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[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] Here is the most recent US plan as reported in the NY times today: The other part of the administration's strategy is no less important, especially given the opposition to force by France and other countries, officials said. This relates to its plans to present Iraq with specific tasks in the next two weeks that would make clear its willingness to cooperate. These tasks would include allowing weapons inspectors to interview Iraqi scientists without government "minders" present, the destruction of missiles that were recently found to have greater range than the United Nations allows, and permitting unconditional overflights by American, European and Russian reconnaissance aircraft. "We are looking for some early benchmarks, specific things that the Iraqis will have to do to show full compliance," an administration official said. He said that Hans Blix agreed to setting such benchmarks when he met with Powell on Friday after the contentious Security Council session. U.S. and British planners hope that once it is obvious Iraq is refusing to carry out these tasks, Blix will tell the United Nations forthrightly that Iraq is failing to comply with the disarmament demands of last November's Security Council Resolution 1441. COMMENT: All of these requirements are obvious strategems to bolster the US case and facilitate the planned US invasion. The US would be happy to spirit Iraqi scientists away, bribe them with offers of sanctuary and then report any stories that support their contentions as evidence. So far the UN has not facilitated this but no doubt there will be pressure to do so. The US hopes to have interviews in other countries where the US will press the UN to turn scientists over to them to provide asylum. Testimony whether true or false will be used as evidence that Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. The destruction of of missiles will rob Iraq of crucial defensive weapons in the event of war. The missiles have only a marginally greater range than allowed. In fact if Iraq is right they would not exceed specifications when completely fitted out. The reconnaissance aircraft will provide very useful intelligence for a US invasion. Given that all of these requirements further US and UK schemes for an invasion the hope is that Hussein will balk and this will provide the excuse for a resolution justifying force. _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk