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Danny |
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March first. Yup. That’s exactly what we’re gonna do. March first into battle regardless of who says “Wait a minute!” March first and ask questions later. At least it seems that way at the moment despite what’s going on all around the world. The French, the Germans and now the Russians will most likely vote against the US in the UN Security Council, vetoing the resolution which says Iraq has missed its last chance to avoid war. Even the Canadians are shifting away from the position taken by the US and Britain- -oh, and Spain, if anybody’s counting. The Turkish Parliament has voted not to allow American combat troops to stage an attack on Iraq from Turkish soil, reversing what was predicted less than a week ago by the Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul. It was a close vote, but because Turkey is the only Muslim Democracy in the whole region, the vote will likely stand, at least for now. And we were ready to buy everyone in the country a new hookah. But wait!! There’s more!! The Pakistanis have apprehended Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the highest ranking Al Qaeda leader caught so far. He is said to be the go-to guy who did the actual planning of the 9-1-1 terrorists attacks. US authorities now have him in custody, by (wink, wink) “special arrangement” with Pakistani Dictator General Pervez Musharraf. They say Mohammed is being held “out of the country”, and I think we get the underlying meaning here- -no cumbersome US laws to keep him from being tortured within an inch of his life. He is the most significant catch in the eighteen-month hunt for terrorists. Only Osama bin Laden and Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri are more senior in the Al Qaeda operational network. And- -as if that weren’t enough- -and by golly it should be- -the Iraqis are bulldozing short-range Al Samoud 2 missiles into the ground under the supervision of UN weapons inspectors. They may take a week or more to do this, but they have begun. AND- -an actual Arab country, the United Arab Emirates, has called for Saddam Hussein to step down. This happened in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt, at a summit meeting of Arab leaders. The island of Elba is still a popular place for exiled leaders, as is Riyadh. Warm desert nights or Mediterranean breezes- -you decide! Plus you get to take along “The Gulf War Home Game”!! Tell, them what else they’ve won, Johnny!! Or not. Never mind. So let’s review: We’ve caught one of the main Al Qaeda head honchos, and after all, wasn’t that the original raison d’être for all this military buildup? The Iraqis are grudgingly complying with the UN directives and are destroying their weapons. The Turks have said “no attack on Iraq from the back” from their territory. And finally Arab leaders themselves are speaking out about something they obviously have realized for quite a while but are only now saying- -it’s time for Saddam to take a bow and exit stage right. So let’s skip the Sweet Sixteen (well, the UN Security Council only has FIFTEEN members at any one time, but who’s counting?) and head right to THE FINAL FOUR: That would be Dubya, Rummy, Cheney and Condi. Plus I guess I hear old Wolfowitz howling at the door. Can these people take a minute and let these kinds of events unfold? Do they still HAVE to march forth? Nothing would make them all look more like geniuses than if the Saddam “House of Cards” fell apart on its own without any of our shots being fired. They could all just sit back and smile and lick their chops and say they knew it all along. The world doesn’t want this war. Marching into Baghdad will only create generations of hostile young terrorist recruits- -enough to last for several hundred years to come. It would be so much better to let it crumble on its own. To march is madness. Instead of driving us all hoops, kick back and watch some. “Say, Condi, why don’tcha make us all some popcorn. Hey!! What time does the game start?”
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