No War Blog participant Dr. Slack on Powell’s speech:
Funniest talking-head quote on the Powell speech thus far: “sure, there was no smoking gun, but there was tons of smoke.” Too true, too true. Maybe a better way of putting it is that there was no smoking gun, but plenty of hot air.
Well, Powell’s “case” to the U.N. is, by and large, the same case the Administration has been making for months: a web of circumstantial “evidence,” mights and maybes and one days, and attempts to inflate a few decayed stockpiles into something Far More Terrifying.
In other words, pretty much what you expected.
Here’s some of the compelling evidence, the reason we need to pulverize Baghdad with more cruise missiles in two days than were launched during the entire first Gulf War:
Iraq is working on developing missiles with a range of 1,000 kilometers — about 620 miles — or more, putting Russia and other nations beyond Iraq’s immediate neighbors in potential danger.
There you have it. Right thinking Beagles everywhere must surely comprehend the clear and imminent danger posed by a nation which might, someday, possibly be capable of launching a missile six hundred miles. (But isn’t Russia capable of defending itself — no! stop! mustn’t think! thinking is for sissies!)
Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to war we go.