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Can't find the original story on the BBC site. There is a story today about France's proposals (which doesn't really say what they are), but it's much more bland and in-character for the BBC - refers to the sanctions as "oil embargoes" and makes no mention at all of human suffering. A gross misrepresentation. As regards WMD, of course our case is not dependent on whether Iraq has or is in danger of possessing WMD - these extremely harsh sanctions are totally immoral and are *themselves* WMD. But personally, just IMO, I remain skeptical of US/British claims of Iraq's "suspected stockpiles". Also, the alleged ease of production of some very nasty biological and chemical weapons leads me to despair of any effective means (not even weapons inspections) of preventing their production and use, either by states or terrorists, or terrorist states such as the US and Britain. In quasi-democratic states public outcry can have a powerful effect, but with non-democracies - only the threat of retaliation would seem to be effective. (Incidentally, I believe the British govt. has now passed a law defining terrorism as membership of a group some of whose members commit "terrorist" crimes, including violence against property. This makes anyone belonging to an organisation which pulls up genetically-modified crops in the belief that they are potentially extremely hazardous to the environment and to human health, a "terrorist". In the same vein, "conspiracy" to criminal damage is a crime punishable with far higher sentences than criminal damage itself. "Conspiracy" seems to include belonging to a group which commits such activities. Such is the "free country" in which we live today.) -- Robin -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To be removed/added, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk, NOT the whole list. Archived at http://linux.clare.cam.ac.uk/~saw27/casi/discuss.html