Words of Mean Dithering (WMD)

Wanton Misuse of Data (WMD)

No greater ruse has been made of the situation that America and its cajoled allies believe that Iran has a nuclear weapons programme even though there is no proof that their nuclear energy programme is directed toward non-oil energy sufficiency.

Bluster and threats along with seemingly unjustifiable UN sanctions on a country whose enmity with America is more deep-seated than any would let on.

The way in which America has almost railroaded the world in a possible World War III with all sorts of ideas about America or Israel bombing Iranian nuclear installations and hoping to walk away scot free is nothing sort of despicable diplomacy if one is allowed to juxtapose those words.

War Mongering Deserters (WMD)

A new assessment report has completely taken the wind out of the sails of the hawks who monger for war completely oblivious of the trouble they still have to contain in Iraq and Afghanistan.

An interview with Helmut Schmidt - one-time Chancellor of West Germany - on CNBC Europe (video) a few days ago ended with a very profound statement – it takes a man who knows nothing about the great tragedy and suffering of war to start a war. Sometimes it is good to listen to what the leaders of old have to say of the world today. Herr Schmidt also brought to bear his training in Economics on the global financial issues of the day, people had better pay some heed to those words too.

Whispers of Missed Documentation (WMD)

However, back to the matter of Iran being suspected of having a nuclear weapons programme and being sanctioned as if they have developed full capability coupled all the terrifying messages coming out of the White House and Israel with the support of the EU through the UK, France and Germany – a new US National Intelligence Estimate which is by all means the collation of all strands of intelligence from 16 agencies into some sort of conclusion debunks the angst and foreboding of the President by saying Iran might have aborted their nuclear weapons programme since 2003.

The question or fairness, probity, truthfulness and even moral rectitude comes to the fore because if the United States and its allies have exacted tough measures through the UN on Iran without the backing of facts and just cause; ones sympathies would almost definitely lie with Iran.

Imagine, we have the Mess-O-Potamia because of perceived Weapons of Mass Destruction that had long been in abeyance in Iraq – it was not just a case of false pretence it was doctored to achieve a particular end and when we gained untrammelled access to the country not one of the weapons or installations was found.

Working for Motherland Defence (WMD)

Now, Iran does operate secret programmes just like any other country and the intelligence community was caught unawares with the India/Pakistan nuclear dabbling whilst Iran still contends that it does not have a nuclear weapons programme.

The fact that the onus of proof is made to lie with Iran in this contention rather than the accusers who have postulated, imagined, assumed, supposed and opined about what they think Iran is up to is a difficult spot for Iran. The truth is that we do not know the whole truth about anything Iran. Israel or the United States are up to.

Worst Moral Debate (WMD)

What is more annoying about the response to the report is the way America and its allies have tried to burnish the report by saying more pressure should be applied on Iran to abandon nuclear enrichment which primarily is for energy purposes and then portending that if Iran gains full knowledge of the nuclear cycle they would pass it on to others – read terrorists – this just not fair. The mantra continues that ifIran stopped the programm, they could start it again - Come on, guys!

For instance, with the hysteria that accompanies the taking of fluids onto airplanes, there are instances where the right quantity of urine and toilet disinfectant can create noxious fumes – carrying the dual-purpose argument that is used to terrify us about Iran to a conclusion - should we now be barred from using the lavatories on an airplane because of those possibilities?

Win Moderation with Diplomacy (WMD)

Whilst, I am concerned about Iran acquiring the technology requisite for the weaponisation of nuclear products, I do not think this unfair, unjust, undiplomatic and untruthful hypocritical approach to a critical global issue would yield the desired result of slowing Iran down if they do indeed decide to veer towards nuclear weapons.

It is time for Mr. Bush and his friends to take the facts for what they are and depart from the delusions, the deceptions and predictions of a World War III; they should cut Iran some slack in recognition, respect, cordiality and cooperation – this them-and-us approach to conflict resolution continues to threaten global peace and makes right-thinking people reticent of any moves to review, contain, intercept or destroy probable threats, especially real ones.

Wrongdoings Made Disgraceful (WMD)

If one thing is taken from this report, it would be that the onus has now shifted to the accusers to prove their claims and provide incontrovertible evidence before they can garner the support to impose unjust sanctions on Iran.

Meanwhile, an apology might well be due to Iran, it does not mean America and Iran should kiss and makeup, but it might just restore some moral authority to the big-bully superpower for once.

Four years of shock and awe

The Iraqi government marked this inauspicious day with another hanging.

We stop and think about the evil that has been visited upon this country in pursuit of a goal that was built of false pretences (WMD) and the establishment of a dream that barely works in countries of the Coalition (Democracy).

