February 10, 2003
The Plot Thickens Amazing goings-on in the world. The French and Germans have prepared an alternative plan, a way to accomplish the stated goals of the United States without war and devastation.
The plan would include a stepping up of inspection efforts by the UN, increased presence (up to a tripling) of inspectors, perhaps even a presence of UN troops making the country a sort of UN protectorate. This would make it very difficult for the US and Britain to launch the devastating "shock and awe" attack because it would have to kill UN inspectors and troops.
Belgium is resisting a US call to NATO to prepare to send troops in case of the US attack. France is ready to use its veto power to stop US war plans. On Monday morning we hear that Russian president Putin is saying there is no need to resort to war in Iraq.
WQXR in its morning report sounds more like a news report than it has in a long time. It actually had a reporter describing some of these world events rather than just having the announcer repeating US war propaganda with a sense of inevitability.
Now there is actually something other than the will of the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Rove group determining world affairs. WQXR, the radio station of the New York Times, does however cling to its lies about the US trying to install a "democratic government" in Iraq. What a lame joke. What would be the point in putting a democratic government in Iraq when the Bush administration is busy dismantling democracy and civil liberties in the US?
Rove is said to be "livid." The regime has encountered for the first time, meaningful international resistance to its agenda. What is worst about this development is that the French-German plan is a perfect way to achieve the stated goals of the US, "to disarm Saddam," "to remove the weapons of mass destruction." It's not a way to achieve its real goals of taking over Iraq and its oil supply and establishing US control in western Asia.