INDEPENDENT NEWS

Archiving: Countdown To War Full Coverage (1)

Published: Fri 28 Feb 2003 03:49 PM
EDITOR'S NOTE: This page archives material from the Scoop:
Countdown To War With Iraq
A Scoop Special Feature
... page which was getting very long...
Pope Says Give Peace A Chance - John Paul II urged an emphatic 'No to war!' in Iraq and the Holy Land, when he received the ambassadors of the world accredited to the Vatican. See... "No to War!" in Iraq and Holy Land- John Paul II
David Miller: Making Sense Of Tony Blair - It is interesting to see that the British Government is revising its hard-line stance on Iraq while deploying a naval task force to the Persian Gulf at the same time. See... David Miller: Method in the Madness
The State Of The World According To Kofi Annan - We start the year with anxiety – anxiety over the prospect of war in Iraq, over nuclear proliferation in the Korean peninsula, and over what seems like violence without end in the Middle East. See... UN Secretary-General's press conference - 14 Jan and Annan optimistic Iraq can be disarmed peacefully
The State Of The World According To Tony Blair - Prime Minister Tony Blair has held his monthly press conference in the State Dining Room at Downing Street. These press conferences allow journalists to ask the Prime Minister questions on any aspect of government policy. See... PM Tony Blair Press Conference 13 January and Saddam should take the peaceful route and disarm
…Meanwhile At The Other End Of The Axis Of Evil - While the Bush administration gathers its forces in the Persian Gulf to prosecute a war against Iraq, a growing crisis on the Korean peninsula has attracted international concern and attention. See... BTL: Korean Crisis Aggravated by Hostile Rhetoric
Which Country is the Biggest Threat to World Peace & Why? - Iraq, North Korea or the USA? Click Here to VOTE in the TIME Poll - and why are they such a threat? Vote in another TIME Poll with a equally curiously one-sided result.
Is Germany About to 'Stiff' Bush? - Germany’s now on the UN Security Council. Will it vote yes to an Iraq war? And is its goal to 'stiff' Bush and have Europe become the balancing superpower preventing the USA from achieving its stated goal of sustainable global dominance? See... Has Bush Missed Germany's True Agenda?
Iraq Has No Smoking Guns: Blix - The top United Nations weapons inspectors today said there were still many unanswered questions in Iraq's arms declaration although investigations on the ground so far have not uncovered any "smoking guns." See… Iraqi arms declaration flawed but no 'smoking gun'
LISTEN: Click here for audio of Dr. Blix and Dr. ElBaradei following Security Council Briefing
ALSO:
- No Deadline Says Bush - White House Press Briefing
- Security Council Fully Backs UN Arms Inspectors
- In Verbatim: Blix Briefing Notes To UN Security Council
USA Continues Depleted Uranium Weapons Plan - A study of the irresponsible and continuing use of depleted uranium ammunition by the United States armed forces proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that exposure to this poisonous substance guarantees cancer, birth defects and other lethal hazards. See... America Killing Its Own Soldiers
Q From The War Monger’s Lair -Ever since the global war on terrorism began, we have pointed out that it is a war unlike any other war that our country has ever fought, and that victory will require new ways of thinking, new ways of fighting, as well as a good deal of patience… See... News Briefing - Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Myers
Operation Iraq: Brits Call Up Army Reserves - UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has issued orders to enable the call-up for 1,500 army reservists for possible operations against Iraq. However he added that this did not mean that a decision had taken to commit British forces to such operations. See... UK announces plans to call-up army reservists


The Lunacy of Rhetoric - Just listen to President George W. Bush the commander-in-chief of a military force that not only possesses and maintains nearly 10,000 nuclear weapons but also boasts an array of weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and biological weapons… See... Nuclear Policy: Moral Clarity or Double Standards?
Analysing Bush’s War-Lust - American politicians have a vested interest in carrying out their true agendas away from public scrutiny. Only on rare occasions do we ordinary citizens get a glimpse of how things really operate -- the Army-McCarthy hearings in the '50s, Watergate… See... Ellsberg's "Secrets" and Bush's War
2003: Why This Year's Beginning is Tragic - By the time you, the reader, read this, the first few days of a devastating year will have begun. By the first month of 2003, five nuclear-powered aircraft carriers will have taken position in the Persian Gulf. See... Not Happy, Nor New Year
Human-Shield: Why A Kiwi-boy’s Off to Iraq - I read a book recently that changed my life. This is a little story of the lead-up to that lesson and the point beyond: becoming part of the Truth Justice Peace Human Shield Action Iraq. See... Why a small-town Kiwi boy's off to Iraq
International Security Ought To Be Consistent - Sydney-based journalist and a political analyst, Syed Atiq ul Hassan, writes: North Korea’s decision to expel UN nuclear inspectors and its declaration that they intend to reopen a laboratory where plutonium can be reprocessed in use of weapons indicates that this is a direct and deadly serious threat. See... Why Iraq but not North Korea?
US Readies Invasion Armada For Jan-Feb 2003 - Removing the Iraqi government and installing a US military regime that would control the country's oil fields, is at least as important as eliminating weapons of mass destruction. That makes war with Iraq guaranteed around the end of January to mid-February. ... See... US Readies Invasion Armada For Jan-Feb 2003
Countdown To War: When The Guardians Of Freedom Forget Their Job - As the world becomes an increasingly more dangerous place with divisions being drawn along cultural, ethnic and religious lines, the role of journalism becomes crucial. See... F. Al-Atraqchi: Mourning the Loss of Objectivity
Countdown To War: The Economic Front - Today's UN developments regarding Iraq's statement on weapons of mass destruction have served to increase the stakes over U.S. plans to occupy that country. The Empire's feet of clay are rooted in monumental budget deficits, trade deficits, fraudulent financial markets, cheap oil and rigged gold prices. It is on these fronts that the battle for Iraq is now being fought. See... UQ Wire: U.S. Balks At Iraqi Invasion
Countdown To War: Iraq’s Chemical Weapons Vendors Revealed - Hewlett Packard, Dupont, Honeywell and other major U.S. corporations, as well as governmental agencies including the Department of Defense and the nation’s nuclear labs, all illegally helped Iraq to build its biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs. See... The Companies That Armed Iraq With WMDs. See also... Edited version of Iraq's weapons declaration
Countdown To War: You Will Be Vaccinated -To protect our citizens in the aftermath of September the 11th, we are evaluating old threats in a new light. Our government has no information that a smallpox attack is imminent. See... President Delivers Remarks on Smallpox - Q
Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building Room 450
MORE:
- DoD - DoD Details Military Smallpox Vaccination Program
Countdown To War: Making The Case Against War - U.N.-Iraq Weapons Inspection Process Provides an Opportunity for Anti-War Groups to Make Their Case to the U.S. Public See... BTL: Call for Anti-War Groups to Make Their Case
Countdown To War: Inspectors Look For Bioweapons - United Nations inspections teams continued their work in Iraq on Friday, with officials from both the UN and Baghdad working to resolve a problem at the Communicable Diseases Control Centre. See... Senior UN and Iraqi officials resolve problems and Iraq Communicable Diseases Centre Inspected
Countdown To War: 1000 March For Peace In Auckland And Wellington - Auckland, December 14. Around 500 people participated in the GPJA Network (www.gpja.pl.net) rally “An Xmas Message for George Bush: Peace, Not War for Iraq”. See... Auckland Anti-War March Draws 500 To Queen St and Wellington's 'Parade For Peace' Draws 500. See also... Xmas presents for the Iraqi People
Spilling The Beans On The Arrogant Administration - The last time "Shallow Throat" and I talked, at a dimly-lit D.C. suburban tavern several months before the midterm election, the highly-placed GOP mole within the Bush Administration was extremely nervous about being discovered. This time, there was no face-to-face meeting -- that's how frightened Shallow Throat was. See... Bernard Weiner: Arrogance Leads To Bush's Undoing
Countdown To War: Donald Rumsfeld’s Role In Arming Saddam Hussein - As diplomats and eapons inspectors in New York, Washington, London, Paris, Moscow, and Beijing pour over the 12,000 pages of Iraq’s weapons declaration it is a good time to resurrect a key part of un-told story of Iraq’s relationship with weapons of mass destruction, and their inventors, the military industrial complexes of the UNSC permanent five. See... Recovered History: When Donald Met Saddam
See Also:
- The Dirty And Deadly Secrets Of Khamisiyah
- Khamisiyah Investigation: Operation Bury The Truth
Countdown To War: The Bad Breath is Back - Jerry Falwell, famous in New Zealand for his Uranium-Breath, has been calling for an immediate strike against Iraq. Firas Al-Atraqchi bites back suggesting Falwell is merely an agent of Israel. Firas Al-Atraqchi: Jerry Falwell, Agent of Israel
Countdown To War: Early Feedback Expected On Iraq Declaration - The chief United Nations weapons inspector today predicted that an initial assessment by UN experts currently examining Iraq's declaration on its arms programme would be presented to the Security Council early next week. See... Initial analysis of Iraqi declaration next week
MORE:
- More UN inspectors arrive in Iraq
- UNSC decides to release Iraqi declaration to some
- In BBC address, Annan says Iraq must fully comply
- UNMOVIC - Disarming Iraq - UNMOVIC Statements 8,9,10 Dec.
