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ABCNEWS.com : Blix to Demand Iraqi Missile Destruction
In a blow to Iraq's military, chief U.N. inspector Hans Blix is expected to demand the destruction of Baghdad's Al Samoud 2 missiles and machinery to produce missile motors, diplomats and U.N. officials said Thursday.
This is great news! I suspect this will wind up being THE issue that brings everything to a head.
When I first heard about the missles, I didn't think their excessive range was a big deal (although later I realized we were talking about 20% too far, which actually is a big deal). I was also concerned that Iraq would wind up being praised by Blix for giving the data on these missles to him (like they are supposed to) rather than making him hunt for it.
I've had a change of heart about Hans Blix. I think he really wants to see Iraq disarmed, and has no illusions about how this will ultimately play out. I believe he's holding out hope that he, supported by the ever-growing threat of 200,000 US and British soldiers camped just over the next sand dune, can pressure Iraq to comply. But unlike most of the UNSC, Blix seems to understand the definition of words like "disarm" and "comply" and "inspectors". He's not letting things slide. He's not pretending that "cooperating" means "not impeding". He keeps pointing out that inspectors are not detectives, something that much of the world seems to miss. The only thing I can fault Blix for so far is being too patient.
I do not think Iraq is going to comply with Blix's decision here. Maybe they would have destroyed the rockets, to produce the illusion of compliance. But I can't imagine that they will also destroy the equipment used to build these missles, because that would seriously hamper their ability to maintain a clandestine weapons program.
This will be a real test for Iraq. Destroying these missiles will seriously hurt Iraq's military. It's easy to obey decisions that you agree with, or don't significantly disagree with. The real test is when you're asked to submit to a decision that you strongly disagree with or that hurts you in some way. The world will soon see the real position of Iraq.
Posted by Robert at February 21, 2003 10:23 AM | TrackBack