BlixCo will be reporting today that Iraq has been developing a ballistic missile that is in clear violation of UN restrictions. This is the proverbial ’smoking gun’ and will strengthen Britain and the US’s case against Iraq. Blix called a meeting of experts before he determined whether or not Iraq was in violation - - just to cross his T’s and dot his I’s. This panel of missile experts came from Britain, China, France, Ukraine, Germany and the US. This panel, along with BlixCo, determined that the al-Samoud 2 exceeded the 150km range, but that the capability of the al-Fatah remained an open question. The experts also judged Iraq to be in violation of UN rules for repairing banned casting chambers for making illegal missiles and for building a new test stand that can test missile engines five times above the permitted thrust. Iraq also tested these missiles beyond the UN limit. Dr Blix suggested that the missiles also violated a second letter from Dr Ekeus in 1997, which banned the use of engines from certain surface-to-air missiles in ballistic missiles.

What does all this mean?? Any indication in today’s presentation from Blix that Iraq is in violation will provoke the US to go to the UN for yet another resolution. Uh, this would be resolution number eighteen, for the folks out there who weren’t paying attention to the first seventeen. At the same time, the likes of Colin Powell are investigating and canvassing the possibility of Saddam and his cohorts going into exhile as a way and means to prevent all out war.

Seeking another UN resolution. Attempting, diligently, to work with the UN. Looking and seeking out options that could be effective alternatives to war in Iraq. Yes, this sounds like our one-year-long ‘rush’ to war is just simply out of control, doesn’t it?

Yea - I didn’t think so either.

Oh, and for all you frivolous law-suit mongers out there….let’s keep things in perspective, shall we (*cough*JesseJacksonJr*cough*). GWB has Congressional approval to go into Iraq with troops in October of 2002 - and so he did. He has not gone to Congress yet for a declaration of war….yet We are not at war, yet. And let’s not forget what history has shown us - - and that is a long list of war and military actions carried out without that declaration of war:

Congress has declared war in only five of the thirteen major shooting wars in which the U.S.A. HAS been involved:

1. The War of 1812 against Great Britain [1812-1814]
   
   
   
2. The Mexican-U.S.A. War [1846-1848]
   
   
   
3. The Spanish-American War [1898]
   
   
   
4. World War I [1917-1918]
   
   
   
5. World War II [1941-1945]
   

In each of the eight other major wars involving the U.S.A., Congress did not
pass a declaration of war and the President did not recommend to Congress that it pass such a declaration. The eight undeclared major wars were:

1. The U.S. naval war with France [1798-1800]
   
   
   
2. The first war against the Barbary pirate states of North Africa
   [1801-1805]
   
   
   
3. The second war against the Barbary states [1815]
   
   
   
4. The Mexican-U.S.A. conflicts immediately preceding American entrance into World War I [1914-1917]
   
   
   
5. The Korean War [1950-1953]
   
   
   
6. The Vietnam War [1961-1975]
   
   
   
7. The Persian Gulf War [1991]
   
   
   
8. The Kosovo-Yugoslav War [1999]
   

The many other undeclared U.S. military actions overseas included armed
intervention into–

1. A revolution in Hawaii [1893]
   
   
   
2. The Philippine Insurrection [1899-1902]
   
   
   
3. China during the Boxer Rebellion [1900]
   
   
   
4. The Moro Wars, suppressing a Muslim rebellion in the Philippines [1901-1913]





5. The Panamanian rebellion, assisting the rebels in their efforts to secede
   from Colombia [1903]
   
   
   
6. Cuba, to suppress a rebellion and restore order [1906- 1909]
   
   
   
7. Various rebellions and civil wars in Central America [1909-1933]
   
   
   
8. Cuba, to “defuse” an armed uprising [1912]
   
   
   
9. Haiti, making it a virtual protectorate of the U.S.A. [1915-1934]
   
   
   
10. The Dominican Republic, occupying the country until a constitutionally
    elected government was installed [1916-1924]
    
    
    
11. Cuba, to obtain the overthrow of a regime that had come to power via an
    armed revolt and coup d’etat [1917]
    
    
    
12. The Russian Civil War, siding with the opponents of the Bolshevik
    (Communist) regime [1919-1921]
    
    
    
13. Lebanon, to counter a Syrian-aided Muslim revolt and restore order [1958]
    
    
    
    
14. A civil war in the Dominican Republic [1965]
    
    
    
15. Cambodia, destroying supply centers and staging areas for North Vietnamese
    military operations in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War [1969-1970]
    
    
    
16. Cambodia in the Mayaguez affair, forcing surrender of a U.S. merchant ship
    and crew seized by Cambodian Communist military forces [1975]
    
    
    
17. Iran, in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue the hostages taken by Irani
    militants when, in 1979, they seized the U.S. Embassy in Teheran [1980]
    
    
    
18. The armed struggle among political factions in Lebanon [1982-1984]
    
    
    
19. Grenada, overthrowing the Marxist-Leninist, pro-Cuban regime, expelling the Cuban agents and paramilitary personnel, and allowing a political coalition
    committed to democratic elections and favorably disposed toward American
    interests to assume governing power [1983]
    
    
    
20. Panama, overthrowing the regime of dictator and narcotics smuggler Manuel Noriega [1989]
    
    
    
21. Somalia, seeking to end the violence and disorder in that East African
    country [1992-1994]
    
    
    
22. Haiti, to restore order and reinstate Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the
    democratically elected President of the country [1994]
    
    
    
23. The ethnic warfare in Bosnia, imposing a cease fire and, in effect,
    establishing a U.N.-U.S.A. protec torate over Bosnia [1994-1995].
    
    
    

These numerous undeclared U.S. military actions also included:

1. The naval war waged against German submarines and other Axis naval craft in the North Atlantic immediately prior to American entrance into World War II [1941]
   
   
   
2. The naval “quarantine” (i.e., blockade) maintained around Cuba during the
   Cuban Missile Crisis [1962]
   
   
   
3. Aerial bombardment of Libya, striking a missile site on one occasion and, on another, bombing terrorist related targets in Tripoli and Benghazi [1986]
   
   
   
   
4. “Operation Desert Shield”–President Bush’s sending U.S. troops to Saudi
   Arabia, in the wake of the Iraqi occupation of and huge military buildup in
   Kuwait [1990]
   
   
   
5. The continuing presence of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf and
   the maintenance of no-fly zones over Iraq, the latter, in effect, establishing
   pro tectorates over Kurdish and Shiite regions of that country; [1991-1999]
   
   
   
   
6. The U.S. missile attack on Iraq, launched on President Clinton’s orders and
   aimed at the Iraqi govern ment’s intelligence headquarters in Baghdad [1993]
   
   
   Missile strikes against Iraqi military installations in southern Iraq
   [1996]
   
   
   
7. Cruise missile attacks against terrorist-related targets in Afghanistan and
   Sudan [1998].
   

[SOURCE: How Americans go to war]

That is an excellent website with a bunch of good info on it - - take the time if you’ve got it Ok ok - - I’m really, really going to work now. lol