Countdown To War: Americans Mobilise Against The War - On Tuesday, December 10, more than 100 communities in at least 35 states across the country will hold rallies, marches, teach-ins and protests to express their strong opposition to the White House's plans to invade Iraq at any cost. See... 100 Anti-War Protests In 35 States
Countdown To War: Profiting From The Suffering Of Others - The figure had been bouncing around think tanks and Capitol Hill for months, and on December 1 made the front page of the Washington Post: Bush's invasion and occupation of Iraq will cost the American taxpayer between $100 and $200 billion. See... Rule Of The Pirates: The $200 Billion Payday
Countdown To War: Religious War Enthusiasts - Well, the evidence just keeps accumulating. I think it is a remarkable testimonial to President Bush's restraint that he has waited this long. After reading Tony Blair's dossier on torture in Iraq, the impulse to launch everything the Pentagon has must have been almost irresistible. See... John Chuckman: Fumbling For A Case For War
Countdown To War: UK Court Challenge To Iraq Invasion - CND will on 9 December challenge the legality of the UK Government s decision to go to war against Iraq. The case, in the High Court, as judicial review will proceed against Tony Blair, Jack Straw and Geoff Hoon. See... CND’s Historic Case Against Blair Starts Monday
Countdown To War: UN Security Council Plans Not To Read Iraq’s Declaration! - The Security Council today requested that United Nations experts review Iraq's weapons Declaration - due this weekend - before transmitting it to the 15-member body in order to allay concerns that the document itself could potentially foster arms proliferation. UN experts to review Iraqi Decl. before sharing it and Iraqi weapons declaration, due this weekend
Countdown To War: Through a Glass Lightly - Rather than dwell on an awful picture, and what it presages for the future -- the glass half-empty scenario -- let's search for any hopeful signs that point to a way out of our current morass. See... Bernard Weiner: Ten Cracks in the Bush Facade
Sludge Report: This Mad Bad World- Sludge is starting to seriously wonder about the state of things. The email inbox has become in recent weeks a sort of daily Pandora’s box of horrifying revelations. See... Sludge Report #145 - The Awakening
Countdown To War: Wolfowitz Talks Turkey It's great pleasure to be back in Turkey. Obviously there is a very full agenda of subjects to be discussed. See... Wolfowitz In Turkey - Various Statements
Countdown To War: Kofi Annan Happy With UNMOVIC Progress – Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the fact that United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq are successfully exercising their authority. See... Annan welcomes effective use of authority
MORE:
- UN weapons inspectors visit presidential site
- UN team inspects former chemical weapons facility


What Happened At Khamisiyah?
Countdown To War: The Howard Doctrine Full Coverage - "It is not only disappointing it is arrogant. There are many countries in East Asia, all our Asian countries. This country stands out like a sore thumb, trying to impose its European values in Asia as if it is still the good old days when people can shoot Aborigines without caring about human rights etc." See... Malaysian PM Mahathir On Pre-Emptive Strikes
MORE:
- John Howard - PM Howard Defends His Pre-Emptive Strike Comments
- Greens - Clark's silence insults our neighbours
- White House Support- White House Briefing: Howard & Pre-Emptive Strikes
- Australian PM's Statements - I/V On Lateline and Laurie Oakes I/V
- Greens - 'Pre-emptive' strikes would legitimise terror
- ACT - Australian PM is Correct on Pre-Emptive Strikes
Countdown To War: Watching What They Do - In the formative years of paxa Romana it was common practice for wealthy families to seek out soothsayers who would read the entrails of geese, sheep, and fish to prophesy into the future. See... Firas Al-Atraqchi: Reading The Entrails
Countdown To War: Al Qaeda & Mombassa - Despite no evidence being produced to show that al-Qaeda was behind the recent terrorist attacks in Kenya, both the Israeli and American governments have already placed the blame with Osama bin Laden’s network. See... David Miller: Al-Qaeda’s Changing Tactics
Countdown To War: UNMOVIC Inspects Missile Site - 2 December – United Nations experts visited one of Iraq's principal missile development sites as weapons inspections in the country continued today. See... UN team conducts probe at missile development site
Countdown To War: Smallpox Vaccination Programme Launched In UK - Small teams of health care workers are to be vaccinated against smallpox as a precaution against any potential outbreak in the UK. In addition a small number of specialist military personnel will be vaccinated. See... Health workers to be vaccinated against smallpox and Downing St. Briefing Monday 2 December
Countdown To War: UK Dossier Says Saddam Is A Bad Bad Man - The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has published a report on the human cost of Saddam's policies. The report is based on the testimony of Iraqi exiles, evidence gathered by UN rapporteurs and human rights organisations, and intelligence material. See... FCO report on human cost of Saddam's policies. See also Amnesty’s response... Iraq: UK Govt Dossier On Human Rights Abuses
Countdown To War: Crass Or Clever – You Be The Judge - "Last night Mr Goff is reported as questioning the intelligence of the United States Defence department, saying there was more intelligence on one floor of the State Department in Washington than in the entire office of the Secretary of Defence. It is simply crass, says National’s Wayne Mapp. See... Goff goes too far
Countdown To War: Take The Homeland Insecurity Quiz Question One: Do you approve of the new Homeland Security Department, signed into law by President Bush? See... UQ Wire: Take the Homeland Security Quiz!
Countdown To War: Fox News’ War Is Coming To A TV Near You - It seems likely that in a few weeks, the sequel to Wag the Dog, "Wag the Bush: War with Iraq", produced by Roger Ailes, will air on your local Fox News Channel. Just in time for the holidays. See... Jason Leopold: Wag the Bush
UQ Wire: 911, Anti-Semitism, Gore Vidal And Nixon’s Penis - Gore Vidal once tried to get me to print an alleged secret—a very big secret—about Richard Nixon’s penis. About what has come to be called, in post-Clintonian euphemistic legalese, its "distinguishing characteristic." See... UQ Wire: Gore Vidal’s 911 Analysis Called "Wacko" and Gore Vidal ‘s - The Enemy Within
Was Wellstone Assassinated? Mike Ruppert Investigates - The air crash deaths of Sen. Paul Wellstone, his wife, daughter, three staff members and two pilots at approximately 10:25 a.m. on Oct. 25 in Eveleth, Minn. has given rise to the widespread belief -- shared by at least two members of the House of Representatives who spoke on condition of anonymity -- that the crash was a murder. See... UQ Wire: Was Paul Wellstone Murdered?
Countdown To War: Are Saudis With Bush or With the Terrorists? - According to Senator Joseph Lieberman the United States’ ties with Saudi Arabia have reached a "crisis stage". Senator Lieberman claims that this renewed strain is being driven by the US’ looming showdown with Iraq and allegations that a Saudi princess helped channel funds to two of the men involved in September 11. See... David Miller Online: US-Saudi Relations Fraying
Countdown To War: The People Say – Give Peace A Chance! - Undaunted by the odds, peace groups around the globe have staged impressive demonstrations, especially in Europe, against a future U.S. strike. In a show of strength that even surprised organizers, an estimated half a million people protested the Bush drive for war in Florence, Italy on Nov. 9. ... Peace Movement is One Force to Deter War with Iraq
Countdown To War: Homeland Insecurity Becomes U.S. Law - Today I have signed into law H.R. 5005, the “Homeland Security Act of 2002.” The Act restructures and strengthens the executive branch of the Federal Government to better meet the threat to our homeland posed by terrorism. See... Statement by the President - Homeland Security Act
MORE:
- Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer - November 25
- Homeland Security Reorganization Plan
-. President Bush Signs Homeland Security Act
Countdown To War: NATO Backs United Nations - Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said that NATO had reached 'a unanimous statement agreed in respect of Iraq, giving full backing to the United Nations and to resolution 1441'. See... Unanimous support for Iraq resolution at NATO
- UK Government - NATO Summit 21-22 November - Fact Sheet Q
- DoD - Rumsfeld Joint Press Conference in Bratislava, NATO Backgrounder from Prague, Czech Republic
- George Bush - Interview of the President by Czech TV
- Scoop - Controlling NATO: The Real Agenda at Prague
Countdown To War: Te Kaha Off To Arabian Gulf Tomorrow - HMNZS Te Kaha sails from Stirling, Western Australia on Tuesday November 26 at 3.00pm (NZDT) to undertake its mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. See... ANZAC Frigate Sails For Arabian Gulf
Israel Shoots Two Foreign Peacemakers In Jenin- Caoimhe (“Quiva”) Butterly, an Irish volunteer human shield worker who already for months stays in Jenin has today been shot, as reported to us, and was taken to hospital. See... International Volunteer Shot in Jenin and IDF Explain Shooting Of United Nations Official
The Homeland Insecurity Bill - The Senate's passage of the ludicrously misnamed Homeland Security bill is easily the biggest bad joke in American history, because in declaring war on all peoples of the world — including its own citizens — it presages a new Dark Age in world history, one in which the United States may annihilate any other country for any reason it concocts, or for no reason at all. The bill is ludicrously misnamed because nothing in this nation's history has ever jeopardized its citizens' security to this degree. See... No One Is Safe From America's Killer President
MORE:
- Senator Byrd - Debate: The Homeland Security ACT of 2002
- George Bush - US President Discusses Dept of Homeland Security
- William Rivers Pitt - UQ Wire: Osama Is Under Your Bed
- Barbara O’Brien - Playing Politics With Our Lives
- American Doctors - Homeland Sec. Bill - Unlimited Smallpox Powers
Countdown To War: NZ Defence Gets High Frequency Equipment - Minister of Defence Mark Burton has today announced Cabinet approval for the installation of an unclassified United States Air Force (USAF) High Frequency (HF) radio transmitter and receiver at a New Zealand Defence Force communications site. The most likely ... See... High Frequency equipment to be installed in NZ
National - NZ leaders need to discuss Australian concern
Greens - Don't forget to tell us, Helen
The White House Spin In Bullet Points - President Bush has been successful in bringing multilateral organizations from every region of the globe into the war against terrorism. Fact Sheet: News About the War Against Terror
Countdown To War: Kofi Annan’s Advice For Saddam– As an advance team of United Nations arms inspectors arrived today in Iraq, Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged President Saddam Hussein to comply fully with Security Council demands, "for the sake of his people, regional stability and world order." See... UN Arms Inspectors Arrive In Iraq and UNSG Urges Iraq's President To Comply. See also Jack Straw... Saddam's 'final opportunity to comply'
Countdown To War: The New Global Slavemaster - The slave-master insists on bringing his ranch hands to search for the cotton under the slave's pillow, inside the slave women's braziers; wherever the ranch hands see fit. Slave fumes, but agrees. See... Firas Al-Atraqchi: When The Master Whips The Slave
Countdown To War: Rumsfeld Heads For Europe - Background Briefing on Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld's forthcoming trip to Chile and NATO Summit See... Background Briefing on Rumsfeld's Forthcoming Trip and Rumsfeld Live Interview With Infinity CBS Radio
How Many War Toys Do You Get For USD$1.1 Trillion? - The current estimate of program acquisition costs for programs covered by SARs for the prior reporting period (June 2002) was $1,118,668.7 million. See... US DoD Reports For $1.2 Trillion Of Acquisitions
Countdown To War: Donald Rumsfeld, Arms Dealer, Visits Newest Oil Giant - DoD News Briefing Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 11:30 a.m. EST See... Rumsfeld Joint Press Conference MoD Kazakhstan
Countdown To War: Prepare To Be Vaccinated - URGENT! Unlimited Smallpox Vaccines Powers in New Homeland Security Bill, Section 304, Subsection C "Administration of counter measures against smallpox" gives the Secretary of HHS these unchecked powers (pg. 76):
--Declare an actual or POTENTIAL bio-terrorist or other kind of incident
--He can administer "countermeasures" to a category of individuals or everyone
--He can continually extend the declare the declaration without Congress's consent
Also, if you are harmed, you cannot sue or take any other civil remedy.
