Report or NO report...there is going to be a war in the Middle East between the "allies" (US,Britain, France, Morrocco, Kuwait , Jordan, Turkey) on the one hand vis Iraq and the Baith Party on the other. The decision to fight that war has already been made. That much I have dreamt. ... and of course there will be human suffering. Will we see the suffering on CNN , probably NOT.!!
Matek Developing nations want open U.N. debate on Iraq By Evelyn Leopold UNITED NATIONS, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Developing nations, led by South Africa, requested on Tuesday that U.N. arms inspectors present their pivotal report on Iraq in a public rather than closed meeting, a session that could bring a chorus of opposition to any military action. Chief inspectors Hans Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei are scheduled to deliver their first full report to a closed-door session of the U.N. Security Council on Jan. 27, a document that could spur the 15-member body to discuss war. U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte told reporters no decision had been made but said, "It would be an unusual departure from the council's practice." The last time South Africa's ambassador Dumisani Kumalo made such a request in October, on behalf of the 118-member Non-Aligned Movement, nation after nation warned Washington and council members against military action without U.N. approval. In his new letter, Kumalo said Blix and ElBaradei should present their views in an open meeting, rather than behind closed doors, so the entire U.N. membership could benefit from "receiving a first-hand account of this important report." Pakistan's ambassador, Munir Akram, said he approved of the idea but did not expect council members to agree. And Chilean Ambassador Gabriel Valdes said that considering the reports in an open meeting "gives added value." But France, which holds this month's council presidency, said the request would not be considered until Blix and ElBaradei give a report on Thursday, a spokeswoman said. Blix and ElBaradei are scheduled to brief the council that day to follow up their initial assessment of Iraq's 12,000-page arms declaration they gave last month. At that time Blix said an "opportunity was missed" by Baghdad to disclose new weapons of mass destruction programs. On Jan. 27, Blix and ElBaradei are due to give a first full analysis on the document and Iraq's cooperation with the inspectors as required by a Nov. 8 resolution that threatened "serious consequences" if Baghdad did not comply. Both men go to Baghdad around Jan. 18, at Iraq's request, presumably to discuss the report. Blix is executive chairman of the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, known as UNMOVIC, in charge of inspecting Iraq's chemical, biological and ballistic weapons programs. ElBaradei is director-general of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, which fields nuclear arms teams. Under the resolution the Security Council has to "assess" any "material breach" -- words that could mean war -- by Iraq, based on reports from inspectors rather than only an analysis by the United States and Britain, its chief ally. According to the resolution, omissions in Iraq's declaration cannot alone initiate war but must be combined with other acts of non-cooperation with the inspectors. There are currently 110 inspectors in Iraq, 10 from the IAEA and the remainder from UNMOVIC. While Blix's Jan. 27 report will not be an automatic trigger for war, diplomats say it could lead to one, depending on the reaction of council members. The United States is building up a powerful military force in the region, many elements of which will be in place by that date.
