Iraq allows weapons inspectors to return

[xmaddness]

Well, They should let them back in now. They had plenty of time over the past 11 years to stockpile all their weapons in underground bunkers and hide everything. I just hope the inspectors know a fasle door or a real well when they see one.

[aeallison]

I suppose that all here agree that most of our military conflicts allowed our military weapons experts to test new types of weapons and deployment of such. In the Kuwait conflict we found out what would and would not work in a desert campaign, in Afganistan we learned how to destroy underground bunkers and complex procedures to inspect the aftermath for hidden weapons caches, etc. Saddam boasted in the Kuwait conflict about his vast underground fortresses, and how they were inpenitrable. Do you really think our government has forgotten these things? No way d00dz!! This letter is just Saddams way of stalling for more time, his "fortresses will not be found by any inspectors, not unless he has one or two "clean" ones for show. War with Iraq is ineviteable, I only hope we can knock out the terrorists, and their cohorts first. Isreal will ultimatly pay if we do not take immense measures to kill their opposition first....just MHO.

[Chuck56]

This time, I think Israel will pay a greater price than in the last war. When we go in, Saddam isn't going to forget Israel. The guy is nuts.

[aeallison]

That is my thoughts as well Chuck56. I have a chat friend in Israel that I call RocketDodger, he laughs about it too. He is a helecopter pilot in their army. He is terrified about the possibility of a war between Iraq and the US. He has been trying to find work here so he and his family can get out of there with their lives somewhat intact.

[Chuck56]

Just my opinion here, but Saddam can't get to us with his rockets. I'm not discounting that he has sleeper cells in this country by now, along with those Usama has, just waiting for the word to go. I'm fairly certain Saddam has the newer, more accurate SCUDS. Israel is easily within range and he'll use them and some of them will get through. It's inevitable. I wish the best for your friend and his family. If he's a qualified chopper pilot, I'm sure he'll find work here.

[4MidgetHitmen]

According to Jane's Defense Weekly Saddam does have the newer SCUD B's a bit more range than the ones he used in the Gulf War but still about the accuracy of a WWII German V-2... It can hit a city but where in the city is anyones guess... I too wish your friend the best of luck... Like Chuck56 said if he can fly a chopper he will get a job that pays very well...

[t2k2]

I have to say that I think that Bush is playing his cards right by meeting with the UN. He doesn't want to look like he is one to just ignore what everyone else thinks. I also agree that he has already decided that he wants to go to war with this guy, but he wants to see if he can get a few people on his "side" and at the same time, look good for talking about it first with the UN. I agree that this war is inevitable, and it is becoming clearer and clearer to me that Sadaam is just buying time and stalling to prepare for whatever it is that he wants to do in addition to pulling the wool over the inspectors' eyes. Maybe we can do a better job of preventing him from rebuilding this time...I hope...

[darkes]

Interesting comment from the ambassador to the UK from the Arab League (the Arab League was the main body that persuaded Iraq that it should allow the weapons inspectors back in).
He said that the offer from Iraq was not unconditional, and would be restricted to "military sites".
This sounds fine in theory, but when you have a leader that is prepared to hide items in civilian buildings, or designate suspect buildings as ‘baby milk’ manufacturing centres, then the offer looks rather worthless.
A lot depends on what terms the UN negotiates with Iraq, and more importantly, what happens when they get there.

[gghornet]

The one thing a lot of people seem to be taking for granted is Israels military.Although it's not the biggest military in the world,they have exceptionally well trained troops.I know Israel can't fight off the whole terrorist community by themselves,but they can hold their own in many situations.Israels troops have far more combat experience than most US and European troops.They just fall a little short on the technology and population side.I think the sooner we cut through the red tape and get a large force into the middle east the better.Saddam did the exact same thing last time with the UN.
You can come in and look around,but you can't go in there or in there.
The Iraqi diplomats in the UN are already implying restrictions on the inspectors by saying that they can come in,but they have to respect the privacy and security of Iraq.

[4MidgetHitmen]

I agree with you Hornet... The Israeli military has been fighting for a long time... I don't think that we are goingto be able to keep them out of this war with Iraq... And that means this thing is going to get a lot bigger than most people realize... This has the very real potetial of becoming WWIII if the cards aren't played just right...