See... Homeland Sec. Bill - Unlimited Smallpox Powers
Countdown To War: Look Who Stole George’s Rattle - The meeting discussed UNSC Resolution 1441. The Foreign Affairs Minister was directed to send a message to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan including Iraq's stance towards the said resolution. The following is the full text of the message: See... President Saddam Hussein Message To United Nation
MORE:
- Australian Defence Force - Weapons inspections in Iraq
- Kofi Annan - Inspectors will 'actively begin work' on Monday
- UN - Iraq Accepts UNSC Weapons Inspections Resolution
- NZDF - NZDF personnel depart for Iraq
- Colin Powell - Op-Ed on Baghdad's Moment of Truth - Powell
Countdown To War: Dear Imperialists – Osama bin Laden Writes West - To The People That Are Allied With The Oppressive American Government By Abdullah Osama bin Laden See... UQ Wire: bin Laden Message To American Allies
Countdown To War: Medical Report Estimates Up To 260,000 People Will Die - A US-led attack on Iraq is likely to result in between 48,000 and 260,000 deaths during the first three months of combat, according to a study by medical and public health experts launched in the Australian Parliament by the Medical Association for Prevention of War. See... Medical Report Forecasts Huge Death Toll
Countdown To War: Dominating NATO – The Real Bush Agenda - European diplomacy has clearly often been the nucleus of destruction. Is it now the only buffer left between peace-comparative and Manifest Destiny – the dream of Fortress USA to express its institutions around the world? The NATO Summit will be a decider. See... Controlling NATO: The Real Agenda At Prague
Countdown To War: Gulf War Syndrome’s Next Victims - Briefing on the U.S. Army's Chemical, Biological, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Units. See... Briefing On U.S. Army Chem/Bio Weapons Disposal
Countdown To War: Buying Into WWIII.com - Monday, being the 11th of November, was Veterans Day, which is observed as a holiday by sufficient people for there to be 'holiday sales' at many stores, but it's not a holiday for the NY stock exchange. Well, why should it be? See... Are YOU buying into WWIII.com?
Countdown To War: Thomas Condemns Bush Administration’s Lust For War - Veteran journalist Helen Thomas brought the grit and whir of a White House press conference to Bartos Theater on Monday evening, speaking with passion about the media's role in a democracy whose leaders seem eager for war. See... UQ Wire: Helen Thomas Condemns Bush Administration
Countdown To War: The King Tide of Lies - Maybe it has always been this way. Phony pretexts — repeated often enough — become real reasons. Things that we know for certain are not true become true in the public mind simply through endless repetition. See... John Kaminski : The Tide Of Lies Keeps Rising
Countdown To War: Rumsfeld Crows to Fortune Global Forum - The following are as prepared remarks for Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld to the Fortune Magazine Global Forum and are embargoed until 7:15 p.m. EST today: See... Rumsfeld Remarks Fortune Magazine Global Forum
Countdown To War: What Can Stop Bush Now? - With the Republican victories in the Mid-Term elections and the new U.N. Security Council's resolution calling on Iraq to allow weapons inspectors back into the country, President George W. Bush is riding high and immediately talking tough. See... Dubya’s Triumph: What Can Stop Him Now?
Countdown To War: War Closer Following UN Res. - The unanimous vote by the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council on November 8 to impose ``tough'' new weapons inspection rules and deadlines for compliance on Iraq, with the threat of ``serious consequences'', should not confuse anti-war campaigners. It makes a massive US invasion of Iraq more likely. See... Green Left Weekly: UN Vote Brings War Closer
Countdown To War: Tony Blair Warns Saddam - The Prime Minister Tony Blair has told Saddam Hussein not to defy the United Nations and disarm voluntarily or be 'disarmed by force'. Mr Blair was speaking at the Lord Mayor's Banquet, where he also outlined the new threats facing the world today. See... PM speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet - 11/11
Countdown To War: .. Meanwhile Across The Atlantic - “This was an important week for our country and for the world. The United Nations Security Council voted for a resolution requiring the Iraqi regime to declare and destroy all weapons of mass destruction or face the consequences,” says George Bush. See... Bush Recaps Important Week in Radio Address and Remarks by the President on UNSC Resolution 1441
MORE US REACTION TO UNSC RES. 1441:
- Powell Interviews - CNN, CBS and Black Entertainment TV
- UN Ambassador - Vote on the Iraq Resolution
Canadians Warned Away From The US - When Maher Arar, a man holding joint Canadian-Syrian citizenship changed planes at New York's Kennedy airport on Sept. 26, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service detained and eventually deported him to Syria. See... Canada Warns Citizens Regarding Travel to U.S.
Countdown To War: Welcome To The War Parade In October, U.S. Senators and Congressmen allowed themselves to be blitzkrieged by an aggressive war resolution and finally capitulated to the Bush doctrine to wage war against Iraq, an impoverished, debilitated nation. See... Firas Al-Atraqchi: Welcome to the War Parade
Countdown To War: Inspectors In Baghdad In 10 Days - Following the adoption of a milestone resolution aimed at garnering Iraq's compliance with Security Council requirements, including the dismantling of all weapons of mass destruction, the head of the United Nations arms inspectors today said they would arrive in the country in 10 days. See... Inspectors to enter Iraq on 18 November - Blix
Countdown To War: All Eyes On Saddam - Following the adoption of a landmark resolution aimed at returning United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq, members of the Security Council today stressed that the text, which was cosponsored by the United States and the United Kingdom, contains no provisions for the automatic use of force. See... Members say measure contains no automatic triggers, ‘This is a time of trial,’ Annan says on Iraq res. and UNSC agrees to return UN weapons inspectors
MORE:
- Annan & Blix - UNSG & UNMOVIC Chairman Hans Blix On Res. 1441
- Annan - UNSG's Statement On UNSC Resolution 1441 on Iraq
- UNSC - SC Offers Iraq Final Chance To Comply - Res. 1441
- Res. 1441 - Draft UN Resolution On Iraq Weapons Inspections
Countdown To War: Pentagon Says - DoD News Briefing Victoria Clarke, ASD PA Friday, November 08, 2002 - 10:29 a.m. EST See... DoD News Briefing - ASD Clarke and Rear Adm. Gove and Rumsfeld Presser with German MoD Peter Struck
Countdown To War: Don’t Believe Everything You See On TV - The shifting sands of online message boards are a notoriously unreliable place to find information. Yet today just such a source has been quoted by CNN for a report that Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the Bali bombings on October 12th. Mo Abbas and Alastair Thompson investigate. See... CNN Said It So It Must Be True, Or Not?
