with a new one that has been authorized by the U.N. Security Council.

[jerseydevil]

Not much has changed in the last 4 years.

Chronology II: Latest Events
Gulf Tension Escalates Again

Jan. 22 — Since October 29, 1997, tensions with Iraq have escalated steadily. Here’s a look at the developments in the crisis so far:

Chronology of a Crisis
Oct. 29
Iraq announces that all Americans on United Nations weapon’s inspections teams have one week to leave the country.

Oct. 30
Iraq announces it does not fear the use of force and officials begin obstructing American involvement in the inspections, turning away two U.S. members of the UNSCOM team.

Nov. 1
Russia and France urge Iraq to back down, but both nations say they are against unilateral action. Nov. 2
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan announces he is sending a three-man diplomatic mission to Baghdad.

Nov. 3
Iraq issues a less-than-veiled threat it will shoot down the U-2 spy planes keeping Iraq under surveillance for the United Nations.

Nov. 4
Iraq agrees to extend the Nov. 5 deadline until after the United Nations assesses its mission. U-2 flights are suspended.

Nov. 5
Annan’s three envoys arrive in Baghdad to meet Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.

The United Nations accuses Iraq of obstructing its weapons monitoring system by hiding equipment from surveillance cameras.

Nov. 6
Washington threatens economic sanctions or military action if Iraq does not comply with the United Nations.

Nov. 7
Aziz pledges Iraq will not expel the American inspectors while talks continue, but Iraq repeats its threat that U-2 aircraft could be shot down if flights are not halted.

Nov. 10
The United States calls for the Security Council to condemn Iraq, threaten “serious consequences,” and impose travel sanctions on Iraqi officials obstructing inspections.

Nov. 11
Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf says his government will not call off the ban on American inspectors unless trade sanctions are eased or the Security Council sends key members to Iraq to verify arms compliance.

Nov. 12
The Security Council unanimously imposes a travel ban on Iraqi officials who interfere with inspections and condemns Iraq for blocking American U.N. arms inspectors.

Nov. 13
Iraq announces it will expel the American arms monitors immediately and U.S. weapons inspectors leave Iraq.

Nov. 14
President Clinton, stepping up military pressure, dispatched a second U.S. aircraft carrier to the Gulf and Britain puts a squadron of warplanes on 48-hour alert.

Nov. 15
A newspaper owned by the son of Saddam urges Arabs to attack American and British targets in the region to show solidarity with Baghdad.

Nov. 16
The United States says it has received a commitment from Russia to intervene in the crisis and makes a similar appeal to France.

Nov. 17
The United States considers sending more fighter planes to the Gulf region as well as increasing the amount of oil Iraq can sell to buy food and other humanitarian goods.

Nov. 18
Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz meets in Moscow with Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov and President Boris Yeltsin. Primakov says Russia has worked out a plan to bring a peaceful end to the crisis.

Nov. 19
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright cuts her trip to India short to attend talks in Geneva on the Iraqi crisis.

U.N. Security Council has closed-door meeting on Iraq situation.

Nov. 20
U.N. arms inspectors are allowed back into Iraq.

Nov. 21
Upon their return to Iraq, U.N. arms inspectors find that the Iraqis have dismantled equipment and moved around and destroyed physical evidence and files.

Nov. 30
The United Nations considers allowing Iraq to sell more oil to buy badly needed food and medicine.

Dec. 1
Massive amounts of U.S. military planes and ships remain in the Gulf.

Dec. 2
Saddam Hussein pressures the United Nations to either lift sanctions against Iraq or change the terms of the food-for-oil program.

Dec. 4
The U.N. Security Council votes to renew, and expand, the food-for-oil arrangement with Iraq, paving the way for Saddam Hussein to purchase much-needed food and medical supplies for the Iraqi people.

Dec. 18
Richard Butler, head of the commission investigating Iraqi weapons programs, reports that the Iraqis have declared wide areas off-limits and expresses anxiety about the future of the U.N. program in Iraq. During his visit to Baghdad days earlier, he was lambasted as a U.S. tool by government-controlled media.

[jerseydevil]

Jan. 2, 1998
A rocket-propelled grenade hits a U.N. building in Iraq. A window is shattered and walls are damaged, but there are no injuries. The Iraqi government condemns the attack.

Jan. 13
Iraq blocks a U.N. inspection team from carrying out its duties, saying the team has too many British and American inspectors. President Clinton decries the move.

