Daily Digest

03.13.2003

The Palestinian Arab Liberation Front (PALF) boasts its Iraqi support. Hussein donates $25,000 to families of suicide bombers - $35 million in two years. So, Iraq has no ties to terrorism? Oh, and Iraq might be about to launch scud missiles at Israel.

Blogger Iraniangirl joins the Winds of Change team. She links to articles from The Iranian - one on "rational alternatives" to unilateralism, the other applauds the US "neighborhood gendarme." The world's weird when Iranian journalists are more balanced than certain European leaders. Anyhow, The Iranian has great articles, both pro- and anti-war.

Now this is beyond my comprehension: France rejects adopting a list of six tests for Iraqi disarmament Britain proposed. These are the six "tests" (via Channel 4):

  1. Saddam to make a public declaration on Iraqi television that he has been hiding weapons of mass destruction but will now give them up.
  2. A commitment to allow Iraqi scientists to be interviewed outside Iraq.
  3. Surrender of and explanation of stocks of anthrax.
  4. Commitment to destruction of proscribed missiles.
  5. Account for unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely piloted vehicles (drones).
  6. Commitment to surrender all mobile bio-production laboratories for destruction.

France objects to that? Um, what do they support? (Besides continued civil war in Algeria and unilateral intervention in Ivory Coast, that is.)

The Economist thinks Chirac will lose his game of chicken. Jane's agrees.

Porphyrogenitus explains why transnational organizations fail. Even Saudi Arabia's Arab News suggests the UN outlived its usefulness:

Today, a world crisis map would show 66 conflicts with various degrees of intensity: dormant, semi-active, and hot. Of these, at least 22 could be described as either active or hot. These range from the genocidal war that Myanmar is waging against Muslim and other non-Buddhist minorities, to the current civil war in Ivory Coast, and passing by the Israel-Palestine conflict. In almost every case, the UN is either absent or used as an instrument for delaying a solution.

What unilateralism? Japan backs the US on Iraq - and links the issue to North Korea (from Daily Yomiuri). And John Howard (Australian PM) doesn't get enough thanks.

Blaming "the Jews" is popular again. Here's another report.

Posted by Miguel at 11:15 PM