Countdown To War: The View From Bill Bragg - English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg isn’t politically backwards in coming forward. Although Billy’s quick to point out he’s also written lots of apolitical tracks, he’s world renowned for his political lyricism and commentary on workers’ rights, Margaret Thatcher and the miners’ strikes of the 1980s. See... Streets of London: Scoop Chats With Billy Bragg
Countdown To War: Arundhati Roy Is Poetically Peaceful - “Down at the mall there's a mid-season sale. Everything's discounted — oceans, rivers, oil, gene pools, fig wasps, flowers, childhoods, aluminum factories, phone companies, wisdom, wilderness, civil rights, eco-systems, air — all 4,600 million years of evolution. It's packed, sealed, tagged, valued and available off the rack. (No returns). As for justice — I'm told it's on offer too. You can get the best that money can buy.” See... Arundhati Roy, Howard Zinn - New Mexico Transcript
Countdown To War: UN Ponders Latest War Resolution – As the Security Council continued closed-door consultations today on a proposed resolution aimed at enabling United Nations weapons inspectors to return to the country, Secretary-General Kofi Annan voiced hope for a consensus outcome. See... UNSC discusses latest draft resolution on Iraq and Latest Draft UNSC Resolution On Iraq Inspections
Countdown To War: George Monbiot On UK Oil Dependency - Britain plays poodle partly because the US is stitching up the world's oil supplies. See... George Monbiot: Why Blair Is An Appeaser
Countdown To War: Iranian Editorial Seeks Iraqi Arms Dealing Confession - An Iranian newspaper editorial from 23 October says Saddam's confession to being "US pawn" might deter attack. See... Iranian Editorial: Saddam Must Confess
Countdown To War: Khamisiyah Investigation - If the official report on what happened at Khamisiyah is to be taken at face value, then the world is now being asked, via the United Nations, to give its blessings to a confused and clumsy global super power embarking on another rampage in the Gulf. But then, maybe “confused and clumsy” is an infinitely better epitaph for the heroes of Gulf War I than “illegal arms dealer to a murderous regime who used the lives of its own soldiers to cover its tracks”. See.. Khamisiyah Investigation: Operation Bury The Truth
EARLIER:
- The Dirty And Deadly Secrets Of Khamisiyah
- 1994 DoD Q On Bio/Chem Weapons In Gulf War
Countdown To War: UNSC President Expects Conclusion Shortly - With a draft resolution on Iraq on the table, and countries having already expressed their views on the situation, the Security Council should be quickly wrapping up its work on the issue, the President of the 15-member body for the month of November said today. See… Iraq text to be completed shortly - UNSC President
Countdown To War: Sizing Up The Enemy - Q: Why can't they hit anything, General? Not us, but them. General Myers: I'm sorry? Q: Why are they so unsuccessful in hitting us? They've been trying for 10 years. See... DoD News Briefing Nov 4. - Rumsfeld, Gen Meyers
Countdown To War: European Briefing On Stopping War I have come here to urge you all, individually and collectively, to do everything in your power to oppose a US war against Iraq a war that can have no good end. I believe that we have within our reach the ability to stop this war before it begins. See... Guest Opinion: Stopping The War Before It Begins
Countdown To War: The Wrong War - It is becoming clear that America’s War on Terror is not an enthusiasm shared by many other countries. France and Russia have manoeuvred effectively so far in the United Nations to short circuit American demands for a free hand to deal with Iraq. See... NITA: The Wrong War For The Wrong Reasons
Countdown To War: 026, A Remarkable Thing - October 26, 2002, will be noted in history as a day when 250,000 Americans streamed into the nation's capitol to protest a war that has not truly begun. This is a remarkable thing; the Vietnam war had been underway for years before any massed public opposition of the size seen in Washington this week was mustered. See... UQ Wire: In Democracy's Wake
Countdown To War: Lessons In Democracy For Condi Rice - Condoleezza Rice wants to bring democracy to the Middle East. Ms. Rice, an expert on what is now an obsolete subject, the Soviet Union, believes this can be done the way the United States brought democracy to Chile or Iran or Afghanistan - that is, by violently overthrowing governments. See... John Chuckman: Condi's Nonsense About Democracy
Countdown To War: The War As Seen In Berlin - Streets of London special: on the Streets of Berlin. Malcolm Aitken speaks with some Berliners about Iraq, Saddam Hussein, war and the Nazis at Tacheles, Berlin’s renowned alternative arts centre. See... Streets of London: Do Mention The War
Paul Wellstone RIP - A Too Convenient Death? - A summary of the facts available at this time via the media, surrounding Senator Paul Wellstone's airplane crash of 10-25-02. Judge for yourself, was this more likely an assassination or an accident? See... Wellstone Plane Was Out Of Control – Media Survey. See also Scoop Link... The death of US Senator Paul Wellstone: accident or murder?
EARLIER SCOOP COVERAGE:
- Senator Wellstone, Minnesota, Dies In Plane Crash
- Tribute - Senator Paul Wellstone - 1944-2002
- Background - Background: US Politicians Killed In Plane Crashes
- Colin Powell - Statement Upon the Death of Senator Paul Wellstone
Countdown To War: An Audience With The US Field Commander - “Well, as you know, we remain active in the global war on terrorism. Certainly the United States Central Command is engaged in that, has been, will continue to be. Seventy countries involved in supporting our efforts, as we speak today; 27 of those countries actively represented inside Afghanistan; 43 of those countries with liaison elements at our headquarters down in Tampa.” See... General Tommy Franks Briefs At The Pentagon
Countdown To War: A Letter From Osama - A letter from Osama bin Laden replies to two questions addressing the Americans: Q1) Why are we waging Jihad against you? Q2) What advice do we have for you and what do we want from you? See... Osama bin Laden: Why We Are Attacking America. Not everybody is convinced that this letter really comes from Osama... see.. Jihad Unspun - Commentary On Letter.
Scoop Images: Global Protests Against Iraq War - New Zealand protests in Auckland Wellington and Christchurch on Saturday kicked off 24 hours of action around the world against the designs for war on Iraq. - Capital Protest Against Iraq War
- San Francisco Protest Against War
- Washington D.C. Iraq War Protest
- Auckland Protest Against Iraq War
GPJA Delivers Prime Minister Three Urgent Requests - Following Saturday's Anti-war march GPJA has sent a letter to the Prime Minister which requests urgent responses on three issues: Oppose War on Iraq - Withdrawl of NZ troops from Afghanistan - Promote a UN resolution to support Palestinian people. See... Anti-War March Presents Urgent Request to PM
ALSO: See... Global Peace and Justice Auckland’s Newsletter…
Countdown To War: William Rivers Pitt - There are times when history seems to drift idly from one year to the next with no profound milestone to mark its passage. The decade of the 1990s was such a time; after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the world seemed to pause for breath. See... UQ Wire: William Rivers Pitt - Comes A Time
Countdown To War: A chronology of misreported history - The following publications accurately reported in 1998 that the UN withdrew weapons inspectors to Iraq... now they all say that they were kicked out. See... Why U.N. inspectors left Iraq - then and now
Countdown To War: US Dept Of Defense News Briefing - See... DoD News Briefing with Donald H. Rumsfeld and Gen. Myers
Countdown To War: Rumsfeld Revelations on CNN - Today we focus on the challenges facing the man at the helm of the United States military. Inside the Pentagon with US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Let's go there now. See... Rumsfeld Interview with CNN International
Countdown To War: Powell Speaks to Oprah - “One thing you can be sure of: He [Saddam] isn't going to disarm, he is not going to let the inspectors in, unless he is fearful of a conflict that would remove him from power. He has demonstrated for 11 years that he will ignore, stiff and laugh at the world's opinion. That laughter has to stop.” See... US Sec. Powell's Interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show
Countdown To War: A chronology of misreported history - The following publications accurately reported in 1998 that the UN withdrew weapons inspectors to Iraq... now they all say that they were kicked out. See... Why U.N. inspectors left Iraq - then and now
Countdown To War: Powell Speaks to Oprah - “One thing you can be sure of: He [Saddam] isn't going to disarm, he is not going to let the inspectors in, unless he is fearful of a conflict that would remove him from power. He has demonstrated for 11 years that he will ignore, stiff and laugh at the world's opinion. That laughter has to stop.” See... US Sec. Powell's Interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show
Countdown To War: Lessons In Iraqi Resistance - The most recent evidence of Anglo-American ignorance on Iraq came last week when Western press ridiculed the recent so-called election in Iraq. Iraq’s history is hardly ever mentioned in western media, seldom alluded to, or even referenced. This is lamentable. See... Firas Al-Atraqchi: Lessons In Iraqi Resistance
Countdown To War: Exporting Silent Killers To The Desert & Back - A remarkable interview transcript with Joyce Riley of the American Gulf War Veterans Association details the remarkable discoveries she and her fellow Gulf War veterans have made concerning the sale of chemical and biological weapons by the US and other nations to Iraq prior to the first Gulf War. See... US Biological Weapon Sales To Iraq - Transcript
Countdown To War: Media Narrows National Debate - Interview with Norman Solomon, author and syndicated columnist who accompanied US Congressional Representatives on a fact-finding delegation to Iraq in mid-September. See... BTL: Congress Gives Green Light for War with Iraq
Countdown To War: Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Shrub - Add me to your lists Mr. Bush. Send my name to Mr. Ashcroft. Forward it to the FBI, the local police, the INS and the IRS. See... UQ Wire: Add Me to Your Lists Mr Bush
Countdown To War: UN Iraq Resolution Expected Shortly - 21 October – The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, today said he expected the Security Council to adopt a new resolution insisting that Iraq comply with previous UN decisions, and voiced his hope that Baghdad would listen to the Council's demand. See... UNSC could adopt Iraq resolution shortly - Annan
Countdown To War: Bush Caught Flatfooted By Korea - For the second time in as many months, the leader of the free world has been out-generaled by a tinhorn dictator from some far-flung corner of the globe. See... UQ: A Fool And his Foreign Policy are Soon Parted
Countdown To War: Powell Sells The Iraq War On Network TV - Q: Five weeks ago on this program you said that you were working with the United Nations to get a resolution about Iraq, that it would be weeks, not months, otherwise we would be dribbling this through, and you weren't going to do that. See... Powell - NBC's Meet the Press with Tim Russert, Fox News Sunday and ABC This Week
Countdown To War: The Deadly Unseen Side Of Gulf War I - Officially Gulf War I did not see the use of chemical weapons. Unofficially 10s of thousands of Gulf War veterans are dying and suffering. See... Do Not Use Depleted Uranium Munitions Again and Data Shows Massive Delayed Gulf War I Casualties
Countdown To War: NZ Addresses The Security Council - United Nations Security Council - Open debate on "The situation between Iraq and Kuwait" - Statement by the NZ Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Don MacKay. See... NZ To UN: The situation between Iraq and Kuwait
Countdown To War: The Unseen Conflict - What started out as a blitzkrieg, the Bush agenda for the invasion of Iraq is now producing a world picture that can only be described with one word -- confusing. It is becoming apparent that outraged world opinion, guided by shrewd public relations efforts of foreign governments (including Iraq), has thrown a curve ball to the Bush military plan for a pre-election invasion and occupation . See... UQ Wire: War Plans, Deals, Leverage and Strategy
Countdown To War: Scoop En France & The Big Apple! – Scoop deputy editor Selwyn Manning’s excellent analysis piece on the possible impact of the International Criminal Court on US Policy in Iraq has winged itself around the world to New York and France. See.. "Leçons de justice : le cauchemar européen de Bush", Automatic Translation (Google) and the UN Observer’s version (NYC)… Lessons in Justice: Bush’s European Nightmare
Countdown To War: Media Torture In The Land Of The Free - Watching television news is not torture, nor is reading a local newspaper, at least not in the physical sense. No one has implanted any devices in our flesh that twist us in agony if we refuse to believe and parrot what we see and read. Yet we are being asked, every day, to say there are five lights when, in fact, there are four. See... UQ Wire: I See Four Lights
Countdown To War: Why William Wallace Is Like Osama bin Laden - Last weekend witnessed the biggest terrorist atrocity in which westerners were victims, since 11 September 2001. And last weekend featured another repeat telecast of Mel Gibson's Braveheart , a staple for TV3. See... Validating Terrorism
Countdown To War: The Enronisation Of The US Military Accelerates - The Department of Defense has released new guidance to assist military services and defense agencies in privatizing nearly 1,600 utility systems located on military installations worldwide. See... DoD Issues New Guidance For Privatizing Utilities and DoD News Briefing - Thomas White, Army Secretary.