Jan. 16
The U.N. inspection team led by former U.S. Marine Scott Ritter leaves Baghdad after being prevented from carrying out its work for three straight days. Iraq had accused Ritter of being an American spy. In response, the United Nations Security Council issued a statement “deploring” Iraq’s failure to comply with the terms of the Gulf War peace agreement by allowing unfettered access to all U.N. inspectors.

Jan. 21
United Nations chief weapons inspector Butler ends two days of crisis talks in Baghdad without reaching agreement on access to suspected weapons sites. The two sides did agree to bring in outside technical experts to assess the situation, but Iraq strengthened its resolve never to allow inspectors into the so-called presidential sites.

Jan. 23
U.N. chief inspector Butler reports to the U.N. Security Council that Iraq has adopted a dramatically different tone with the weapons inspection teams and is being more secretive than ever before.

Jan. 26
President Yeltsin sends a special envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Viktor Posuvalyuk, to Baghdad, to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Jan. 27
Buoyed by support from Congress and a well-received State of the Union address, President Clinton sends envoys abroad to seek support for U.S. action against Iraq.

Jan. 28
Russian envoy Deputy Foreign Minister Posuvalyuk meets with Saddam, delivering a letter from Yeltsin.

Jan. 29
U.S. Secretary of State Albright leaves for talks with French and Russian foreign ministers and the British foreign secretary. She warned a defiant Saddam he had “no excuses left.”

Jan. 30
U.S. Secretary of State Albright meets with Russian Foreign Minister Primakov, with the two disagreeing on whether force should be used.

Feb. 1
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis reportedly begin military training to ward off a possible attack by the United States.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Viktor Posuvalyuk crosses into Iraq.

Feb. 2
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls to increase Iraqi oil sales to $5.2 billion from $2 billion to buy food and medicine. U.S. Secretary of State Albright continues her trip to the Gulf states.

Feb. 3
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright claims regional support for a military strike against Iraq, but cannot convince Saudi Arabia to permit airstrikes launched from its territory.

Feb. 5
President Clinton orders a Marine expeditionary force of 2,000 troops and four ships to the Gulf.

Feb. 12
Russia accuses the United States of a “rigid and uncompromising stance on Iraq.”
Newspapers report Russia may have agreed to sell Iraq equipment that could be used to produce biological weapons. Russia denies the charge.

[jerseydevil]

Retaliation and War
Chronology: Gulf War and After

1990
Aug. 2 Iraq invades Kuwait.
Aug. 11 United Nations imposes sanctions on Iraq. They’re still in force today.

1991
Jan. 16 U.S.-led coalition launches air war against Iraq.
Feb. 26 Allied troops take control of Kuwait.
Feb. 28 Cease-fire announced.
March 2 Shiite Muslims in southern Iraq and Kurds in the north rebel, and Iraqi army crushes both revolts.

1992
Aug. 27 "No-fly-zone" is imposed over southern Iraq to stop air attacks on Shiite Muslim rebels. United States and some allies begin air patrols.

1993
Jan. 7 Baghdad refuses to remove missiles the United States says it has moved into southern Iraq; allied warplanes and warships attack missile sites and a nuclear facility near Baghdad.
June 27 U.S. warships fire 24 cruise missiles at intelligence headquarters in Baghdad in retaliation for plot to assassinate former President Bush. By Iraqi count, eight die.

1994
Oct. 7 Iraqi troops move toward Kuwait, then pull back when U.S. dispatches carrier group, 54,000 troops and warplanes.

1996
Aug. 31 Saddam sends Iraqi forces into northern Iraq, capturing Irbil — a key city inside the Kurdish “safe haven” protected by U.S.-led forces.
Sept. 3-4 U.S. ships and airplanes fire scores of cruise missiles at military targets in a move to punish the Iraq military and discourage it from following Saddam. Clinton extends the southern no-fly-zone to the suburbs of Baghdad.
Nov. 25 Iraq announces “full agreement” with the United Nations on implementing the oil-for-food deal.
Dec. 9 U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali gives final OK allowing Iraq to make limited oil sales.

1997
June 21 President Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin agree to consider tougher sanctions against Iraq unless U.N. weapons inspectors certify in October that Baghdad is fully cooperating.
Oct. 7-30 Iraq refuses to disclose full details of its banned weapons programs and bars Americans from participating in the inspections.
Nov. 5-12 The United Nations accuses Iraq of obstructing its weapons monitoring system and unanimously imposes a travel ban on Iraqi officials.
Nov. 13-14 Iraq expels the American weapons inspectors. President Clinton and Britain step up military presence in the Gulf region.
Nov. 20-21 U.N. arms inspectors are allowed back into Iraq to find that the Iraqis have dismantled equipment and destroyed physical evidence.
Dec. 4-18 The Security Council votes to renew the oil-for-food program, allowing Saddam to purchase much-needed food and medical supplies. Inspectors report that the Iraqis have declared wide areas off-limits.

