Inspections Going Slowly as More Troops Ordered to Gulf

[Terri]

By Stephen Dewey
GOPUSA News
January 13, 2003

WASHINGTON (GOPUSA News) -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered 62,000 more U.S. troops including two large Marine units to the Persian Gulf region near Iraq on Friday, bringing the number of troops deployed there to about 107,000. The buildup occurred as weapons inspectors complained of their inability to make substantial progress towards determining the extent to which Iraq has disarmed.

Inspectors said that "Iraq has been cooperating well in the area of process, but not as much in the area of substance." They would like to see more documentation and evidence that Iraq has actually destroyed its nuclear capabilities as required and wish to interview Iraqi scientists who they believe would talk about Iraq's weapons programs if assured safety. The United States contends that Iraq has not actually disarmed, and weapons inspectors would need evidence from Iraq to counter those claims.

Inspectors also want to receive more intelligence information from the United States that would help them detect Iraqi nuclear capabilities. Chief Inspector Hans Blix maintained that while inspections are continuing, inspectors have not yet found a "smoking gun" that would back up U.S. claims.

Full Story (http://gopusa.com/news/2003/january/0113_iraq.shtml)

[Granite River]

If Hans found a smoking gun, which would bring satellite guided bombs to the spot, what would he do? If it was me I would pretend that I didn’t see anything until I could get all of my people out of the country.

CBS has its human shield in place all of this week. Ban Rather is in Baghdad.

[Bob2351]

Let us suppose that a "smoking gun" is never found. Do we assume that no gun exists and pack up and leave? Or do we assume that the gun is there somewhere and go in full force? My feeling is that sooner or later we are going to have to fight this guy and I would rather do it before he has even one nuke. The Muslim world will not hate us one bit more for invading Iraq. Installing a democratic regime might very well do more for us, and them for that matter, than years of dickering with despots.

[Terri]

GR, I watched Rather tonight. I almost never do that but we don't have cable in the kitchen.

It was an anti-war commercial and nothing more. http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/shake.gif

[Floridaguy]

I heard this morning that Blix is considering January 27 the deadline for a "preliminary report" and nothing else, and that his recomendation would be to continue with inspections, especially since air support for travel quickly throughout Iraq has only recently become available. I think that might put him on the same page as the administration, unless something major was found between now and 1/27. It would give the president away to keep the focus on Iraq, rather than other nations saying we had our time, nothing was found so it is over. http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sarcasm.gif

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