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| Axis of Evil |
| Arab States Back Bush Over Iraq |
| 2002-09-16 |
| Key Arab states swung behind President Bush yesterday after he offered the United Nations a last chance to avert an invasion of Iraq. It raised the possibility that America may be able to use Saudi bases for the campaign. With Saudi Arabia and Egypt reconciled to the fact that Washington's ultimatum to Saddam Hussein will be delivered by the UN, the way appears open for the countdown to war to begin this week with hectic diplomacy. The Arabs are going to work like crazy to get Sammy to agree to weapons inspectors. He's eventually going to offer 60 or 70 percent of what they're asking for as a "compromise." Bush won't be amused, but it'll give the Arab diplos an excuse to "be concerned" and "have reservations," so they can continue talking instead of replacing Sammy. US officials said the UN Security Council has "weeks, not months" to draw up resolutions to end Saddam's defiance. Colin Powell, the secretary of state, said the US hoped to begin drawing up fresh resolutions by the end of this week, designed to end, once and for all, Saddam's refusal to obey 16 existing UN resolutions. "We can't let this linger forever," Mr Powell said. "Even thought that's what Sammy's surrogates intend to do..." Mr Bush was also buoyed by increases in his approval ratings as president, and in support for military action against Iraq. The public likes it when he's decisive. It's when he turns wishy-washy that they start ignoring him. That's too subtle for the Dems to understand, perhaps because they make a political philosophy of being wishy-washy. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |