Arguing that Butler deliberately wrote a justification for war, a UN
diplomat, described as "generally sympathetic to Washington", said:
"Based on the same facts he [Butler] could have said, There were something
like 300 inspections [in recent weeks] and we encountered difficulties in
five.'" (Washington Post, 17 December 1998)
Around this time it emerged that CIA spies operating with arms inspectors
had used information gathered to target Iraq during Desert Fox. The role of
the CIA in corrupting the arms inspection regime was one of the main reasons
for Ritter's resignation in 1998.
The basic conclusions are clear: Iraq cooperated in the "fundamental
disarmament" of 90-95% of its weapons of mass destruction. The United States
nevertheless manufactured a conflict for cynical reasons in December 1998.
Inspectors were then not kicked out, as claimed, but were withdrawn by
Butler to protect them from bombing. The Iraqis subsequently refused to
allow arms inspectors - accurately described by them as "spies" who had
participated in the bombing of their country - to return.
Readers might like to compare the above account with the versions presented
by the US/UK governments. George W. Bush said of Iraq in his State of the
Union Address:
"This is a regime that agreed to international inspections - then kicked out
the inspectors." (George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, January 29,
2002)
diplomat, described as "generally sympathetic to Washington", said:
"Based on the same facts he [Butler] could have said, There were something
like 300 inspections [in recent weeks] and we encountered difficulties in
five.'" (Washington Post, 17 December 1998)
Around this time it emerged that CIA spies operating with arms inspectors
had used information gathered to target Iraq during Desert Fox. The role of
the CIA in corrupting the arms inspection regime was one of the main reasons
for Ritter's resignation in 1998.
The basic conclusions are clear: Iraq cooperated in the "fundamental
disarmament" of 90-95% of its weapons of mass destruction. The United States
nevertheless manufactured a conflict for cynical reasons in December 1998.
Inspectors were then not kicked out, as claimed, but were withdrawn by
Butler to protect them from bombing. The Iraqis subsequently refused to
allow arms inspectors - accurately described by them as "spies" who had
participated in the bombing of their country - to return.
Readers might like to compare the above account with the versions presented
by the US/UK governments. George W. Bush said of Iraq in his State of the
Union Address:
"This is a regime that agreed to international inspections - then kicked out
the inspectors." (George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, January 29,
2002)