Making the UN feel important

Post #51,118 by marlowe 9/9/02 1:07:44 PM Reply	Making the UN feel important [link\|http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020908/ap_wo_en_po/un_general_assembly_2\|Should we be encouraging them?] Excerpts: "I think the voices have been very loud and clear that for a matter of this importance, it is extremely important to have the whole international community aware and on board," said Mauritius' U.N. Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul, a Security Council member. "I think it's important and very significant that he's coming here" to make his case... Norway's U.N. Ambassador Ole Peter Kolby, also a council member, said "everybody appreciates that president Bush is coming here." "I think this is an indication ... that for the United States the United Nations is an important place," he said. "The United Nations has been quite cooperative in the joint fight against terrorism \ufffd and we will carry that on also in this year's General Assembly." I say: Pathetic. Reminds me of that fat girl on the Oblongs. [link\|http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/marlowe/index.html\|http://www.angelfir...e/index.html] Everything's a mystery until you figure out how it works. We are here to go! The nihilists and the liars have buried truth alive in a shallow grave.
Post #51,133 by SpiceWare 9/9/02 4:14:38 PM Reply	My question or if it will give Iraq a last chance to invite U.N. weapons inspectors to return Isn't 4 years long enough to show they're not serious about allowing inspectors to return? Darrell Spice, Jr. [link\|http://home.houston.rr.com/spiceware/\|SpiceWare] - We don't do Windows, it's too much of a chore
Post #51,157 by wharris2 9/9/02 8:20:30 PM Reply	Serious or not 4 years is certainly long enough for them to have shuffled the shells long enough in their shell game that the U.N. inspectors (if allowed back, given previous restrictions placed upon them by Iraq) would have to be inhumanly lucky to stumble upon some weapons factory somewhere. The lawyers would mostly rather be what they are than get out of the way even if the cost was Hammerfall. - Jerry Pournelle
Post #51,165 by Brandioch 9/9/02 9:52:48 PM Reply	We ain't talkin' bathtub gin here. 4 years is certainly long enough for them to have shuffled the shells long enough in their shell game that the U.N. inspectors (if allowed back, given previous restrictions placed upon them by Iraq) would have to be inhumanly lucky to stumble upon some weapons factory somewhere. No. Chemical processing (for gunpowder) on a militarily significant scale (more than re-loading your own shells) requires decent processing equipment. Plus, age and storage are factors. While you can throw a case of shotgun shells in your trunk over the winter, moving truckloads of munitions around requires more effort. Storage is even more important with chemical weapons.
Post #51,215 by wharris2 9/10/02 11:46:27 AM Reply	Bathtub gin? They apparently kept the inspectors away from the chemicals they used against the Kurds, did they not? If they've done it before, they can do it again, and four years of preparation isn't going to make inspections of suspicious sites any easier. The lawyers would mostly rather be what they are than get out of the way even if the cost was Hammerfall. - Jerry Pournelle
Post #51,464 by Brandioch 9/11/02 8:52:39 PM Reply	They did that by keeping the inspectors away. Many times they refused to let the inspectors inspect buildings that the inspectors believed were being used to manufacture/store chem/bio/nuclear materials. To me that means that the inspectors knew where it was happening and they knew that because it is so hard to keep it a secret. When they arrived on site, they were not allowed to inspect. The inspectors knew where it was. Iraq knew that the inspectors would find it if they were allowed to inspect. Iraq did not allow the inspectors to inspect. No hiding.
Post #51,524 by wharris2 9/12/02 12:06:31 PM Reply	Oh, then, that proves it. NOT. The fact that the inspectors knew or suspected some sites proves nothing about the possible existence of other sites. For a lot of weapon research, one wouldn't even necessarily need a constant stream of supplies. Closer to home, they still haven't found the source of the anthrax attacks, despite having the power to get search warrants almost at will. They're devoting a lot of attention to this Hatfill guy, but if in fact he is responsible, he's certainly hidden his tracks pretty well - and if it isn't him, then whoever did do it covered his or her tracks pretty thoroughly. It doesn't take too much of a stretch to think that some unobvious normal-looking building somewhere in Iraq might conceal a chemical or biological lab. The lawyers would mostly rather be what they are than get out of the way even if the cost was Hammerfall. - Jerry Pournelle

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