IRAQ WAR: Words, words, words

No one knows quite what to do about Iraq, so our leaders hide behind words whose meaning is left deliberately vague. This applies especially to the role of the UN in post-war Iraq. Speaking in the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the UN had a vital role to play. Questioned by Shadow Foreign Secretary Michael Angrove as to whether then US and the UK were in agreement on this, Straw stressed that Bush had several times spoken of the rightful role of the UN. Straw said he had been assured by the French Ambassador that Chirac had not used words attributed to him. When the question of Palestine came up, Straw again spoke of the road map, which as yet is nothing more than two words. The cartoon in the Economist (12-18/4/03) showed Blair asking Bush, who is lying on the road map and doodling "So! How's your work on the roadmap for the Middle East coming along?". Bush simply says "Good", while Sharon, who is paying no attention to them is busy snipping away pieces of the map. The implication is that he is the obstacle to a settlement.

Feelings about the Iraq war run so high that TV programs are being viewed simply in terms of one's viewpoint. In a clear rebuff to critics of the BBC, a motion was passed by parliament praising its excellent coverage of the war. In a press conference, Rumsfeld ridiculed TV accounts of looting in Iraq, saying that they constantly showed the same picture of a vase being stolen. In fact, TV clearly showed looting on a vast scale, among the targets being banks. The looting of currency will make it worthless, so new currency will presumably be issued, One scene showed two prize race horses being stolen. I wonder how they will be used? They were horses of a different color.

Ronald Hilton - 4/12/03