MORE US WAR PR:
- DoD -DoD News Briefing - Rumsfeld & Gen. Richard Myer
- State Dept. - Powell & Jack Straw After Their Meeting - 15 Oct.
- State Dept. - Powell IV By Robert Siegel of NPR
Countdown To War: Iraq Debate Continues At UNSC - 17 October – The United Nations Security Council today resumed its open debate on Iraq with over 40 countries – including all Council members – slated to participate in the discussions. See... Security Council resumes debate on Iraq
YESTERDAY:
- Annan confident of optimal UNSC decision on Iraq
- Security Council speakers differ on enforcement
- Kofi Annan Statement To UNSC - Disarming Iraq
- Annan urges unity in UN Security Council on Iraq
Countdown To War: Sharon And Bush Discuss War & Peace - We've just had a good discussion about peace and security, about prosperity. See… Bush Welcomes Prime Minister Sharon to White House and United States and Israel Joint Statement
Countdown To War: Bush Assumes Authority To Attack - As the Commander-in-Chief, I know the risks to our country. I'm fully responsible to the young men and women in uniform who may face these risks. President Signs Iraq Resolution - Image & Trcrpt. and Statement by the President On Signing Iraq Res.
MORE OFFICIAL US AND UK STATEMENTS
- White House Briefing by Ari Fleischer - October 16
- State Dept. Daily Press Briefing for October 15
- UK PMO - 16th October morning Downing St lobby briefing
- UK FM- Three great threats to international security
- State Dept - Marc Grossman Interview by BBC
Countdown To War: Be Afraid, Very Afraid - So many of us were devastated after Congress rolled over and gave Bush his war on Iraq. We needed help in figuring it all out. So I set up the coded signal to “Shallow Throat” the high-ranking GOP mole in the White House who had been so helpful in the past. What he had to stay made my knees knock. See... Bernard Weiner: Shallow Throat Savages Dem Leaders
Countdown To War: Is It Time To Indict George Bush & Dick Cheney - Clearly the Bush Administration has been issued legal advice that a pre-emptive strike against Iraq at this time would contravene international law and conventions protecting human rights. Could George Bush be tried for war crimes? Yes. See... Lessons in Justice: Bush’s European Nightmare
Countdown To War: French Digging In Their Heels On Iraq - Q Negotiations with the French over a U.N. resolution seem to be deadlocked. How much longer is the President going to put up with this? Is he going to pull the plug? See... White House Presser by Ari Fleischer - October 15,
Countdown To War: Inspectors Ready To Return - Blix- Recent communications from Iraq were not a sign that Baghdad was reneging on agreements reached early this month in Vienna on the return of United Nations weapons inspector, the chief UN monitor said today. See... Iraqi letters no obstacle to return of inspectors
Countdown To War: The Method To Rumsfeld’s Madness - Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld's “Guidelines to be Considered When Committing U.S. Forces, “ a memo written in March 2001 and revised last weekend. See... Guidelines for Committing Forces - Donald Rumsfeld


Are These Men Attempting A War Crime?
Countdown To War: Warthorisation Passed - The U.S. Senate And Congress both voted today, the Senate at 1.15am Friday Morning EST, to provide War authorisation to George W. Bush. For tally's on how individual Senators and Congressional Reps voted see... Mahablog - Roll Call Vote: Analysis
Countdown To War: Byrdsong - Mark the calendar. On October 10, 2002, the Congress of the United States of America set aside a large portion of its say regarding the declaration and prosecution of war. They ceded control of that most-important and Constitutionally-mandated responsibility to George W. Bush and his administration. See... UQ Wire: William Rivers Pitt - Byrdsong and UQ Wire: For the Congressional Record
Countdown To War: More Detail Emerges About Operation Steal All The Oil - News leaks from Washington, and published in the New York Times (October 11, 2002) indicated that the U.S. military is preparing for a lengthy occupation of Iraq, with a U.S. military commander running the country. See... A U.S. Military Governor for Iraq?
Countdown To War: NITA - Moving In On Blighty - The news that the Carlyle Group’s bid for the research arm of the UK Ministry of Defence has beaten the competition has been greeted outside defence circles by a deafening silence. See... NITA: We're Not The 51st State Of Anything


Un-American Graffiti
Countdown To War: The Madness Of George - As we approach a preemptive war with Iraq, in violation of just about every known principle of civilized nations and, more particularly, of international law, certain things have become clearer in my mind. See... UQ Wire: The Madness Of America
Countdown To War: Three More Law Makers Step Up - Madam President, I hold the Senate seat of the late Wayne Morse. Senator Morse lost his job in 1968, and many have attributed this loss to his outspoken opposition to the Vietnam war. See… Senator Wyden - Unilateral, Preemptive Attack Prem
- Congressman Jesse L. Jackson - The Iraq Resolution
- Patrick Leahy - On The Iraq War Resolution
HOLDING THE LINE - SCOOP'S ROLL OF HONOUR
- The Bush Doctrine of Pre-Emption - E. Kennedy
- Senator Carl Levin… Response to the President's Statement on Iraq
- Rush to War Ignores U.S. Constitution - Sen. Byrd
- Levin Amendement on Iraq - Senator Carl Levin
- Congressman Ron Paul - Opposing Force against Iraq
- Senator Jim Jeffords Re: Use of Force Against Iraq
Countdown To War: DoD Limited Hangout On Experimenting On Its Armed Service Members - The Department of Defense today released another 28 detailed fact sheets on 27 Cold War-era chemical and biological warfare tests identified as Project 112. See... DoD Releases Project 112 Chem Weapons Fact Sheets and Briefing on Chemical and Biological Warfare Tests
Countdown To War - More Inside Information On Bush Administration Policy This study covers the trends that appear on the horizon for the international oil industry in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the U.S. and analyzes the impact altered geopolitics might have on the supply and demand for oil. See... Post September 11 Update Report - Oil Security
Countdown To War: Manifest Destiny - George W. Bush has resurrected the scourge of Manifest Destiny, a depraved philosophy that states we are morally compelled by God Almighty to kill weaker people and steal their land. See... UQ Wire: Manifest Destiny
Countdown To War: Latest US War Propaganda
- White House - White House Gaggle with Ari Fleischer October 8
- State Dept. - Daily Press Briefing for October 7
October 8
- DoD - DoD Briefing on Iraqi Denial and Deception
Countdown To War: Bush Is Defiant (Or Is That Disturbed ed.) - This nation, in world war and in Cold War, has never permitted the brutal and lawless to set history's course. Now, as before, we will secure our nation, protect our freedom, and help others to find freedom of their own. See... President Bush Outlines Iraqi Threat - October 7
More US and UK War PR:
- DoD - DoD News Briefing - Rumsfeld And Gen. Pace
- State Dept. - Powell Remarks With Dr. Hans Blix UNMOVIC
- White House - Gaggle with Ari Fleischer October 5, October 4, Iraqi Danger to America is "Grave and Growing"
- UK Govt. - Building a coalition to disarm Iraq - Jack Straw and 7 October lobby briefing
Countdown To War: William Rivers Pitt Pickets GWB In Boston - To get to the Seaport Hotel, you must cross over the Moakley Bridge, named for the recently deceased senior Congressman from Massachusetts. The bridge lies in the shadow of a new Federal courthouse that likewise bears his name. See... UQ Wire: No Retreat, No Surrender
Countdown To War: Intellectually Challenged? The Answers Are Here - Once again, in need of help to sort through all the Iraq flak and confusion, I consult the oracle of that great publishing franchise that helps explain complicated matters in terms simple enough for even ordinary types like me. See... Bernard Weiner: Bush's War on Iraq for Dummies
Countdown To War: Firas Al-Atraqchi on Lying About Iraq - The invasion of Iraq requires a massive disinformation and propaganda effort not seen since the Third Reich brainwashed its own people into believing that the Jews must be eradicated in a Final Solution and that all of Europe must fall under German Aryan subjugation. See... Firas Al-Atraqchi: How To Lie About Iraq
Countdown To War: How Blair And Bush Would Like To Start Their War - A text of the U.S. U.K. draft resolution calling for the U.N. Security Council to authorize force against Iraq. It has been leaked to the media. See... Draft UNSC Iraq Weapons Inspections Resolution
Countdown To War: UNSC Briefed By UNMOVIC - Coming on the heels of two days of talks in Vienna with Iraqi officials on practical arrangements for the return of United Nations weapons inspectors to the country, the heads of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) briefed the Security Council today on recent developments. See... Officials brief UNSC on weapons inspectors' return and Statement On UNMOVIC, Kosovo & UNIKOM
Countdown To War: Bill And Blair Do Blackpool The Prime Minister, holding his latest press conference to journalists in Blackpool, has repeated his calls for new UN resolutions to deal with Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. See... 'The international community is determined to act' and Bill Clinton’s address…New Labour and the Third Way works - Speech
