Picking a Fight.

[Occhidiangela]

This almost isn't news.

Iraq failed to comply with U.N. resolutions, with U.N. inspection teams and the U.S. and several other countries were willing to back up the term "serious consequences."  I had the feeling President Bush and his administration were pushing a bit too hard for a military solution.  But the American People, the media, and most of the world that has access to U.S. diplomatic channels and U.S. media knew that if the situation and cooperation with Iraq didn't drastically change quicky the answer would be military intervention.  It appears that President Bush may have been looking for more excuses to pile onto the course of action that was already being seriously considered (nearly to the point of tunnel vision).
I wonder how much of the U.N. reticence was based on not wanting the Oil for Food situation to not get more scrutiny?
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The Russians had a vested interest in there not being a war, oil for food or no, due to their deals to improve the production and infrastructure of Iraqi oil industry.

If you note another recent article, they shared intel with Saddam before the Americans crossed the LD.

Looks like it didn't help much, eh? Yet people are getting their panties in a bunch over this?

The Russians and the US are still working through warming up, which the Current administration is bound and determined to screw up.

Russia needs to be in NATO. Our French NATO partner has been screwing us for decades, and we put up with it. Well, we need to show a bit of understanding vis a vis the Russians.

It is the role and duty of the Military and the DoD and the NSC to keep war plans secure. It is not the Russian's duty not to try to figure out what we are doing, nor to act in other than their own interest. They are not their brother's keeper, and hell, we aren't even their brother! :P

PS: And since the Israelis are, yet again, breaking the deal on tech transfer to China, I really want to know where the outrage over that is? It is one thing for Russia to do their thing, it is another for some real ingrates (to the tune of billions a year in aid) to stab the Americans in the back.

A little perspective would be nice.

Occhi