Ahh, Monday morning... Just a couple of comments.

1. While I don't have access to the UN charter, I would be very suprised if it in any way limited a nation from taking preemptive action in any case in which that nation feels it's own best interests are threatened. It has happened on numerous occasions with nations who are still members of the UN. The UN oftern issues a statement decrying the actions, but that is about all. The UN totally lost it's credibility in the Bosnian/Serbian conflicts, as the European nations sat and wrung their hands until Clinton belatedly stepped in.

2. As I understand it, 1441 gives all the power the US needs to operate within the mandate of the UN. Anything else is gravy, and was designed to give Blair some political cover.

3. And this is an after-thought. Why the hell does France have a veto in the Security Council anyway? The veto was provided to those nations who the world acknowledged were the victors and world powers of their day. At that time France was a defeated nation whose organized army lost to the Germans, and then fought the Americans in several battles and sea engagements in southern France and North Africa. Some of the very first casualties the Americans suffered in Europe were by the Vichy French. The country now has a dying culture and language, which is propped up only by government subsidies and mandates. The only casualty suffered in the Iraqi nuclear reactor bombing by the Israelis in 1981 was a French scientist, who was helping them build the atom bomb.

Finally, in a study done several years ago, and recently revived on CNN, Saddam indicated his five mistakes made during the last Gulf War (and they are instructive)

a. He did not insure he had the atom bomb before invading Kuwait.

b. He did not continue his attack into the oil fields of Saudia Arabia.

c. He waited too long to conduct a preemptive attack against the Coalition forces, as they were off-loading in Saudia Arabia.

d. He waited too long before launching SCUDs at Israel, and then did it piecemeal.

e. He put too much emphasis on the French and Russian diplomacy to prevent the Coalition from invading.

According to the CNN (Wolf Blizer) report, these items were taken from an Iraqi after action study, commissioned by Saddam after the Gulf war. The CNN analysts were wondering how Saddam would respond this time, given the information in that study. I suspect we may be only hours away from finding out...