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"He really does believe that this is the Roman Empire"

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Here’s a little round-up of news of the day.

First, the quote of the day. With rumors swirling about more swill to come on Trent Lott (and possibly on his rival in the Senate, Don Nickles of Oklahoma, as well), Lott’s colleagues began to come to his aid. Buried deep inside a front page piece in the New York Times today (“No. 2 Republican in Senate Calls for Vote on Lott”) is this unexpected defense: “Senator Richard C. Shelby of Alabama agreed that Senate Republicans would have to meet to consider the Lott situation. ‘Senator Lott has a lot to prove,’ [he said]. But he added that Mr. Lott still has his confidence. ‘I don’t think we should lynch him,’ he said.”

As is often the case these days, the Pentagon was making news. As Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld turns it into something approaching an all-purpose government with its own consuls, consulates (bases), foreign policy, domestic policy, and growing intelligence oversight capabilities, he also is, according to the Times, “considering” whether it shouldn’t be a propaganda outfit conducting “covert operations aimed at influencing public opinion and policy makers in friendly and neutral countries” — like, perhaps, pesky Germany where “regime change” is certainly in order.

In the meantime, the Washington Post reports the latest on the Pentagon budget — a mere 4% increase of $14 billion for next year, bringing it to a paltry $378.5 billion. The good news: As Bush pardoned two turkeys for Thanksgiving (the only thing he’s ever pardoned in his life), so the Pentagon can’t bear to inflict pain on major weapons systems, all of which have once again been spared and none of which suffered significant material harm. So much for the vaunted “transformation” of the military. To read the Washington Post piece click here

Of course, what’s the fun of having weapons systems you can’t use? Below Simon Tisdall of the British Guardian offers a fierce, funny account of preparations to use them in Iraq and the unleashing of unreason that has gone with those preparations. He suggests that the countdown to war is now beginning. Jim Lobe in the online Asia Times offers a more downbeat (or do I mean upbeat?) assessment of the week that was and the imperial frustrations it contained. (He quotes a European diplomat as saying of Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, after a meeting, “He really does believe that this is the Roman Empire.”) Tom

All reason is about to be gassed, poxed and nuked
This week the countdown to war on Iraq may begin in earnest

Simon Tisdall
Monday December 16, 2002
The Guardian

This will be a big week for Iraq and all those who wish to bomb it. Since last summer’s heady excitements, when George Bush seemed ready to go Saddam-hunting all on his ownsome, Washington hawks and assorted birds of prey have endured a series of false dawns.

This will be a big week for Iraq and all those who wish to bomb it. Since last summer’s heady excitements, when George Bush seemed ready to go Saddam-hunting all on his ownsome, Washington hawks and assorted birds of prey have endured a series of false dawns.

First there was their rising hope that the UN security council, challenged by Bush in September to put up or shut up, would fail to agree a common course of action. That would have left the way clear for the US, claiming prior authority, to fire at will. But resolution 1441, passed on November 8 and mandating resumed weapons inspections, frustrated beaky avian hopes of early morning glory.

Next came the seven-day deadline for Iraq’s full, unconditional acceptance of the UN’s onerous new rules. Vultures gathering on the Potomac shore figured the terms were just too tough.

To read more Tisdall click here

A heavy-handed hegemon
By Jim Lobe

Asia Times
December 16, 2002

WASHINGTON – Hawks in the administration of US President George W Bush received a rude reminder last week that Washington’s vaunted power to determine the course of events around the world is more limited than perhaps they had thought.

They had hoped to focus world opinion on Iraq’s submission of an allegedly deceptive and incomplete inventory of its missiles and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to the United Nations Security Council in order to ease the way for an invasion of Iraq by mid-February. They had also hoped to get Turkey to agree to act as a base for US ground troops, so that they could attack Baghdad from the north as well as from the south via Kuwait.

They got neither. In fact, all they got was aggravation, complaints and defiance – from friends and foes alike.

The week started auspiciously enough.

To read more Lobe click here