UN chemical weapons inspectors have been ordered to leave Syria early today, anticipating an imminent US attack on the country. This has forced inspectors to cut short their probe into allegations of a chemical weapons strike on which the US is basing its case for war.
Inspectors will be leaving the country on Saturday, a day ahead of their initial plan, and will be submitting an immediate interim report to Ban Ki-moon before they have a chance to process any of the samples collected while in Syria. Actual reports based on this data won’t come until late next week at the earliest.
The US was upset about them remaining in Syria for that long, and had demanded they withdraw last weekend when they decided that the allegations were “undeniable,” apparently hoping to avoid the report proving them wrong and throwing a monkey wrench into the war scheme.
The permanent five (P5) members of the UN Security Council remain split on the calls for starting a war based on the allegations ahead of the inspectors providing any actual evidence, with Russia and China reiterating their opposition in a meeting that lasted less than an hour.
So Ki-Moon covers his a** both ways. First by over riding the US and putting the inspectors in, then withdrawing them prior to an attack, allowing the US to state that Assad forced the inspectors out implying Assad's guilt (an exact replay of the Iraq scenario).
This was exactly what was done with Iraq; the UN was forced to pull its inspectors out due to US threats of attack, and then the US accused Sadaam of throwing out the inspectors to justify its war against him.
Duly Due '''WMD 2'''.Next week.
GW BUSH is probably slapping his monkey in anticipation. Cheney has a gallon of Corn Huskers by his war watching chair. Lynne has plenty of paper towels for the old devils.