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LoneWolf
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You are right, Paky, we have learned a lesson. Your posts here are also very instructive.
We are on our own, and cannot pay too much attention to the foolish rantings of Euros like you, who are not really with us anyway.
Last edited by LoneWolf on 21-04-2003 at 09:09
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MichaeltheGreat
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Apolyton Grand Executioner
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mooning the house that Ruth built.
Oct 1999 time: 21:27
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Interesting that Schröder is gutless after the fact. At least he could be consistent.
Lifting sanctions right now, or not lifting them, is utterly meaningless to the Iraqis, but it's all about "Who's you're daddy?" between the US and the UN. The US needs to just come out and formalize it's desired restructuring of the UN with a formal proposal to make the US the sole voting member, with all other members holding observer seats, but paying full dues and lining up to receive instructions from the US as to their roles in carrying out US er, um, ooops, UN policy.
Iraq has no functioning national banking system and no functioning state enterprise, and the lack of a banking system shuts down effective transfers of money or credit, so until that gets shaken out, nobody is buying or selling anything, regardless of sanctions. Meanwhile, within security and logistical limits, humanitarion aid is starting to flow regardless of sanctions, and the US is happily awarding contracts to US firms such as Bechtel and Halliburton for infrastructure and oilfield projects.
The sanctions tiff boils down to one thing: The US treating the UN as servants of US policy. "We want sactions on Iraq." 
"We want a new resolution mandating a resumption of inspections." 
"We want a new resolution authorizing us to invade to enforce the last resolution." 
"Oh? You're not going to give us that? We'll invade anyway."
"Oh, BTW, those sanctions we insisted on? You can turn those off now, we no longer find them useful for our policies..." 
"Oh, Kofi, be a dear and fetch me another mint julep, will you..." 
The effect right now on the Iraqis is non-existent, because the commercial, security and logistical means for international commerce don't exist yet. But that's beside the point. This isn't about the Iraqis, it's about both sides using them in more policy games. (arab meaning)
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