[Previous entry: "Misc"] [Archives: October 2003] [Next entry: "Pladge"]

10/15/2003 Archived Entry: "Iraq"

U.S. Expects New Iraq Resolution to Pass
"It looks like the Americans are heading toward a divided vote and a divided vote
with nine countries in favor and probably five or six abstentions," said Mexico's
U.N. Ambassador Adolfo Aguilar Zinser. This will send the message "that there is
no consensus in the council on how to proceed on the question of Iraq."

Faith-based intelligence in Iraq
"The main problem was that the senior administration officials have what I call
faith-based intelligence. They knew what they wanted the intelligence to show.
They were really blind and deaf to any kind of countervailing information the
intelligence community would produce."

In face of casualties, Bush has hard sell on Iraq
Last Week when asked in a poll 38 percent said U.S. casualties were
acceptable, with 59 percent saying the casualty rate was unacceptable.
In early April, 66 percent said the death toll to that point was acceptable.

The limits of Japanese hospitality
The nation has been branded "Washington's ATM" by sections of the domestic
and international media. While the Japanese public will be unhappy at the
slur, many will believe it is better to be a cash dispenser than a source
of soldiers expected to risk combat.

(Korean) Referendum may put troop dispatch on ice
The United States reportedly asked the South Korean government
to send between 3,000 and 10,000 combat soldiers.

S.Korea replaces non-combat troops in Iraq
The 575-member non-combattroops were sent in April and May.
South Korea is currently under US pressure to send thousands
ofcombat troops to Iraq, which would then constitute the largest
foreign military presence in Iraq after the United States and Britain.