Copy-cat! Doesn't this statement from Pyongyang sound sort-of familiar?
And why did the Secretary of State feel it was necessary to reassure Al-Hayat: "Nobody in the American administration (has) talked about invading Iran or Syria," Powell said. "It seems that there is a constant desire by everybody to accuse us of invasion operations. That didn't, and won't, take place."
The fact that Mr Powell felt a need to clarify this point (if indeed "didn't and won't" does the job adequately) speaks volumes about the state of of the administration's current diplomatic efforts. With all the Syria-bashing that's gone on in the past week -- chronicled in the PST thread -- you would think the US 4th Division's tanks are about to roll up up over the Golan Heights.
Last, could the unearthing of more mass graves convince Iraqi, Arab, (and world?) opinion of the unsavoriness of the Ba'ath regime? Perhaps more so than the so-far unimpressive bio-chem site digs. But then forensic investigations often require neutral experts to convince skeptics.
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And why did the Secretary of State feel it was necessary to reassure Al-Hayat: The fact that Mr Powell felt a need to clarify this point (if indeed "didn't and won't" does the job adequately) speaks volumes about the state of of the administration's current diplomatic efforts. With all the Syria-bashing that's gone on in the past week -- chronicled in the PST thread -- you would think the US 4th Division's tanks are about to roll up up over the Golan Heights.
Last, could the unearthing of more mass graves convince Iraqi, Arab, (and world?) opinion of the unsavoriness of the Ba'ath regime? Perhaps more so than the so-far unimpressive bio-chem site digs. But then forensic investigations often require neutral experts to convince skeptics.
- bruno 4-05-2003 9:44 pm