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27 February 2003: "Iraq's al-Samoud II - al-Part II"

Both the BBC and CNN report Iraq has told UNMOVIC that it will comply with UNMOVIC's instructions that Iraq destroy its al-Samoud II missiles.

Notably missing from the BBC report, however, is the mention that Iraq also stated that the demand was "unfair," that it claims it does not know how to destroy the missiles and wants technical discussions first, or even that Iraq has not actually said within when it intends to start with the destruction.

In short, it's the classic "Baghdad Two-Step": the Iraqi government says it will comply with UN requirements, and then doesn't, stalling for time. I think the world has lost count of how often Baghdad has performed this manoeuvre. Through all this, it should be noted, as this International Herald Tribune article does, UNMOVIC Executive Chairman Hans "Blix said Wednesday that Iraq had not yet shown it had made a 'fundamental decision' to disarm."
Similarly, CNN reports that "Blix also notes that so far, Baghdad's actions to comply with the United Nations demand to disarm 'have been very limited.'"

You know, it's been almost four months since Iraq agreed to comply with UNSC resolution 1441; I'd say if it hasn't made that "fundamental decision" by now, it should be pretty damn obvious that it doesn't ever intend to. But we knew that, really.

Roll on régime change.

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