. See also the Iraqi response to Blair’s dossier... Iraq's reply on Blair's report
Countdown To War: A Higher Perspective - An address given Tuesday by Archbishop Renato Martino, head of the Holy See's delegation at a session of the U.N. General Assembly on General and Complete Disarmament. See... Vatican Aide's U.N. Address on Disarmament
Countdown To War: Who Is Our Enemy? - General acceptance by a society of the Rule of Law is probably the principle ingredient in defining what a civilised society is. Unfortunately however many law makers in the United States appear not to understand this. Either that or they have forgotten what the law is. See... Scoop Editorial: Hold The Line
Countdown To War: Lies Damned Lies - Supporters of a US attack on Iraq had promised that Blair would provide the definitive “evidence” that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime has retained chemical and biological weapons, is continuing to produce them and is on a crash program to build a nuclear weapon. It did nothing of the sort. See... GLW: Bush's And Blair's War Threat Based On Lies
Countdown To War: More Lies... Gulf Vets Call For Rumsfeld Resignaton - The American Gulf War Veterans Association (AGWVA) now calls for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. See... Gulf Vets Call For The Resignation Of Rumsfeld
Countdown To War: Inspections Alone Not Enough – Powell The old inspection regime did not work. They tied it up in knots. And before we declare that everything is okay today because of two days' worth of discussions on technical modalities, not one inspector has stepped foot in Iraq and not one thing has changed since 1998. See... Colin Powell Briefing On Iraq Weapons Inspections . See also... State Dept. Daily Press Briefing for October 1
Countdown To War: UN Prepares For It’s Finest Hour - 2 October – With many delicate matters under consideration, members of the United Nations Security Council must work to achieve agreement on pressing and sensitive issues, its President said today. See... Unity among Security Council members is crucial and UNSG press encounter upon arrival at UNHQ - Oct 2
Countdown To War: US Congress Backs Bush On Iraq - President George W. Bush along with bipartisan leaders from the House and Senate announced the Joint Resolution to authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces against Iraq. See... President, House Leaders Agree on Iraq Resolution, Joint Resolution to Authorize Force Against Iraq and White House Briefing by Ari Fleischer October 2
Countdown To War: Intellectualising Pre-emptive Strikes - “As George Shultz recently wrote, "If there is a rattlesnake in the yard, you don't wait for it to strike before you take action in self-defense." The United States has long affirmed the right to anticipatory self-defense -- from the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 to the crisis on the Korean Peninsula in 1994. “ See... Condoleezza Rice Discusses US Imperialism
Countdown To War: Iraq And UNMOVIC Agree On Inspections - The United Nations and Iraq today wrapped up two days of talks in Vienna on the practical arrangements needed to facilitate the return of UN weapons inspectors to the country after a nearly four-year absence. See... UN, Iraq end two days of talks on inspectors, and UNMOVIC’s UNMOVIC - Vienna Statement On Weapons Inspections, Press Conference Dr. Hans Blix - Oct. 1
Countdown To War: Boston Prepares To Welcome GWB - Two years ago, on October 3rd, 2000 George W. Bush came to my home town of Boston for the first Presidential debate of the campaign with Al Gore. The memory is still very fresh in my mind. See... UQ Wire: Greetings from Boston, Mr. Bush
Countdown To War: Bush Unhappy With Changes To His Resolution - Specifically, the President believes that the Biden-Lugar draft ties his hands because it pulls back from many of the provisions that Congress itself cited in 1998. See... White House Briefing by Ari Fleischer - October 1 and President Asks Congress for Terrorism Insurance
MORE:
- Text Of House Resolution - Liberation of the Iraqi People Resolution
- Text Of Senate Resolution - Further Resolution on Iraq
- Senators Amendment - Senator Biden and Senator Lugar on Iraq Resolution
Countdown To War: UK Labour Party Conference - The Prime Minister today (1 October) called for the Iraqi regime to comply with the 'will of the UN'. See... PM: 'Let Saddam comply with the will of the UN' and the full text of his speech to the Labour Party Conference… At our best when at our boldest - Blair Speech
Countdown To War: Killing To Get Elected? - The White House campaign to garner public support for a new war against Iraq, launched during the summer, quickly overshadowed most other domestic and foreign policy issues facing the U.S. See... BTL: Bush's Iraq War Plan Linked to Elections
Countdown To War: David Miller Online - At face value, the announcement that Iraqi government officials will be meeting with United Nations weapons inspectors in Vienna this week to discuss their possible return is a positive sign. See... David Miller Online: Why War in Iraq is Inevitable


Global Action Against The War - Wgtn - UK - Sydney
S28: Global Anti-War Mobilisation - "We can start here, we can hold our head up amongst the community of nations. We can say we stand with the majority of the world's people and governments, for indeed we do, in opposing this madness." See... Mobilising Against The War on Iraq In Wellington, 400,000 Say No At UK Anti-War Mobilsation and Demonstration In Sydney Against US Iraq War Plans. See also... Stop the War Demo - Why We Are Marching Today!
Countdown To War: Not In Our Name - Let it not be said that people in the United States did nothing when their government declared a war without limit and instituted stark new measures of repression. See... A Statement Of Conscience - Not In Our Name
Countdown To War: Ted Kennedy Speaks Out - There is clearly a threat from Iraq, and there is clearly a danger, but the Administration has not made a convincing case that we face such an imminent threat to our national security that a unilateral, pre-emptive American strike and an immediate war are necessary. See... Sen. Edward Kennedy - The Right Course of Action
Countdown To War: Bush Challenges The Freedom Haters - “They hate us because we have a free press. And so long as we love freedom, they'll hate us. But we're never, ever going to relinquish our love of freedom in America.” (Applause.) President Bush has been pushing his bomb Iraq message far and wide. See... President at Bob Beauprez for Congress Luncheon , President Bush at Flagstaff, Arizona Welcome and Bush Radio Address to the Nation - September 28
Countdown To War: The Democrats' Perfect Storm Hurricane Isidore is barreling towards the American coastline after having formed itself into a fist out in the Caribbean. Hurricane Democrat just tore across Washington D.C., after having formed itself inside the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. See... William Rivers Pitt: Suddenly, the Democrats. See also... Tom Daschle Remarks On Politization Of Iraq War
Countdown To War: Is War Criminal Sharon Honing Is Spear? - We, members of Israeli academe, are horrified by US buildup of aggression towards Iraq and by the Israeli political leadership's enthusiastic support for it. See... Israeli Gov. Contemplating Crimes Against Humanity
Countdown To War: UNSCOM’s CIA History Re-written - Nothing makes a newspaper prouder than a juicy foreign-policy scoop. Except, it seems, when the scoop ends up raising awkward questions about a U.S. administration's drive for war. See... Spying in Iraq: From Fact to Allegation
Countdown To War: Amnesty’s Words Twisted - The human rights situation in Iraq is being invoked with unusual frequency by some western political leaders to justify military action. This selective attention to human rights is nothing but a cold and calculated manipulation of the work of human rights organisations. See... Human Rights In The Balance In Iraq
Countdown To War: George’s Damage Control Breakfast Congress will have an important debate, a meaningful debate, an historic debate. It will be conducted will all civility. It will be conducted in a manner that will make Americans proud, and Americans to understand the threats to our future. See... Bush Discusses Iraq with Congressional Leaders and Press Gaggle by Ari Fleischer Sept. 26th
MORE WAR PR:
- DoD - DoD News Briefing - Rumsfeld 9/26 And Gen. Pace
- State Dept. - US Position With Regard to Iraq (As Prepared)
Countdown To War: NZ Position Fluid Says National - The Government’s clearly shifting its thinking on Iraq with Phil Goff’s statement that “all necessary means” will be taken to ensure that Iraq complies with United Nations resolutions, says National’s Foreign Affairs spokesman, Wayne Mapp. See... Government shifting position on Iraq
Countdown To War: It’s About Oil! - As official Washington grinds inexorably forward towards war – and ‘regime change’ – with Iraq, UN resolutions or not, it seems increasingly clear that the so-called war on terrorism has become a convenient cover for a much wider agenda on the part of certain influential thinkers and policy makers.
