U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is making a multimedia presentation to the United Nations Security Council today, hoping to persuade the delegates that a military offensive is necessary to strip Saddam Hussein of his weapons of mass destruction. Using video, photographs, slides, intercepted communications, and other documentation of Iraqi concealment of banned chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs as evidence, Powell is claiming not only that Iraq is deceiving U.N. weapons inspectors, but that it also has ties to terrorism.
Among the evidence Powell is presenting are declassified satellite images of suspected mobile bio-weapons labs, information on hidden chemical or biological weapons, and intercepted conversations of Iraqi officials planning to thwart U.N. inspectors. The presentation is being broadcast live around the world as a "full multimedia blitz," in the words of a senior Bush Administration official.
Richard Perle, chairman of the U.S. Pentagon's Policy Advisory Board, has strong criticism of the German and French stances vis-a-vis Iraq. "France is no longer the ally it once was," Perle said yesterday, and accused French President Chirac of believing "deep in his soul that Saddam Hussein is preferable to any likely successor." In sum, "Very considerable damage has already been done to the Atlantic community, including NATO, by Germany and France," Perle said.
Foreign diplomats in Iraq have begun departing the country, and the U.S. has called upon its citizens in other Persian Gulf states to similarly leave. Northern Kuwait, which borders Iraq, will be declared a closed military zone 11 days from now.
Over the past two years, the Washington Post reports, Saddam Hussein's government has trained a million civilians in armed combat basics, and has given many of them firearms to keep at home. Iraqi officials say they expect armed civilians to engage in urban warfare with U.S. troops - but U.S. commanders and Western military analysts expect relatively few civilians to put up a fight.
Israel Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Dan Halutz stated last night that the Air Force is on alert and ready to respond to any scenario. The Iraqi arsenal contains only a limited number of operational ballistic missiles, Halutz said.
Among the evidence Powell is presenting are declassified satellite images of suspected mobile bio-weapons labs, information on hidden chemical or biological weapons, and intercepted conversations of Iraqi officials planning to thwart U.N. inspectors. The presentation is being broadcast live around the world as a "full multimedia blitz," in the words of a senior Bush Administration official.
Richard Perle, chairman of the U.S. Pentagon's Policy Advisory Board, has strong criticism of the German and French stances vis-a-vis Iraq. "France is no longer the ally it once was," Perle said yesterday, and accused French President Chirac of believing "deep in his soul that Saddam Hussein is preferable to any likely successor." In sum, "Very considerable damage has already been done to the Atlantic community, including NATO, by Germany and France," Perle said.
Foreign diplomats in Iraq have begun departing the country, and the U.S. has called upon its citizens in other Persian Gulf states to similarly leave. Northern Kuwait, which borders Iraq, will be declared a closed military zone 11 days from now.
Over the past two years, the Washington Post reports, Saddam Hussein's government has trained a million civilians in armed combat basics, and has given many of them firearms to keep at home. Iraqi officials say they expect armed civilians to engage in urban warfare with U.S. troops - but U.S. commanders and Western military analysts expect relatively few civilians to put up a fight.
Israel Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Dan Halutz stated last night that the Air Force is on alert and ready to respond to any scenario. The Iraqi arsenal contains only a limited number of operational ballistic missiles, Halutz said.