[SOC] an apology ot US members

[Paul Bartlett]

Hi Ian,
>
> No, they withdrew their resolution because they couldn't get a majority
[forget
> veto] which everyone would consider a moral right.
>


I disagree.

By saying categorically that the veto would be imposed no matter what, any
kind of democratic debate was essentially castrated; one member of the
Security Council had dictated a result regardless of argument. Further
debate after the statement of such a stance was pointless since the outcome
(whether you agree with it or not) was pre-ordained.

Personally, I think that if those proposing a veto had been slightly softer
in their positions then we could have won a further few weeks to let the
inspectors do their jobs and dig a bit deeper into just exactly what the mad
bastard has squirelled away. The discovery of some 3000 NBC suits and
atropine injectors in a Basra hospital (if you happen to believe the UK/US
press) does little to comfort me.

Best,

Paul