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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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The White House announced today that the "diplomatic window has closed" and President
Bush will address the nation tonight at 8 pm et...Bush's principal message will be
addressed to Saddam: Get out of the country or face imminent war. Negroponte and
Greenstock (U.S./U.K. ambassadors to the U.N. respectively) announced this morning
they were withdrawing the latest U.N. resolution and would stand on the authority of
1441, of which Negroponte declared Iraq to be in "material breach." At 5:45 pm et.
congressional leaders are expected at a White House briefing...This story is changing
by the hour if not by the minute...We'll stay on top of every twist and turn and rest
assured we'll bring you the latest at 9 pm et...
http://msnbc.com/news/842500.asp?0cv=CA01
Ari: "He will say that to avoid military conflict Saddam Hussein must leave the
country"
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=540&e=1&u=/ap/20030317/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_iraq
President Bush will give Iraqi President Saddam Hussein a final ultimatum on Monday
night to step down or face war, a White House spokesman said. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2393074
The United States, Britain and Spain withdrew their resolution on Iraq, blaming a
threatened French veto for their decision to abandon efforts to win U.N. backing for
military action. President Bush gave Saddam Hussein an ultimatum Monday to leave his
country or face a U.S.-led war. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=540&e=2&u=/ap/20030317/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_diplomacy
Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Monday the "time for diplomacy has passed" for
Iraq and he could think of nothing that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein could do
diplomatically to stay in power (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=2392978
Things are, of course, very fluid in terms of the show's production...We'll be live
for a reax on President Bush's speech and preview the coming war with a cast of
characters in the know....
This will of course be a historic night and one you won't want to mis...
We may also do the Al Qaeda angle as well...There's several stories out there on that
nefarious and infernal gang...Yesterday The Washington Post reported that officials
were on the brink of toppling them while The New York Times reported that the coming
war with Iraq was being used as a successful recruiting tool...The FBI is also gearing
up as many as 5,000 agents to head off any terrorist reprisals against Americans...
Stay with us...Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing from
Washington, DC
President Saddam Hussein admitted on Monday that Iraq had in the past weapons of mass
destruction but reiterated that it no longer had such weapons. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2392686
Several United Nations weapons inspectors checked out of their hotels in Baghdad on
Monday, witnesses said, ahead of a possible evacuation as the United States prepared
for military action against Iraq. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2392650
Robin Cook, the British government's highly respected leader in parliament and a
former foreign secretary, resigned on Monday in protest at Prime Minister Tony Blair's
hawkish stance on Iraq. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=574&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20030317/wl_nm/iraq_britain_resignation_dc
U.S. makes it clear: Exile or war...Bush team comes full circle on Iraq (The
Washington Post) http://msnbc.com/news/886207.asp?0cv=CB10
The State Department said on Sunday it had ordered nonessential U.S. diplomats and
embassy dependents out of Kuwait, Israel and Syria and urged U.S. citizens to leave
because of the threat of war with Iraq. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=2388481
With a war against Iraq perhaps days away, Americans are backing President Bush but
remain split over launching an attack without United Nations support, a USA
TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-03-16-poll-iraq_x.htm
Al Qaeda's Top Primed To Collapse, U.S. Says...Mohammed's Arrest, Data Breed Optimism
(The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30817-2003Mar15.html
Alleged Bin Laden aide 'talking'...An al-Qaida suspect nabbed recently in Pakistan has
started cooperating and is "giving some leads," a Pakistani security official said
Monday.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/885703.asp
If U.S. forces invade Iraq, the FBI has plans to mobilize as many as 5,000 agents to
guard against terrorist attacks, monitor or arrest suspected militants and interview
thousands of Iraqis living in the United States, according to officials familiar with
the effort. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35147-2003Mar16.html
Congress Questions War-Related Aid...As country after country demands money and
military aid from the U.S. in return for cooperation against Iraq and terrorism, the
price tag is growing, and some in Congress are questioning the strategy. (The
Washington Post) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35325-2003Mar16.html
A senior Baghdad official who feared for his life after helping to hide Saddam
Hussein's chemical weapons was executed after he tried to flee the country, Iraqi
sources revealed last week. (Times of London)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,1-612630,00.html
Even as President Bush struggles against robust international opposition to launch a
regime-toppling invasion of Iraq, some of the strongest and earliest supporters of
military action against Saddam Hussein are already looking ahead to the next target
(Sacramento Bee) http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/6284906p-7238632c.html
War in Iraq could do more than topple Saddam Hussein. Another potential casualty: the
system of global alliances that has governed the world since World War II. (USA Today)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=676&e=4&u=/usatoday/20030317/ts_usatoday/4952761
Defiant on eve of war, Iraqi dissidents turn to sabotage...Open acts of defiance by
opponents of Saddam Hussein's regime have intensified in the past week, with saboteurs
carrying out attacks against Iraq's railway system. (The Washington Times)
http://washingtontimes.com/world/20030317-24999690.htm
With the country poised for war, the Democrats who want to challenge President Bush
have adopted clashing approaches toward Iraq and the issue's role in their campaigns
(AP)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/03/17/state1825EST0039.DTL
Democratic Leaders Agree on Israel Aid, but Split on Praise for Bush (The Washington
Post) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35331-2003Mar16.html
War, Davis' Woes Color Meeting...Democrats' state convention exposes strong
disagreement over Iraq, even as delegates seek unity against President Bush. (LA
Times) http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-me-dems16mar16,1,2714556.story
Curry: Democrats seek another Clinton...California party faithful seek passion as they
weigh options http://msnbc.com/news/886028.asp?0dm=N15MN
With the United States on the brink of war, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton are ducking the question of whether President Bush has made a case for
attacking Iraq. (NY Post) http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/71015.htm
His boss President Bush mired in a diplomatic stand-off over Iraq, Vice President Dick
Cheney on Sunday said maybe the image of Bush being a traditional American cowboy as
painted by his critics abroad was not such a bad one. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=2387603
Freedom from fries..."Do you prefer french fries or freedom fries?" Tim Russert, host
of NBC's "Meet the Press," asked Vice President Richard B. Cheney yesterday..."I don't
eat them, whatever they're called," Mr. Cheney replied, laughing. "I used to love
them, but now I stay away from french fries. They're not on my diet." (Inside
Politics) http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/inpolitics.htm
Opinion/Editorial
Field guide to Iraq pundits...You've seen them pontificate on TV about Iraq, but who
are they? Slate's who's who list of Iraq pundits, arranged in order of bellicosity,
from blood-red hawks to snow-white doves.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/885370.asp
Novak: Quiet Cheney finally speaks up
http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak171.html
Barnicle: The cynical & shallow think they're so smart
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/col/story/67467p-62793c.html
Peggy: Bush Wages Peace...It's the right time to weigh in on the Israel-Palestinian
conflict. http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110003207
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
Mallard Fillmore http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mallard.asp
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