To Guest Boab, Taken from your original Objective view of the Dossier presented to Parliament:

"See yon pictures of the nuke weapons establishment, and the missile testing site? From the vantage point of the camera, you could have blattered either with your eyes closed."

Just when could you have "blattered" them "with your eyes closed"??

"They've been bombing Iraqi targets for ten bloody years!"

Well actually Boab they haven't - subsequent to the end of air operations called for during Desert Storm which ended early on in 1991, Iraq has only been subjected to bombing for a period of four days during Desert Fox 16th to 19th December 1998. Aircraft patroling the Northern and Southern No-Fly Zones have fired whenever acquisition radars have illuminated their aircraft, but as the armament fired in response to those occasions locks in on the radars, those targets are legitimate military targets.

"Who the hell does that smarmy git think he's kidding? I'd be less enraged if they'd only tell the truth about Saddam Hussein, That he's an evil ratbag there is no doubt, but why sicken ordinary intelligent folks with stupid fairy-tales?"

You mean you don't think that they are telling the truth about him at the moment?? And what is it you are actually enraged at?? Perhaps you believe that Saddam Hussein is really just a bit of a lad, havin' a bit of fun. He doesn't really mean anything by it even though he's an evil ratbag. What truth is it exactly, that you want told about Saddam Hussein?? - individual testimony from people who have suffered at his hands not enough!! And in what part of the Dossier are the sickening fairy tales detailed?

In your post above, you say:

"If there is one good thing to come out of the present crisis, it is the galvanising effect it has had on the UN."

What brought that about?? A sudden change of heart on the part of the UN - after all they've been sitting around for eleven years doing absolutely bugger all about the situation, swallowing every lie, prevarication and red herring that Iraq has thrown at them.

"In fact, as far as I can see, this is developing into a race between the UN, who are trying hard to get Weapons Inspectors back into Iraq. and what appears, in spite of your oft-repeated opinions, to be a determination on the part of Bush to ignore all attempts at diplomacy and all pleas for caution from other UN member states and go ahead willy-nilly to smash Hussein"

Boab the UN weapons inspectors are going back into Iraq solely because of the diplomatic efforts of George Bush. Look exactly at what he has done; brought to the UN's attention that Iraq has failed to comply with existing UN resolutions; highlighted the potential threat to the instability of the region and the world if Iraq's pursuit of WMD goes unchecked; Given clear indication of intented actions if the UN, for whatever reason, chose to ignore this matter.

"The United States of America is a member of the UN. That fact does not appear to deter them from showing apparent contempt for the organisation at almost every juncture."

Precisely when and how has the United States of America shown apparent contempt for the UN at almost every juncture??

"Perhaps if they were "paid-up" members they would carry more weight in its workings."

Nice one - that I liked - factual and to the point.