A new thread at the top of the pile on Colin Powell's high stakes presentation the UN. Anyone want to do the equivalent of PBP or Matchtracker?? That might be fun. I can't, as I might not be able to see the entire thing start to finish. Meanwhile, post your post-presentation commentary here. A preview. --90 minutes. --Powell is supposed to walk around the room with a wireless mike. --George Tenet is there for moral support. --Multimedia extrvaganza -- slides, video, audio. Will he use PowerPoint?? Easels a la Adlai Stevenson? --Will he say to the Iraqi ambassador -- "Do you deny sir, that you HAVE weapons of mass destruction, and you have been concealing them from weapons inspectors -- yes or no. Don't wait for the translation -- yes or no!" No matter what, it's going to be darn entertaining theatre.
Powell At the UN PBP [R] I'll pick up the Play-by play. Pre-match: 9:20, he's not left his hotel in NYC, but his motorcade just arrived.
Saddam told a former Parliament member that they don't have any weapons and that they hope "with all their hearts" that there will be no war, because it will be "terrible." We just put more missiles in Kuwait. In related news, NASA found a patch of a silver star of David, on blue fabric, presumably from the Israeli astronaut. The multimedia stuff was tested and is working at 100%. Vive le AFC! OPArse
There are already protesters out front, and some supporters. Security is making a final sweep. Powell's getting in the car. They're now leaving the Waldorf. He's in a "non-descript black van", in case you're interested. They're backing out now. Only 53 minutes to go.
The Fox News anchors (eww, conservatives) are railing on the French. The multimedia is going to have audio tapes, and video of "moblie bio-labs." They said that even Jeanne Garrafalo (sic) is going to want military action in Iraq. They're all for war on Fox, and I can't check CNN, as my cable hookup is buggy. There's a debate about releasing the best information that we have. Powell has information from Iraqi defectors and former prisoners. They say that they have no "smoking gun," but I think that that's because the gun only smokes after it's fired. Powell will be showing classified things to the diplomats in private meetings (why do they always get the good stuff??) which he hopes will sway Russia and China. France is still holding judgement until they see the presentations. An Indiana Senator (Luger) has seen the stuff that Powell has, and he said that he thinks that the information will "change all doubters." Very bold words indeed, Mr. Senator. 40 minutes away. vive le AFC! OPArsenal
Man, oh, man, everything's getting declassified! A field day for nerds like me. 27 minutes to go. North Korea says that it has reactivated it's nuke facility. The Iraqi Media Administration calls his stuff (already) "lies and fabrications." The Iraqi people are not allowed to watch it (they don't get international news channels on their TV's).
Powell's at the UN, and he's talking to his friends. They called him a "celebrity." Nice. Powell = credibility.
There's an Iraqi delegate, but he can't vote. A white guy is their representative. Fischer is starting the meeting. He calls on His Excellency Mr. Colin Powell. He expresses his thanks for everyone showing up. It's a "landmark day." Iraq = guilty of material breach of other resolutions. The council has convicted Iraq over the years. Iraq had one last chance. No one vetoed it. Tough standards so Iraq could disarm, no pressure on the inspectors. Inspectors are not detectives, they are inspectors. Hans Blix, "Iraq has not come to a genuine disarmament." He wishes to provide additional evidence about Iraq noncomplience, and involvement in terrorism.
They have made to effort to disarm and they are concealing them. 1st audio tape: 2 senior officers of Iraq's Republican Guard. "We have a modified vehicle" "We have evacuated everything." They acknowledged that they knew the UN was coming for contraband. The modified vehicle came from al-Kindi.
2nd tape: Republican guard officer issuing orders last week: "They are inspecting ammo." "We sent you a message to evacuate the scrap heaps." "After you have carried out what is contained in this message, destroy this message."
Powell's smacking them really hard. He's a genius. Absolutely brilliant. al-Kindi is known to deal with contraband weapon transport. "Iraq has a high-level committee to spy on the inspectors."-CP Hussein was recorded saying that it was time to "resume the old game of cat and mouse." in November. Defector #1: They were ordered to destroy documents about weapons, members of the ruling party and scientists have hidden things in their homes. Intelligence agents drive things around the countryside so we don't find it. They confiscated a 2,000 page document concerning a nuke program and bioweapons.
Sattelite photo #1: Chemical Munitions facility at Taji. It's where Iraq came up with 4 shells. 4 active chemical munitions bunkers. A security hut w/special guards w/monitors, a decontamination vehicle, they move as people work in the bunkers. On the rite is a sanitized bunker, one of the ones the same as shown on the left, cleaned up with the decontamination vehicle leaving just as the UN vehicles pull up.
Photo 2: Ballistic missile facility with trucks moving missiles. Photo 3: More of photo 2. "Why would Iraq be so interested in cleaning house like they had something to hide?" Take it, Saddam. "Where is everything?" No U2 recon flights allowed. "Why not?" Iraqis moved gear from 30 sites. "Anyone cooperating w/the UN was committing treason." Human Source 2: Saddam had all Iraqi scientists warned what would happen to their families if they revealed anything to inspectrs. I gotta go to 6th period now. Sorry, y'all. Vive le AFC! OPArsenal
Chemical engineer says people died in 2000 because of exposure to bio chemical when testing. Defector says production went on up until the Friday before UN came to inspect.
Now into the Iraq-Al Qaeda connection: Zurqawi's presence in Iraq and his ability to coordinate operations, especially chemical and bioweapons operations, throughout Europe. Meeting in Khartoum between Iraqi intelligence agents and bin Laden representatives sometime in 2000(?). Powell: "Ambition and hatred are enough to bring Iraq and al Qaeda together" despite their secular/religious differences.
Senior al Qaeda official in custody: Al Qaeda went to Iraq to get biochemical weapons training and materials because facilities in Afghanistan were not of sufficient quality to support their desires for creation of these weapons.
Finishing up with description of human rights violations by Saddam - use of chemical weapons/executions against Kurds; mass killing of Shi'a in the south; etc. "Saddam Hussein and his regime will stop at nothing until something stops him." "Should we take the risk that he will not someday use these weapons...the United States cannot take that risk...Iraq still remains a threat and still remains in material breach...we have an obligation to our citizens, we have an obligation to this body that our [resolutions are complied with]"
Having listened to the Powell speech, I think it is clear that we need to give the UN inspectors more time.