Unconditional Surrender

Iraq’s claim that it has accepted unconditional inspections, even if had been true, is not enough to avert our invasion. Not even close, Saddam. And I doubt that Iraq really will allow "unconditional" inspections. They are now willing to discuss "practical" issues of starting inspections. I eagerly anticipate the greatest legal minds of Iraq and the UN debating whether a "practical" detail is or is not a "condition." Already, word has come out that the Iraqis only meant access to military sites.

Meanwhile, the United States military prepares and deploys. What the heck, this interlude might be a nice cover to deter Iraq from launching those chemicals they claim they don’t have while we deploy. Bad form to attack us while we dicker over "practical" details. And I say we charge the Iraqis for the cost of keeping our military in the region. Get the Navy busy intercepting tankers and then we sell the oil. Or maybe some legal alternative to do the same thing would be better despite the obvious appeal of boarding tankers. Shoot, we’ve been carrying out a creeping stealth deployment; maybe once we’re in Kuwait we can do a stealth invasion. We can move into Iraq to create "inspection bases" to support the ideal friendly inspection regime (US personnel, including ex-Marines—but not Scott Ritter) we will insist on (no UN employees as now set up) but which the Iraqis cannot agree to. We could shave a day or two off the invasion timetable. Something to ponder.

Fundamentally, Iraq made a mistake coming out so soon after the President’s UN speech. They could have waited another month and then sent the letter. Then more weeks to start discussions. Then wait a second, we forgot our pencils, we’ll be back in a week. Etc. But instead, we have plenty of time to expose the farce of Iraqi "agreement." Notwithstanding the immediate French response of unfurling their white flag of surrender as soon as the Iraqis told them the check was in the mail. We shall embarrass the French and their fellow cheese-eating surrender monkeys who live even here by exposing their eagerness to believe the very first lie the Iraqis tell on this issue.

We can always count on Saddam.

Inspections will never work as long as those being inspected do not want to stop building weapons of mass destruction. We will deploy our forces while we expose the Iraqis as liars. Then we’ll invade and hang that paper-hanging SOB from a lamppost.