1998
Jan. 2 A rocket-propelled grenade hits a U.N. building in Iraq. The Iraqi government condemns the attack.
Jan. 13 Iraq blocks a U.N. inspection team, saying the team has too many British and American inspectors.
Jan. 21 U.N. weapons inspectors and Iraq agree to bring in outside technical experts to assess the situation. Iraq still denies access to so-called presidential sites.
Feb. 5 President Clinton orders a Marine expeditionary force of 2,000 troops and four ships to the Gulf.
March 26 U.N. weapons inspectors, accompanied by senior diplomats, begin the search of presidential sites previously closed to inspection.
April 16-27 Iraq threatens new crisis unless talks to lift sanctions begin by the end of April. The Security Council maintains the embargo.
June 24 Chief weapons inspector Richard Butler reports that Iraq placed deadly VX nerve gas in missile warheads.
June 30 The United States fires a missile at an Iraqi anti-aircraft battery in response to a threat from Iraq against a British aircraft. Iraq denies locking the aircraft on radar.
Aug. 4-20 Butler refuses to certify that Iraq has destroyed all its weapons of mass destruction. Iraq freezes all cooperation with U.N. arms inspectors, and the Security Council agrees to maintain sanctions.
Sept. 8 Iraq says allegations that inspectors have been barred from certain sites distort the truth.

1999
Jan. 5 U.S. warplanes fire missiles at four Iraqi fighter jets after Iraqi aircraft electronically targets two U.S. fighters patrolling the no-fly-zone in the southern part of the country.

2001
Feb. 16 U.S. and British forces launch an air attack on targets on the outskirts of Baghdad in response to increased Iraqi activity to target coalition planes.

[jerseydevil]

Moment by Moment

Dec. 16 — President Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have launched air strikes and cruise missile attacks on Iraq. They say Iraq refused to cooperate with the United Nations arms inspection regime, and seemed bent on keeping an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction.

1998 Day by Day Timeline
Saturday, Oct. 31
Iraq suspends all cooperation with U.N. weapons inspectors. The United States and Britain warn Iraq of potential military action to force cooperation.

Thursday, Nov. 12
The United States continues to bolster its military forces in the Gulf region with a combination of troops, ships and warplanes.

Friday, Nov. 13
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan makes a final attempt to convince Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to rescind his decision not to cooperate with U.N. arms inspectors. President Clinton orders the military to proceed with plans for a massive cruise- and air-missile attack against Iraq.

Friday, Nov. 13, 8 a.m.
Clinton sets in motion the air strikes against Iraq. He directs National Security Adviser Sandy Berger to go ahead and telephone Gen. Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to tell him to proceed with the strike on Saturday.

Saturday, Nov. 14, 8 a.m.
CNN reports that a statement is forthcoming from Baghdad and that it will be a positive response to Annan's previous letter seeking a resolution to the crisis. President Clinton decides to "pause" the operation, in effect delaying but not aborting the air strikes. Soon after, the White House receives the first of three letters from Iraq that will clarify Iraq's position its agreement to let U.N. inspectors back into Iraq.

Saturday, Nov. 14, 11 a.m.
Clinton says the first Iraqi offer is not acceptable because of an annex detailing what the United States believes are conditions of Iraqi acceptance of inspectors.

Saturday, Nov. 14, 7:20 p.m.
The White House receives Iraq's second letter. Iraq says the annex contains views and preferences only and spells out that its acceptance of inspections is unconditional.

Saturday, Nov. 14, 9:06 p.m.
A third Iraqi letter is received at the White House that specifies that Baghdad's previous decision to cease cooperation with weapons inspectors from the U.N. Special Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency is null and void.

Saturday, Nov. 14, 9:00 p.m. until Sunday, Nov. 15, approximately 2 a.m. EST
Clinton telephones members of his national security team as well as British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Sunday, Nov. 15, 3:00 a.m.
Clinton orders the operation to stand down.

Tuesday, Nov. 17
Eighty-six U.N. weapons inspectors return to Iraq following its climbdown over inspections after bombing threat.

Sunday, Nov. 22
Iraq says that "provocative" requests for documents by the chief U.N. weapons inspector are intended to provide the United States with a pretext for a military attack.

