Jinn of Current Events

In a revealing interview, Hans Blix displays his deep-rooted hatred of the USA by blaming the US for the so-called "global warming" and wishing they could be leashed by the Kyoto protocol. He also indicates that he is more worried about the environment than about human life: To me the question of the environment is more ominous than that of peace and war. ... I'm more worried about global warming than I am of any major military conflict. This is the person trusted by the UN to verify the disarmament of Iraq. He doesn't care. Shame on him. Shame on the UN. 

Consider the historical roots of these three pro-Saddam countries, and ask if European countries would not be better off avoiding cooperation with their dictatorial aspirations:

• France: Terror as a political instrument and Napoléon Bonaparte's military conquest as their ideal.
• Germany: Nazism and the systematic murder of Jews, among other vices.
• Russia: Stalinism and the oppression of all of Eastern Europe for nearly half a century.

Dan Goure (MSNBC): France's intentions were rendered transparent by President Chirac when, at a meeting of European nations, he responded to criticism of his nation's stance in the Security Council with the statement that the critics should simply "shut up." The smaller states of Europe need only look at the coalition Paris has forged with Berlin and Moscow on the issue of Iraq to worry about their future... 

French and Russian oil and gas contracts signed with the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq will not be honored. A new Iraqi government should not honor any of these contracts, signed against the interests of the Iraqi people. The new Iraqi government should respect those who stood by us, and not those who stood beside the dictator, said Salih, who is prime minister in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan government that controls Iraq's eastern Kurdish area. 

Je suis pronfondément déçu par le comportement adopté par votre Président et vos représentants face au régime sanguinaire en Irak. Non seulement avez-vous rendu la tâche de libération plus compliquée, mais encore vous avez trahi autant le peuple irakien que l'idéal de liberté et droits de l'homme que la France prétendait défendre jusqu'ici. C'est avec regret que je vous informe que je renonce par conséquent à consommer tout produit français (vins, fromages, voitures, etc.) et que j'éviterai désormais de voyager en France. De plus, je vais activement encourager ma famille, mes amis et connaissances à un boycott économique afin de refuser toute caution future de l'action immorale du gouvernement français jouissant d'un soutien quasi-unanime de la population.

J'attendais mieux de la part d'un pays occupé par les Nazis il y a 60 ans seulement, libéré uniquement grâce au sacrifice de soldats britanniques et américains. Votre mémoire aura été aussi courte que votre tolérance aux dictateurs est indécente. Malheur à vous.

Adieu.

Signé: un citoyen Européen pour la libération de l'Irak et le soutien total aux Etats-Unis dans la guerre au terrorisme islamo-fasciste 

I was expecting an Azores ultimatum to Iraq, echoing the Potsdam ultimatum to Japan, but no.

Immediately after the successful Trinity test on July 16, 1945, the results were transmitted to President Harry Truman who was attending a conference at Potsdam along with Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin. As a result of the successful test, an ultimatum was broadcast to the Japanese people. The Atlantic Monthly, December 1946: On July 26, 1945, the Potsdam Ultimatum called on Japan to surrender unconditionally. On July 29 Premier Suzuki issued a statement, purportedly at a cabinet press conference, scorning as unworthy of official notice the surrender ultimatum, and emphasizing the increasing rate of Japanese aircraft production. Eight days later, on August 6, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima; the second was dropped on August 9 on Nagasaki; on the following day, August 10, Japan declared its intention to surrender, and on August 14 accepted the Potsdam terms.