good post QrazyQat. I shall then resteate the real problem here and that is the current inability of the UN to do anything as long as France uses it as a counterbalance to a more powerful USA rather than getting on board(i had a string of posts dsomewhere else in here about this). The fact of the matter is that Francce signed off on 1441 like every other country and then stated that they would NEVER use force against Iraq. So irrational. So counterproductive.

An article in the NYTimes yesterday had a detailed history of the meetings between the USA and France and appartently Powell told Villupin(sp?) NOIT to sing onto 1441 unless he could guarantee they would support the use of force that is cited in paragraph #9. Powell was counting on Iraq not complying unless unilateraLl force was threatened - he has been dealing with Saddam for 12 long years. France assured us they would use force if Iraq did not comply and then... they left us out to dry.

Iraq did NOT comply. Scientists were NOT available for interviews and that, in and of itself is an admission of guilt - and a breach of the UN.
so whats the big beef? looks to me like the UN is flawed and ineffective. I question whether it is rational for one country to be able to sink a move against an unelected vicious tyrant. Add to this the fact that Libya is heading the colitee on human rights and you can see that acting without the UN is necessary when they have become such a joke.

jleader, i never read that a zero dollar aid package was approved for Afghanistan. I think Karzai was here before they approved anything. We have commited aoid to Afghanistan. Life IS better there than it was before in contradiction to Noam Chomsky's ridiculous "silent genocide" porediction so many anti war activists believed in. Fatc is, i don't hear much of any of the anti war activists saying anything about Afghanistan because it was a successful militaryt campaign all around. civillian casualties were extraordinarily low, refugees are returning, rebuilding is occuring, and they are slowly but surely reentering the modern world.


but Iraq will be different! the sky is falling!!