Wednesday, Dec. 16
U.N. weapons inspectors withdraw from Baghdad one day after reporting Iraq was still not cooperating with their work.

Wednesday, Dec. 16, 5pm EDT
U.S. and British forces start attacks on Iraq. President Clinton says "a strong, sustained series of air strikes" to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs. "Their purpose is to protect the national interest of the United States, and indeed the interests of people throughout the Middle East and around the world," Clinton says.

[BeardofPants]

JD, shouldn't you be in bed?

This stuff is interesting, but it doesn't actually prove that he is harbouring WMD... and we already knew that he was a #$%!.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by BeardofPants
JD, shouldn't you be in bed?

This stuff is interesting, but it doesn't actually prove that he is harbouring WMD... and we already knew that he was a #$%!.

Yes I should be in bed. I wanted to post these so when Hussein rejects UN Inspectors and plays the same games as demonstrated above - then no one can be surprised.

There is also this which was report ed 12/19/99...

Iraq Rejects U.N. Resolution
Aziz Says Iraq is ‘Ready to Face the Consequences’

Dec. 19 — Iraq has rejected a new U.N. policy that would return weapons inspectors to Baghdad after a yearlong absence, saying that it is prepared to face the consequences.

The Security Council passed the resolution on Friday. But Iraq’s allies on the council abstained from the vote, wrecking hopes for a united front to force Iraq to cooperate in return for a possible suspension of U.N. sanctions.

Intelligence sources tell ABCNEWS that Iraq has rebuilt many of the military factories destroyed in last December’s bombings, and they fear the worst about what’s going on inside those buildings.

“It could very well be that Iraq has rebuilt a substantial capability and resumed production of chemical agents [and] biological agents,” Ken Katzman, a former CIA analyst said.

It could be hard to find out. Even when the U.N. inspection team was at full strength, Iraqi officials played cat and mouse games such as keeping inspectors out while quickly emptying the rooms inspectors wanted to see.

While U.S. officials admit they don’t know what Iraq has been up to, they are concerned about what Saddam Hussein had in mind when he ordered three medical machines from a German company. They break up kidney stones but have small switches that are also crucial parts in nuclear bombs.

Iraq has reported to have ordered extra switches. It’s not clear if Iraq got them. But if it did, say analysts, all Iraq lacks now to make atom bombs is enough uranium, a commodity which is available on the black market.

[BeardofPants]

And I'll say it again, ya know, just in case you missed it the first time. Just because he's a @!#$ doesn't mean that he's harbouring WMD. If the inspections fail, then at the very least the appropriate channels were attempted; Bush will at least have a better reason to get hot-headed.

Personally, I'm more worried about Al-Queda. It seems that even Australia and New Zealand aren't safe. (RE: Bali. Bin Laden is said to have praised their handy work... sick bastards.)

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by BeardofPants
And I'll say it again, ya know, just in case you missed it the first time. Just because he's a @!#$ doesn't mean that he's harbouring WMD. If the inspections fail, then at the very least the appropriate channels were attempted; Bush will at least have a better reason to get hot-headed.

I'm just pointing out that it is more likely that Hussein has never stopped manufacturing WMD. They are there - whether the UN Inspectors are successful in finding them or not. It's a known FACT he was manufacturing WMD - it is ignorant to believe that he just stopped for the past four years after he was able to kick out the inspectors.

Personally, I'm more worried about Al-Queda. It seems that even Australia and New Zealand aren't safe. (RE: Bali. Bin Laden is said to have praised their handy work... sick bastards.)

You're surprised that they aren't safe from Al Qaeda? What do you think their ultimate goal is? Do you really think it's just to get America out of the Middle East? Their goal is the destruction of the west and worldwide fanatical muslim domination.

By the way - it's generally becoming the American public feeling that bin Laden is dead. There have been no videos. Only still picture with voice over claiming to be bin Laden and written letters claiming to be coming from him. There hasn't been a verifiable video since around December.

They are sick. And Hussein would probably have no problems supplying them with biological, chemical and nuclear weaponary.

[Dunadan]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
They are sick. And Hussein would probably have no problems supplying them with biological, chemical and nuclear weaponary.

Look, not even the US intelligence services believe that Iraq poses a particular threat to the west.

If Bush really cared about stopping Al-Qaida he'd be trying to engage the co-operation of the moderate Arab states which could help track them. As it is, of course, he only cares about oil, mid-term elections and being seen to be doing something.

In my book, these (combined with your "probably") are not sufficient moral grounds for going to war.

