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Re Hassan Zeini's posting: There were few computers available in Iraq until 2000. Even then, many of the documents I received from Iraqi ministries or State importing organisations in relation to OFF shipments up to the beginning of this year were frequently in hand-writing on the poorest quality paper, often without even a printed Ministry notepaper heading. There is no surprise here. Has anyone seen an original Arabic copy? I note, for example, that the newly claimed Al Qa'ida link had origins in Sudan (today's Times). That is easily traceable. Even if it were verifiable and verified, does it mean anything? Many organisations, companies, ministries, whatever, have individuals or groups who may work on ideas or proposals, meet others, reach decisions and write memos or recommendations. It is what comes as a result of those memos which carries importance. You will surely find in the FCO some memos supporting the removal or reduction of sanctions. I know there are UK diplomats who personally did not support war and who have no doubt put their views in writing, if only to file them away as personal opinion. Should the world turn upside down and we strike lucky and find such a memo in future in a bombed out ministry in London, will we declare such a memo as evidence of actual government policy or decision making? Without wishing to turn this message into a ramble, interesting also were several remarks from ex-UK Ambassador to Washington, Chris Meyer, on BBC2 on Saturday night to the effect that he clearly understood that the Bush inner circle determined on regime change in Iraq immediately after September 11th 2001. Until then, it had been on the personal agenda of a number of the hawks, but became policy. If that is the case, why were there so many memos and dossiers on support for terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, rights of pre-emptive strike etc? Are we to assume that the British government, trapped by Straw's paradox of the need for credible threat of military force, chose to be blind to the actuality of that threat? Mark Galloway _______________________________________________ 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