Reading a Sydney Morning Herald report from reporters in Baghdad. The author writes:
In 1991, the coded messages gave us 1 hours’ to 2 hours’ notice. But for now, the next best indication of imminent action will be the UN’s withdrawal of the weapons inspectors and the evacuation of the last remaining members of the diplomatic community.
In a story at ABC News
The United Nations flew most of its helicopters out of Iraq on Sunday, and Germany advised its citizens to leave the country immediately amid mounting fears of war with the United States.
Iraq is now on war footing, with Saddam Hussein vowing to take this war everywhere, and Bush issuing a global ultimatum:
Tomorrow is a moment of truth for the world.
Yes, but whose truth?
When we lived in Vermont, my cat once caught a tiny deer mouse. You know the kind of mouse I’m talking about – tiny little body and huge ears and eyes. Zoe played with it and batted it about and tortured that little thing until we forced it from her, and put it out of its misery.
If we’re going to have this war then let’s have it so that we can face the aftermath. Let’s stop with the pretenses, and the phony summits, and the press releases, and Powell saying one thing while Cheney says another. If we’re going to rain bombs on Baghdad, let’s do so and quickly, rather than leave the people of that city in terror. Let’s stop toying with Iraq and move in for the kill.
In two hours I’m going to join a couple of hundred people holding up candles against the warm spring breeze, murmuring words of peace. But inside there’s a part of me that wishes the war would just start, so it could be over.
