I haven't had time to read this whole thread, but I did notice someone concerned about Iraq's ability to attack "friends of the free world" such as Israel and Turkey. We should worry about a country's ability and propensity to attack any other country regardless of whether they happen to be currently cosying up with Washington. And it is mostly about whose side you are on, not about what is happening in the country. We all know about UN resolutions etc flouted by Israel, and Turkey is hardly a model country either. They have a terrible record of human rights abuses, and their record against the Kurds is almost as bad as Iraq's.

And if the US wants countries to comply with weapons inspections, maybe they should agree to them themselves (they rule them out on the grounds of "national security") and maybe they should think before they use such a body as a means to spy on other countries. It's little wonder other countries may be suspicious of their impartiality.

Bagpuss