UPDATED - ColdType

NEW YORK,MARCH 17,2003
WASHINGTON DEMANDS
U.N. INSPECTORS LEAVE IRAQ
High Noon as Bush team insists it will find WMDs
ACK in pre-history, in the 1970s, a headline writer at New York’s Daily News captured the
spirit of the then-President’s unwillingness to help New York through a financial crisis with
the headline: “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD.” Today we should be seeing another one in a
similar vein: “BUSH TO U.N.: DROP DEAD.”
It is ultimatum time on the Potomac, as the much planned for and feared “Moment of
Truth” arrives on the day that diplomacy died. (Some truth would be welcome, especially in this
moment of mounting propaganda.) Dick Cheney rattled his spurs on Meet the Press Sunday, as he
commented on charges that our president is a
cowboy. Sayeth the veep: “I think that is not necessarily
a bad idea.” So saddle up, gang, as
America gallops to war, and media camp followers
tag along.
Inspectors: Get out!
THIS morning the U.S. ordered U.N. inspectors
out of Iraq. The pretense of consultation and
even respect for any nations questioning U.S.
policy has ended. The U.N. meets today to
respond to this resolution, which boils down to
might defines right. What can they do? It
reminds me of Stalin’s dismissal of an appeal
from the Pope when he asked how many divisions
the Vatican had. Chairman Mao’s ghost
must be looking on approvingly — he always said
political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.
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After a weekend of escalating rhetoric, the
public opinion polls, which always reflect what
Americans see and hear on the boob tube, show
64 percent in favor of war and growing hostility
towards France and any other chicken shit
nation that dares question the Messiah from
Midland. Bush’s two main speechwriters, Karen
Hughes and Michael Gerson, accompanied him
on Air Force One and were reported to be drafting
a speech to the nation that could come as
soon as tonight.
Ultimatum
AT the Socialist Scholars conference yesterday,
where I first heard about the mandate from the
Azores, from the U.S. and the leaders of three
former colonial powers, a French delegate