Heard a discussion on the radio yesterday between three former inspectors. They were in agreement a) that Iraq was pretty clean when they left; b) about the only thing they weren't able to find was some canisters of a biological agent the Iraqi's admitted they had but said they had destroyed (but by now it would be academic because due to the short shelf-life of this particular agent, it would no longer be usable); c) that just the presence of the inspectors poking around would make it very expensive for Hussein to keep trying to build and/or hide WMDs.

Expensive financially, because he would have to keep quickly moving the stuff away from where the inspectors (not announcing their visits ahead of time) were about to inspect, which would be a logistical nightmare; and expensive politically, because after announcing that he didn't have any, if he were inadvertently caught with some, lots of folks would be more amenable to lowering to boom on him.

Thus spake three former inspectors (Americans), who also said that several of the American "inspectors" were not inspectors at all, they were there for purposes of espionage, and everybody, including Hussein, knew it. Well documented, in fact.

Last I heard, as far as the presidential palaces are concerned, they're still leaning on Hussein about that. So far, he hasn't said "no inspections," he's said "no inspections without prior arrangements." It's not a done deal yet.

Don Firth