Saddami Tactics

IT'S a clear syllogism: (1) At the Gulf War's end, the UN Security Council created inspection teams to find and destroy atomic, chemical, and biological (ABC) weapons. Iraq agreed to the terms. (2) Inspection and dismantling are not yet complete. Therefore (3) Iraq is obliged to let the UN teams finish their work.

Not surprisingly, Iraq's absolute ruler, Saddam Hussein, has tried various ploys (called Saddami tactics) to end the inspections and the controls on oil sales tied to their completion.

Now, for a second time he has blocked a biological/chemical inspection team from doing its job.

Iraq claims the UN-appointed technical experts are predominantly US or British and led by a US spy. Neither assertion comes close to accuracy.

Richard Butler, Australian head of the UN commission supervising the inspectors, has wisely arranged for its Russian, French, and Chinese members to travel with him to see the Iraq problem first hand. Their unanimity will be needed if the Security Council is to force Saddam to back down once more (under threat of US military strikes). The danger of ABC weapons threatening the world's major oil supply is simply too unthinkable for the UN to allow any halt of inspections.