[Sween]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
Well I have heard rumours of CIA agents being on the payroll - but I have not seen proof. Provide me with proof that there were CIA Agents? Or is it just Iraqi propaganda?

dont you think this just contradicts all that you have said. Provide me with proof. when all your argueements are based soley upon opinon and speculations. AS BoP said one of them admitted.

Is this iraqi propagander? My friend are you so clouded by USA propaganda you cannot see?

Not just iraqis lie you know

you quote a lot of media sources in all your posts. Dont believe all you read. All sorces in my opion show a certain level of bias. Esspecially the unregulated internet sources.

do me a favor and think about this one question. What would sadam gain from attacking the USA?

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Sween
you quote a lot of media sources in all your posts. Dont believe all you read. All sorces in my opion show a certain level of bias. Esspecially the unregulated internet sources.

None of my sources come from unregulated internet sources. ABCNews is a highly respected news organisation in the US. They do news items on both sides of the issues. Just because you don't get this news from the US - doesn't mean that it is unreliable. As I stated before - the news items in the international press seem to be far more biased. They present the news in a way that already supports the public opinion of their particular country. When I read the BBC concerning what the US is doing - many things are left out - you only get half the picture.

Also as I have said - we will see. The inspectors are going in. All I did above was present Saddam Husseins past actions. It will all be repeated when the inspectors go into Iraq again. If you don't think so - then you have your head in the sand.

Concerning the CIA agent being part of the last inspector team AND admitting it - all I did was ask you guys to supply me with proof that he had admitted this. You have supplied nothing so far. I will accept it if it came from BBC or something like that - not some islamic fundamentalist site.

Also - why wouldn't Saddam Hussein don't supply terrorist groups with weapons if he thinks he can get away from it. He constantly manages to come in and convince your countries that he's the one that is being bullied.

[Dunadan]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
Also as I have said - we will see. The inspectors are going in. All I did was above was present Saddam Husseins past actions. It will all be repeated when the inspectors go into Iraq again.

You're probably right, of course. Like any self-respecting politician, Saddam will try to turn the Inspections issue to his advantage while trying to reveal as little as possible about what he's actually doing.

This whole WMD/inspections issue, though, is a red herring. If the US really cared about implementing UN resolutions, what's so special about Iraq? What about Israel, Cyprus, etc.?

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Dunadan
You're probably right, of course. Like any self-respecting politician, Saddam will try to turn the Inspections issue to his advantage while trying to reveal as little as possible about what he's actually doing.

Well then I guess it's alright if he is hiding biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. Since he's a good politician - when he does prevent inspections - we should just let him off the hook.

This whole WMD/inspections issue, though, is a red herring. If the US really cared about implementing UN resolutions, what's so special about Iraq? What about Israel, Cyprus, etc.?

If the world cared, why don't they force those countries to comply with the UN? Why is it only the US's responsibility? Everyone acts as if the US is the UN and then complains about what we do. If this is the case and the UN does not want to enforce their own resolutions then I guess the UN is irrelevant. Also - why doesn't the world condemn the suicide bombers that repeatedly attack Israeli citizens?

[osszie]

You all may find this interesting

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13898

[Dunadan]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
If t he world cared, why don't they force those countries to comply with the UN? Why is it only the US's responsibility? Everyone acts as if the US is the UN and then complains about what we do. If this is the case and the UN does not want to enforce their own resolutions then I guess the UN is irrelevant. Also - why doesn't the world condemn the suicide bombers that repeatedly attack Israeli citizens?

They do, or at least I do, though that hasn't stopped them. Funnily enough, neither has bulldozing more of their homes.

However, these are fair points, well put. The world should not expect the US to act as a "policeman" for its affairs and perhaps ought to put more energy into figuring out how else to enfoice resolutions.

Nevertheless, it's still morally wrong (IMO) to invade Iraq now and kill thousands more innocent people.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by osszie
You all may find this interesting

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13898

Yes very interesting. Too bad their website is all one sided. All you have to do is look at their list of Recommended Sites list -

United for Peace
Web resource put together by a collaboration of national and international peace and social justice organizations led by Global Exchange.

IraqAction.org
An online media and activists' resource center for groups and activists who are working to end the war against the people of Iraq.

Education for Peace in Iraq
Working to improve conditions in Iraq through education and advocacy, not war.

AntiWar.com
A libertarian anti-war site that offers breaking news, analysis, and opinion on the war on Iraq.

Give me information from a site that isn't so blatantly biased.