The Seattle Post-Intelligencer today praises Libya for declaring its intention to rid itself of weapons of mass destruction
It's good news, in itself, that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has promised to abandon efforts to develop nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. The world is safer.The P-I still speculates about what led to Gadhafi's decision to abandon WMD:
It's unclear whether the invasion of Iraq played a role with Libya. Diplomacy may have been the key.Silly P-I, falsely modest as always. Of course the invasion of Iraq and the arrest of Saddam Hussein had absolutely nothing to do with Gadhafi's decision to change his behavior. Even more than diplomacy, the key that turned Gadhafi around was the hope that the Seattle Post-Intelligencer would one day write a nice editorial about him.
And the P-I ran an article from the Independent (independent of what? facts? rational thought?) declaring in clarion tones that DIPLOMACY turned Qaddafi around.
The obliteration of the Afghani and Iraqi regimes in rapid succession, on top of President Reagan's visiting missles and some recent busts of warlike materials in transit to Libya, somehow escaped their appraisal of contributing causes.
Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive on December 23, 2003 10:14 AMExactly my initial thought as well, the leftist leaning but impartial dailies such as the PI need to learn how to take credit when their credit is due.
Posted by: Mike on December 23, 2003 10:15 AMOf course diplomacy was a central feature that moved Gadhafi to abandon his weapons programs. Unfortunately, the kind of diplomacy on display here packs heat and the PI could never accept this in their world view. Gadhafi didn't seek out the French. He didn't fear French wrath.
Posted by: Gary B on December 23, 2003 11:42 AMWhich is a worse parrer, the Seattle Times or the Seattle Post Intelligencer? Anyway in my opinion th enext big controversy will be shifted from Israel's ecurity fence to disarming Israel's nuclear weapons. Don't hold yor breath waiting for Israel to disarm.
Posted by: Joel on December 23, 2003 12:55 PMIf Israel has nuclear weapons, more power to it. What other country has had its neighbors gang up and try to wipe it off the map militarily, in the last 60 years? Twice!
The security fence solves the problem of murdered civilians, non-violently. The PLO could attain a state by non-violent means, but rejects such tactics. Its violence has had far more success in world politics, particularly among Western lefties. For them, anti-Israeli armed struggle is the current substitute for their failed Revolution against bourgeois democracies.
Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive on December 23, 2003 01:42 PM