The trouble is, I don't believe or trust these people.

We keep on being told "how can you believe Saddam Hussein with his record of lying" - and that's true enough of him, but it's also true of our own governments, both historically, and as regards the individuals concerned.

They won't produce the evidence on which their judgements are said to be based. The reports which have been released are full of holes and evasions and ambiguities. So it has to be down to trust - and there's no adequate grounds for that trust.

If the UN inspectors report that they have found convincing evidence of weapons of mass destruction being stored and deployed, that's one thing. But it hasn't happened yet - and it is noteworthy that there are already efforts in the US media anyway seeking to discredit the UN inspectors, in preparation, it seems likely, to disregarding what they report.