I wonder how many Anericans in favour of the war do it from Troll's perspective: "Screw you - we're teh biggest." Not only is it a childish argument, but also it will fuel hatred of the US which it will not be possible to defend against with NMD.

Claymore, is it so offensive that the French government subsidises its culture and language? More offensive than that Ireland subsidises a Gaelic-language radio station, for instance? What exactly was your point here? On your point about 1441, Wolfgang has pointed out that the text was calculatedly ambiguous - ie open to more than one interpretation. It was the only way a consensus could be achieved behind it. The US ambassador, urging nations to support it notwithstanding any misgivings, gave a specific assurance that nothing in 1441 was a trigger and that it contained no "automaticity" (his word, not mine!). I would have thought that this qualification went some way towards ruling out one particular interpretation. Or were his words not worth a row of beans, just like the US sigature on the UN charter?