News
Analysis
By
Ahmed Shames
December 1, 2002
- Last week, weapons inspectors carried out their
duties without interference. This
has achieved the following:
- Strengthened the image of inspectors as a credible,
well-intentioned team to counter Saddam's accusations of them
being US collaborators seeking an excuse for war.
- It has given the US more time to both continue
its military build-up as well as
persuade more countries to join the
campaign against Saddam.
- And most importantly, it attempts to give Saddam
a false sense of security in the hope that he reveals less of his arsenal
of weapons on the 8th December, making it easier
for inspectors to prove him in 'material breach'.
- In the meantime, the UK government is continuing
its campaign to make the idea of regime change more acceptable. They are now making
direct appeals to Muslims in
Britain, explaining how dangerous Saddam is. The Foreign Office is due to
publish a report detailing
Saddam's human rights violations.
- The US government has welcomed an extensive study,
produced by a group of various Iraqi opposition groups and individuals, that
details the transition to democracy
as post-Saddam Iraq is mapped out.
You can find this online
at http://www.iprospect.org.uk/na1dec.html