See... Guest Opinion: It’s The Oil, Stupid
Countdown To War: Oil-For-Food Short Of Cash - A severe budget gap is hampering the United Nations “oil-for-food” programme, which allows Baghdad to use a portion of its crude revenues to purchase humanitarian relief, the UN official in charge of the operation told the Security Council today. See... Humanitarian effort in Iraq suffers budget gap
Countdown To Bombing: Softening Up Continuing - Iraq informs the U.N Secretary General of the U.S and British warplanes violations of Iraq’s airspace through the demilitarized zone US and UK warplanes violations of Iraq’s airspace
Countdown To War: War Gets Political In The US - Legitimate national security concern is what it is. You may try to politicize it. I view it as my main obligation; that is to protect the American people. It's the most important job this President will have, and it's the most important job future Presidents will have, because the nature of war has changed. We're vulnerable. See… Bush, Colombia President Uribe Discuss Terrorism
MORE US WAR PR::
- White House - National Republican Senatorial Committee Dinner, White House Press Briefing - September 25, 2002
- DoD - Secretary Rumsfeld's Press Conference In Warsaw
- State Dept. - Seeds of Peace - Richard Armitage, State Dept. Daily Press Briefing for September 24
Why The UK Should Attack Iraq – Tony Blair’s Dossier - The document published today is based, in large part, on the work of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). The JIC is at the heart of the British intelligence machinery. It is chaired by the Cabinet Office and made up of the heads of the UK’s three Intelligence and Security Agencies, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, and senior officials from key government departments. See... Iraq’s Weapons Of Mass Destruction – Full Report and PM Tony Blair's Iraq statement to Parliament
REACTION:
- National - Report proves urgent need to disarm Iraq
- NZ Government - Concerns About Iraq Best Met by Inspection Teams
- White House - Briefing by Ari Fleischer - September 24, 2002
Countdown To War: UN Deliberates Over Iraq - The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, discussed Iraq with the permanent members of the Security Council yesterday and today, according to a UN spokesman. See... Annan discusses Iraq with UNSC permanent members, Iraq must abide by UNSC resolutions - Annan and Weapons inspections an opportunity for Iraq - Blix
Countdown To War: Amnesty Caution On Iraq - As the Security Council debates a new resolution on Iraq, Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International has today written to all members of the Security Council urging them to ensure that every effort is made to resolve the present situation through peaceful means. See... UNSC Asked To Ensure Force Is The Last Resort
Countdown To War: Bush Lines Up Behind Blair - "Prime Minister Blair, first of all, is a very strong leader, and I admire his willingness to tell the truth and to lead. Secondly, he has -- continues to make the case, like we make the case, that Saddam Hussein is a threat to peace; that for 11 years he has deceived the world." See… President Urges Congress to Pass Iraq Resolution
MORE US WAR PR:
- DoD - Rumsfeld's News Conference In Poland , Dep.Sec. Wolfowitz Interview With NATO Journalists, Rumsfeld Interview with Tomasz Lis, TVN/TVN 24
Countdown To War: Al Gore’s Alternative - I’m speaking today in an effort to recommend a specific course of action for our country which I believe would be preferable to the course recommended by President Bush. Specifically, I am deeply concerned that the policy we are presently following with respect to Iraq has the potential to seriously damage our ability to win the war against terrorism and to weaken our ability to lead the world in this new century. See... Transcript: Iraq and the War On Terrorism
Countdown To War: NZers Oppose Iraq War - According to a TV3/NFO poll published this evening New Zealanders are overwhelmingly against military action against Iraq without UN approval. See... Poll Watch: NZers Overwhelmingly Back UN On Iraq
Countdown To War: An Earlier Plan For Domination Critiqued - Attention residents of planet Earth: A white-collar criminal from the state of Texas is about to endanger the general well-being and lives of you and all your progeny. The citizens of the United States are to blame. See... America's War On The World and UQ Wire: Bush Regime Change Blueprint - The Report
Countdown To War: Homeland Resistance - As the drums of war beat ever louder, peace groups around the U.S. have responded by organizing teach-ins, protests and vigils. One of the projects now underway, the Iraq Pledge of Resistance, is modeled on an earlier effort to stop American military intervention in Central American conflicts during the 1980s. See... BTL: Groups Opposed to a New U.S. War Against Iraq
Countdown To War: William Rivers Pitt - Some will tell you the Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Others will say it ended when the Soviet Union finally collapsed, when their breed of communism was cast aside in favor of free-enterprise democracy. See... William Rivers Pitt: Out of History Into History
Countdown To War: We Shall Stiff Them On The Beaches - “ I'm talking about Iraq....a leader who told the United Nations and the world he would not develop weapons of mass destruction, and for 11 long years has stiffed the world.” President Calls on Congress to Act On Iraq
MORE US & UK WAR PR
- White House - President Bush at Doug Forrester for Senate Event ,
- Downing Street - Monday 23 September Downing St. lobby briefing
- DoD - Rumsfeld And Polish Minister Siwiec Press Conf., Backgrounder On Senior Defense Official Trip , Rumsfeld Media Availability En Route to Poland
- State Dept. -
Countdown To War: Iraq Is More Than Saddam - Iraq is one man, North American media reminds us. MSNBC has taken to calling the latest crisis "Showdown With Saddam", while Senators fall over each other to "Saddam this" or "Saddam that". When they speak of attacking Iraq they say, "let's go and take this guy out." See... Firas Al-Atraqchi: 24 Million in Iraq Not One Man
Countdown To War: UK Labour’s Counter Dossier On Iraq - There is no case for a war on Iraq. It has not threatened to attack the US or Europe. It is not connected to al-Qa'ida. There is no evidence that it has new weapons of mass destruction, or that it possesses the means of delivering them. This pamphlet separates the evidence for what we know about Iraq from the wild suppositions used as the pretext for a war. See... The Dishonest Case For War On Iraq Counter Dossier
Countdown To War: Official Plan For US Global Domination - The new “National Security Strategy of the United States of America” even mentions New Zealand. “We have deepened cooperation on counterterrorism with our alliance partners in Thailand and the Philippines and received invaluable assistance from close friends like Singapore and New Zealand.” See... The National Security Strategy of the USA
MORE US & UK WAR PR:
- White House - Radio Address by President Bush to the USA, President Advises Of Deployments In Terror War
- State Department - US Administration's Position On Iraq: As Delivered, (As Prepared), Powell Remarks After Group on Strategic Issues
- UK Foreign Minister - Weapons inspections must take place without games, Straw responds to Iraqi Foreign Minister's speech
- DoD - Rumsfeld's CNN Television Interview , Secretary Rumsfeld's Meeting With NATO Ministers
Countdown To War: NZ Mobilises Inspectors - “Our contribution to UNMOVIC, approved yesterday by the government, is consistent with the government’s disarmament objectives and support for multilateral efforts to bring Iraq into compliance with its obligations towards Security Council resolutions,” PM Helen Clark and Defence Minister Mark Burton said. See... New Zealand To Contribute To UN Mission In Iraq . Meanwhile in Afghanistan… Military engineers on humanitarian mission
Countdown To War: Iraq Accuses US Of Imperialist Ambition - “The U.S. administration wants to destroy Iraq in order to control the Middle East oil, and consequently control the politics as well as the oil and economic policies of the whole world. If it succeeded in that, God forbid, it would dictate on you what each country needs for its economic development, what quantities of oil it is allowed to buy, and at what prices, along with other conditions.” See… Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri UN Statement
MORE:
- Iraq - U.S and British warplanes launch a new aggression , Iraq discusses practical UN inspectors measures
- UN - Chief UN weapons inspector briefs Security Council
Countdown To War: Where Ari Avoids The “O” Word - Q And a follow-up. The Foreign Minister of Iraq and Tariq Aziz use always the word "oil," saying that the U.S. is trying to get any excuse possible to get its hands or control Iraqi oil. Is that a valid point? See... Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer - September 19
MORE FROM THE U.S. GOVT:
- White House - Continuation of the National Terrorism Emergency , President Visits Homeland Security Complex , Bush to Send Iraq Resolution to Congress Today
- State Dept. - Intelligence Sharing and September 11 Attacks, Powell IV By NPR's Morning Edition's Alex Chadwick, State Dept. Daily Press Briefing for September 18
- DoD - Rumsfeld Stakeout with Russian MoD Borisovich , Rumsfeld Interview with Jim Lehrer, News Hour, PBS
Countdown To War: Not Important? Think Again! - Robert Fisk has the right take on the Bush administration. With Saddam Hussein having unconditionally agreed to allow in the weapons inspectors, the US is all dressed up with no war to go to. See... NITA: Blowback From The Blowhards
Countdown To War: Clark Trying To Slug Dubya Both Ways - Clark has been the most strident critic of the Bush administration yet now she is rushing to assist the weapon inspectors who are there only because of the US threats. See... Very Very Very Good Friends For A Very Short Time
Countdown To War: It’s All About Oil – Baghdad Says - "All weapons of mass destruction in Iraq have been completely destroyed. Even tools and buildings housing equipment have been destroyed." The Iraqi Foreign Minister also accused US President George W. Bush of "wanting to make Iraq a new Afghanistan." "The United States wants to control Iraqi oil (but) it will not be able to achieve that by installing a government in its pay." See... No excuse for war now, Iraq says