The use of force to impose order and peace where the government is doing nothing to heal and reconcile; offering sacrifices of evil men with callous revenge in the hope that vengeance would assuage the insurgency is unhelpful and the continued occupation that only fuels the determination of those who wreak such horrific tragedies leaves us with a gambling hand and not an assured outcome.

In all, it has been shock and awe since the 20^th of March 2003, the shocking numbers of the dead and the awful ferocity of violence that makes the tyranny of Saddam Hussein's regime look like their world at peace.

The presence or absence of our troops in Iraq is unlikely to result in any triumphant parade of the occupation forces; the shame of misadventure latches itself to the history that would be written of the belligerent leaders whose determination beclouded judgement in the face of stiff opposition and flawed ideologies.

I pray that peace might come upon Iraq, but it would require more than men to see this happen in our lifetime.

Another black day is marked with more Shock and Awe, the rapid dominance of death, carnage, violence, sorrow, despair and despondency in the life an everyday person who just happens to live in Baghdad.

Judge Hutton's "First stone" judgment

Next time just keep breathing

For weeks, we waited anxiously for the final words that would clear the air regarding the circumstances around Dr David Kelly's death.

After the verdict came, we could have continued breathing as normal all along, because none of the presumed guilty were daubed by the least of criticisms. Instead, the BBC, the public organ and bastion of global broadcasting found itself bereft of both a chairman and director-general in the space of 24 hours.

This was a pyrrhic sort of victory for the Mr Tony Blair, Mr Geoff Hoon and the maharajah of spin, the erstwhile Director of Communications – Alastair Campbell, in that they were comprehensively exonerated on all counts in view of the narrowest scope of the Hutton inquiry.

For one fault of the BBC, it was scalped, maligned, besmirched, debased and practically ridiculed. Judge Hutton might not have realised the repercussions but there be many, that he has nonetheless inflicted, which happens to be 70; just as he is.

BBC will still be here afterwards

For one, 70 years of BBC would go on to be 140 years with all the dramatis personae dead, buried and most definitely forgotten to the importance of the issues of the day.

Mr Blair could have stood 10 feet tall at the pronouncements, but it simply stressed with no let the need to realise that a man's life was forfeited for the sake of a failing government's honour. No much difference from the inhumanity meted out to women in the Indian/Pakistani rural areas regarding honour killings.

Why we went to war on the basis of evidence shaking to bits like a town hit by an earthquake registering 8.3 on the Richter scale.

Public opinion differs

In a court larger than the chambers wherein Judge Hutton had his deliberations, one is met with a certain bewilderment as to how the BBC took so much flack and everyone else got a sweet, a pat, a prize or a commendation.

Dr David Kelly who was sacrificed on the wobbly altar of the dodgy dossier might as well be offered up a sweet smelling savour of a judicial inquiry on the whole war debate and why we were so strongly persuaded to distraction about the elusive Weapons on Mass Destruction.

Casting the first stone

However, on another view, there was once a woman who committed adultery punishable by stoning to death. The man of the time was Jesus, to whom the accusers being great professors of law brought the offender seeking Jesus' of the law of the time.

Crime and punishment being the crucible on which society has burnished civilisation, Jesus pronounced the required judgement but one the proviso that the one without sin cast the first stone.

Now, He, Jesus could have offered to cast the first stone, being without sin, but He was not one of the accusers.

Let it be known, that the first stone may not have killed the woman, probably not even touched her, but each successive stone would have brought great pain and death so slowly and unfailingly – no man's heart being touched on the premise that the victim has been sacrificed on the altar of societal decency.

However, a conviction swept over the accusers and each one from the oldest to the youngest realised their frailty of sin and left without as much of a mutter.

Left alone with woman, Jesus enquired of her accusers having busied Himself with doodling in the sand all the while. Jesus then said, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more".

The caption picture

In the case of Dr Kelly, the BBC did cast the first stone in publishing the report about the 45-minute claim, which might have been unfounded, but that first stone was not what killed Dr Kelly.

It is the machinations of the Ministry of Defence; skulduggery of Downing Street; the lobbyist apparatus that pervades the politics of the day and the craving for credibility, which would have made no difference to our perception of the way New Labour has spun every event into a whirlwind tornado

Those issues altogether created the unbearable situation in which Dr Kelly found himself and led to his committing suicide.

In the name of justice and all it represents, for Judge Hutton to have seen only the slinging of the first stone and pronounced the victim dead regardless of the damage caused by other stones is wanting in judicious expertise to say the least.

Thankfully, the judge was never in the position that Jesus was in to pronounce the proviso to judgement; one might say in view of certain comments made about Dr Kelly by the judge –

"Shoot him down with a WMD for briefing beyond his remit".

He would have proclaimed from the bench.