>From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: QUOTE OF THE DAY/Sidi >Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2002 13:46:41 EST > >In a message dated 11/8/2002 4:36:53 PM Greenwich Standard Time, >[log in to unmask] writes: > > > > . What I find interesting in the lastest development > > are two things: first Syria's last minute decision to vote in support of > > the > > Resolution as opposed to the much expected abstention and second US > > Ambassador to the UN John Negroponte's statement that the resolution 'does > > not constrain any state' from acting against Iraq. Syria must have changed > > its position after consultations with other Arab states most of whom would > > like to see the back of Saddam without the attendant consequencies of a > > military confrontation. Ambassador Negroponte's reaffirmation of the US > > position confirms the fears of many that regardless of whatever happens at > > the UN HQ, Bush is going to pounce on Iraq anyway, and if necessary to do > > it > > alone with Blaire in a supporting cast role. > >Sidi, > >I was noticing the same thing, and I think you are right about Syria having >consulted with other Arab states. If I understsnd correctly, Syria's only >reason for abstaining was that they wanted the voting on the resolution to >take place after the Arab States summit in Cairo this coming saturday, not >before. > >I was also amazed but not surprised that John Negroponti said what he did. >Not only that, but you can see that they have already set their media >propaganda in full motion. AOL is already headlining that "UN BACKS BUSH IN >IRAQ RESOLUTION" and the others are echoeing the same. This will no doubt >give the population the impression that the UN backed Bush in his quest to go >after Iraq. > >After all of this hullabalou at the U.N, one also wonders what it was all >about if the Bush administration is going to use this as a sanction to attack >Iraq as they are already laying the groundwork for? The whole exercise was >intended ot just say that he did go through the UN as required and nothing >more. > > I thought that the French and the Russians said they did not want to just >give Bush a carte blanche to go to war even after Hussein messes up the >inspections, but that they wanted another debate at the U.N to determine what >should happen next. > >Instead, either the Bush administration is deliberately misrepresentating >what is actually in this resolution for propaganda with the American public >most of whom will never examine the blueprint, or they are intent on >twisting the meaning of the resolution to go after Iraq anyway without any >further consultation with the U.N. They have the piece of paper they were >looking for, and so that technicality has been taken care of. >It is much more evident now that Bush is determined to attack Iraq and the >reason is not just weapons of mass destruction but Oil. >In the meantime, the way Bush is handling the North Koreans with kid gloves >is interesting. > >Jabou Joh > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~