MORE:
- President Saddam Hussein to send message to UN
- Foreign Minister meets Arab, foreign counterparts
- Aziz meets with French delegation
Countdown To War: Bush Endangering Inspectors - The safety and effectiveness of the UN weapons inspection team to Iraq is being jeopardized by President Bush's determination to unleash his military might on that country, Green Party Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Keith Locke warned today. See... Bush Bluster Puts Weapons Inspectors At Risk
Countdown To War: Fighting Talk From GWB - “We talked about the fact that Saddam Hussein has stiffed the United Nations for 11 long years, and that, once again, he said -- made some kind of statement, trying to take the pressure off of himself. This statement about unconditional inspections was something he's made in the past. He deceives, he delays, he denies. And the United States, and I'm convinced, the world community, aren't going to fall for that kind of rhetoric on -- by him again.” President Discusses Iraq with Congress Leaders
MORE US OFFICIAL COMMENT:
- Rumsfeld - Media Stakeout Following Rumsfeld's HASC Testimony
Countdown To War: US, UN And UK React To Iraq Decision
- White House -We've heard "unconditional" before - White House
- State Department - On-The-Record Briefing at the Foreign Press Center, Powell Meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister
- 10 Downing Street - Monday 16 September Downing Street lobby briefing, Iraqi offer to re-admit weapons inspectors - Straw and Straw: 'A clear hard choice about Iraq'
- UN - Iraqi return of inspectors letter only a beginning, UN inspection commission and Iraq start talks
Countdown To War: The Letter From Saddam - “ I have the honour to refer to the series of discussions held between Your Excellency and the Government of the Republic of Iraq on the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions on the question of Iraq which took place in New York on 7 March ... “ See... Iraq's Letter To The UNSG on Weapons Inspections
MORE FROM IRAQ:
- Iraq blasts US-Australian piracy at Gulf
- Military Spokesman On US/UK Bombing Raids
Kofi Annan’s Roadmap To Peace Unveiled - 17 September – Members of the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East - comprising the United Nations, European Union, Russian Federation and United States - today outlined a three-phase roadmap to achieve the shared vision of two States - Israel and Palestine. See... ME Quartet outlines three-phase roadmap for peace
MORE:
- 'Performance and hope' needed for Quartet success
- UN Press Conference By Quartet On Middle East
EARLIER: Countdown To War: Iraq Accepts Weapons Inspections - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has just announced that Iraq has written to him saying it is willing to accept the return of weapons inspectors unconditionally. See... NewsFlash: Iraq Accepts UN Weapons Inspectors, UNSG press encounter with announcement on Iraq and Iraq agrees to unconditional return of UN weapons
REACTION:
- National - Keep the pressure on Iraqi breakthrough
- ACT - US Stance Vindicated by Iraqi Backdown
- Green Party - Iraq's decision: victory for peaceful int pressure
- White House - White House Statement On Iraq Weapons Inspections
Countdown To War: Latin American Update - These days the attention of the world is on the Middle East and the imminent invasion of Iraq. This is understandable if only because it is such good theatre. President Bush’s speech to United Nations was a symbolic event redolent with meaning. See... SRA Commentary: The War on Terror in Latin America
Countdown To War: Murder For Profit - Some will tell you that the sudden, seemingly inexplicable rush to war with Iraq is nothing more or less than a ruse to get economic scandals off the front pages and out of the nightly news cycles. July was a catastrophically bad month for the Bush administration. Every time George spoke on camera, the Dow Jones would melt through the floorboards. See... William Rivers Pitt: Murder for Profit
Countdown To War: UN’s Finest Hour - Over the past decade there have been serious questions raised as to the effectiveness of the United Nations when it comes to dealing with conflict. See... Could Iraq be the United Nations’ Finest Hour?
Countdown To War: You Are Being Lied To - As we move towards a broader war against Iraq - remember, the last one never ended - one thing is clear: there is a definite need for a regime change. . . in the American media. See... UnderNews: Regime Change Needed In US Media. See also... USA Today Repeats Myths on Iraq Inspectors
Countdown To War: Speaking For NZ – Goff At The UN - “The situation in Iraq is also a threat to world peace but we must look for solutions which resolve and do not exacerbate that threat.” See... Goff statement to UN General Assembly
MORE:
- Green Party - UN Must Resist Bush's Bullying
Countdown To War: The View From Jeddah Of Gulf Tensions - It seems America and Bush in particular wants to wage war on Iraq, and has spent months trying to convince American citizens and other countries that Saddam is so dangerous that he must be removed at all costs. See... Behind The Veil: Making Iraq The Next Afghanistan
Countdown To War: Peace Movement Briefing On War With Iraq - Unfortunately the US is on a determined course towards war that can only be stopped by a massive international movement of opposition. See... Is A War Against Iraq A Real Possibility?
Countdown To War: Latest Official US War PR
- DoD - Background Briefing on Terrorism and WMD
- State Department’s Richard Armitage - Interview on FOX & Friends, NBC
- Secretary Of State Colin Powell Interview on CBS , Interview on CNN
- White House - Radio Address , Bush and Berlusconi , Bush Presser 9/13, Press Gaggle by Ari Fleischer
- UK Government - Co-operation in the fight against terrorism vital
Bush Wields A Stick & A Carrot At The UN - “We want the resolutions of the world's most important multilateral body to be enforced. And right now those resolutions are being unilaterally subverted by the Iraqi regime.” See... Bush Remarks At The UN General Assembly
MORE FROM TODAY’S WAR PR OFFENSIVE:
- White House - A Decade Of Deception And Defiance - Iraq Fact Sheet, Lunch Remarks, Bush and Karzai , US Rejoins UNESCO
- DoD - Secretary Rumsfeld Interview with UPI
- State Dept - Powell Remarks to the UN Security Council
REACTION:
- Amnesty International - USA/Iraq : Not In The Name Of Human Rights
- UNSG - UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan's General Assembly Address
Australia Deploys Orions - Two Royal Australian Air Force P-3C maritime patrol aircraft will be deployed at the beginning of next year to support the international coalition against terrorism, Defence Minister Robert Hill announced today. See… P-3C Orion aircraft to be deployed in terror war
English Sees Govt. Flip Flop - It is disgraceful that the Government is now refusing to commit military support for even UN-backed action on Iraq, says National Leader Bill English. See... English - Government flip-flops over Iraq
EARLIER IRAQ CONFLICT RELEASES:
- Greens - What Cost Free Trade?
- Ken Shirley - Iraq Stance Will Prove Costly
- Wayne Mapp - New Zealand Must Remember Its Allies
- Winston Peters - Iraq Attack
Yesterday's Scoop Commentary
- Uri Avnery: War Now!
- Howard's End: The Iraq War Is Already Underway
- Guest Column: War Begins And Nobody Notices!
- Sludge Report #140 - Thou Shalt Not Steal
- Scoop Link - Hawks have plans to reshape entire Mideast
For More Commentary On The Impending War CLICK HERE
Today's PR Offensive
- State Department - Marc Grossman IVs – Italy, Spain & Poland
- DoD - Secretary Rumsfeld Interview with Associated Press, Wolfowitz Interview with Associated Press
An Israeli Peacenik’s View - Slowly, President Bush's war plan against Iraq is emerging from the thick fog. At first it looked like a collection of hazy slogans, but gradually it is becoming clear that it has definite - if hidden - aims. See... Uri Avnery: War Now!
Who Needs Permission? - The global diplomatic flurry to gain U.N. support for an offensive against Iraq is a smokescreen and post-dates the start of the U.S. offensive which took place three months ago - not with a bang, but with little-publicised steps. Maree Howard. See... Howard's End: The Iraq War Is Already Underway. See also... Guest Column: War Begins And Nobody Notices!
Commanders In Thief’s Plan Revealed - In This Edition: Thou Shalt Not Steal - This Is Not About Persuasion, It Is About PR For A Decision Already Taken - The Countdown To War Has Begun - Poppy’s Friends Run Interference For Junior - The Prize – Cui Bono – Commanders In Thief - There Is Always An Alternative. See... Sludge Report #140 - Thou Shalt Not Steal
- Scoop Link - Hawks have plans to reshape entire Mideast
New Agenda Called Into Action - Progressive MP Matt Robson said that he is writing to Disarmament Minister Marian Hobbs to suggest that the New Agenda countries should meet to discuss the crisis being engendered over Iraq within the context of destroying all weapons of mass destruction. A preliminary meeting could be held while Foreign Minister Goff is in New York. See... New Zealand must call disarmament meeting on Iraq
What The PM Said - “I think the United Nations would need pretty clear evidence to change the track that it is on. We have said that our view is moving very much in line with that of the bulk of the international community. We don't wish to see unilateral intervention in Iraq and we think that decisions about Iraq should be taken at the UN level.” Post Cabinet Press Conference : Monday 9 September
EARLIER IRAQ WAR COMMENTARY
- Keith Rankin - A Brief Reflection
- Moana Cole - Why a War Against Iraq is Illegal Under Int. Law
- Norman Solomon - Media Beat: The Powell Trap - Easing Us Into War
- Poem - The Dawning Of The Age Of Nefarious
- Chomsky on Iraq, US, Weapons – A Preview
- UQ Wire - Funding War PR With Foreign Cash
- Firas Al-Atraqchi - American Group Defies Rhetoric
- Bernard Weiner: Is Mideast Peace Still Possible?
- Philip J. Rappa - Are We Unworthy Of The Liberty To Stand Erect?
- Streets Of London: Talking Nukes And Iraq With JC
- How To Silence the War Drums on the Potomac!
- David Miller Online: Why Russia Will Save Saddam
The Scoop Editor
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