THE FIRST AND FOREMOST QUESTION IN DETERMINING A NEED FOR A WAR IS WHY? THE ANSWER WAS SIMPLE IN WWII. AS A MATTER OF FACT IT COULD HAVE BEEN DECLARED THREE YEARS AHEAD OF PEARL HARBOR. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE FRENCH HELPED US GAIN OUR INDEPENDANCE AND HAD A LEGITIMATE NEED FOR AN AMERICAN ALLY. HOWEVER, THE SITUATION WITH IRAQ SHADOWS IN COMPARISON TO THAT OF WWII GERMANY. IF IT CAN BE COMPAIRED AT ALL. WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BUT RHETORIC. IF YOU LISTENED TO COLLIN POWELL'S PRESENTATION TO THE UN VERY CAREFULLY YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD A LOT OF "COULD BE LINKED TO OR HAS THE POTENTIAL OF TYPE STATEMENTS". THIS IS NOT FACT AND CERTAINLY NOT INNOCENCE UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. THE QUESTION REMAINS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE UNITED STATES DOES HAVE BONA-FIDE EVIDENCE OF WMDS. IF IT DOES THEN WHY IS IT SO HIDDEN FROM EVERYONE? I'M EVEN WILLING TO ENTERTAIN THE THOUGHT THAT IRAQI INSIDERS LIVES ARE AT STEAK AND THUS PREVENTING THE RELEASE OF THIS INFORMATION TO THE PRESS. THIS IS ACCEPTABLE AT FIRST BUT BECOMES UNBEARABLE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHY THE UN WEAPONS INSPECTORS ARE SO MISINFORMED. IF WE ARE HELL BENT ON A MISSION THATS OUTCOME IS SOLELY TO PROTECT THE WORLD FROM THIS "AXIS OF EVIL" THEN WHY THE CLOAK AND DAGGER WHEN IT COMES TIME TO WORK TOGETHER? FURTHERMORE IT SHOULD BE AKNOWLEDGED THAT WE HAVE NEVER LEFT IRAQ. WE HAVE BEEN BOMBING AND SURVEYING THEM FOR OVER A DECADE NOW. IF WE ARE TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE WE SOON SEE THAT WE SHOULD BE OVERFLOWING WITH FACT ON THE ISSUE. AMERICAN AWACS AND U2 SPY PLANES HAVE BEEN FLYING MISSIONS OVER IRAQ EVERY DAY FOR TEN YEARS. THIS IS THE TOP OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL FOOD CHAIN AS FAR AS EAVES DROPPING GOES BUT HAS YET TO PRODUCE DEFINITIVE LOCATIONS AND WEAPONS SIGHTINGS. THUS I FIND THE CASE FOR A WELL ARMED IRAQ TO BE INCREDULOUS. IT IS NOT A STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION TO SAY THAT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS USING SMOKE AND MIRRORS AND IS EQUALLY PRUDENT TO SAY THAT IN THE PROCESS OF, IT IS ALIENATING MANY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE. THE GERMANS AND FRENCH FOR EXAMPLE. THIS IS PURE ASSUMPTION ON MY PART AND MAYBE SOMEBODY CAN SUPPORT ME ON THIS BUT AREN'T THE FRANCS AND GERMANS BETTER EDUCATED PER CAPITA IN COMPAIRSON TO THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN? MY POINT IS THAT BUSH AND HIS ENTOURAGE AREN'T INTERESTED IN A THOUGHT OUT SYSTEMATIC APPROACH. THE ANSWER IS WAR AND WAR ONLY. NOT TO MENTION IT NEEDS TO BE STARTED IMMEDIATLY. HOWEVER, I DIGRESS AND WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON AN INTRESTING ARTICLE I HAD READ IN THE WASHINGTON POST THIS PAST WEEK. IT SEEMS THAT THE WAR MONGERS HAVE STARTED UP THE ECONOMIC SANCTION MACHINE AND ARE POINTING IT DIRECTLY AT FRANCE AND GERMANY. I WILL START WITH THE FRENCH. WE ARE THREATNING TO LEVY A TAX ON ALL INCOMING FRENCH BOTTELED WATER AND WINE. IN ADDITION TO THIS JAW DROPPER THE U.S. HAS ALSO THREATENED TO MARK FRENCH WINE BOTTLES WITH A FLORESCENT RING DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT IS PURIFIED WITH BOVINE BLOOD. ONE FRENCH CRITIC COMMENTED THAT THIS IS "THE EQUIVILENT OF A MR YUK STICKER". AS IF THIS WASN'T ABSURD ENOUGH GIVEN THE SITUATION AND NATURE OF THE DISCREPANCY WE ARE ALSO THREATNING TO WITHDRAW OUR TROOPS FROM GERMANY. I HAVE TWO POINTS ON THIS ISSUE. ONE, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AND TWO, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO THREATEN SOMEONE WITH A GOOD TIME? THESE ARE SHALOW, JUVENILE, PATHETIC LAST DITCH EFFORTS THAT SHOW THE ADMINISTRATIONS TRUE COLORS. TO SAY THAT DRITY POLITICS IS NOT NECESSARY WOULD BE A COLLOSAL UNDERSTATEMENT. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT KNOWN ENEMIES OR RELATIVLY INSIGNIFICANT SMALL COUNTRIES HERE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EXTREMELY PROGRESSIVE NATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED OUR FRIENDS FOR A LONG TIME. THIS IS HOW WE TREAT THEM WHEN ALL THEY ASK FOR IS SOME THOUGHT DEVOTED TO OTHER OPTIONS? IT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE EVIDENT THAT AMERICA IS THE NATION THAT IS BACKWARDS THINKING AND MOST LIKE A SADDAM LED DICTATORSHIP. THESE ARE STRONG WORDS INDEED BUT IF THE SHOE FITS..... IN CONCLUSION, WAR SHOULD NOT BE EVIDENT.