On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 11:08:55 -0500, Fly Guy wrote:

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:

The Iraqis accepted the requirement to verify destruction of their
WMD prior to any destruction of them.

Any such requirement would have been rammed down their throat,
probably with no supporting adendums detailing what constitutes
acceptible verification.

For what reason would they destroy them but maintain the
appearance that they had not been destroyed?

How about to give surrounding hostile countries the reason to think
that Iraq just might have some shread of defensive capability?

Actually, the reason is quite simple. Just like in the US: domestic
politics.

Saddam owned his political survival on his ability to play games and make
the US look stupid. Hence this game.

(BTW, seems to me this was quite obvious all along. But eh, Rummy didn't
want to open his eyes apparently. Wishful thinking? Or maybe that's the
very reason he went to war?)