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more on method
From: David Farber <farber () tmail com>
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 12:39:50 -0500
-----Original Message----- From: Douglass Carmichael <doug () bigmindmedia com> To: Dave@Farber. Net <dave () farber net> Subject: more on method Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 09:34:56 -0800 More on method. Here is the NYT list of Blair's six points http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/12/international/europe/12CND-LIST.html > quoting List of Demands BY THE NEW YORK TIMES LONDON, March 12 - Following is an unofficial list of six British demands for Saddam Hussein, according to British officials:Mr. Hussein must admit on Iraqi television that he possesses weapons of
mass destruction and will now disarm fully. He will account for and destroy stocks of anthrax and other biological and chemical weapons. Mr. Hussein will permit 30 scientists and their families to fly to Cyprus for interrogation by United Nations weapons inspectors.He will admit to possession of an unmanned drone aircraft discovered by
inspectors. He will promise to destroy mobile production facilities for biological weapons. Mr. Hussein will pledge to complete the destruction of all unlawful missiles. dc: this list, after all said so far, seems weak. Is that really all there is? To be a bit facetious, it seems to come down to a model airplane. What would Saddam actually say? It is not clear yet that he actually hasweapons of mass destruction. On the missiles, his argument that, loaded,
they are within specified limits, is reasonable. Remember, they were listed in the December declaration. Asking for the accounting forbio-chem. agents is the most solid, but there is no evidence that he has any (it is clear that he did). To assume that there is a coherent story
of their destruction (if that is what happened) forgets that bureaucracies don't necessarily leave good paper behind something as back burner as that action was at the time. But what is striking is the lack of a technical approach. This feels more like an advertising campaign than a remorseless investigation of man made material things. And the total lack of any of these requirements being based on things found out by intelligence, yet purporting to be a sufficient list, is mind boggling. Blending an engineering approach with the humane disciplines of politics, governance and social strategy looks like a part of our culture we forgot to create. Douglass Carmichael email doug () bigmindmedia com home page www.dougcarmichael.com blog www.dougcarmichael.com/roughcut.html 360-221-6127 Whidbey Island, Washington -- Dave ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- more on method David Farber (Mar 12)