It's just as I suspected: If the Iraqis don't cooperate, it's an excuse for war. If they do cooperate, it's an excuse for war. For weeks, Bush, Rumsfeld and Powell have been saying that the issue is Iraq's willingness to disarm, or lack thereof. Now there is clear evidence of cooperation, willingness if you will, and it is being used to support war. In the 12,000 page document Iraq submitted to the UN, it declared that it had some missiles that exceeded the permitted range under UN resolutions: 114 miles compared to the allowed 90 miles. But Powell is now claiming these are signs of Iraqi deceit, or something. I've believed this all along, at least for the last few months: if Iraq is still hiding so-called weapons of mass destruction, it is more because they know that their discovery, even with Iraqi cooperation, would be used as an excuse for war. For the Bushies, war is a given. If Iraq is discovered to have WMD's, with their help or not, it is an excuse for war. If WMD's are not discovered, it is a sign of Iraqi deception, also an excuse for war. It is a classic bullying tactic, and it is extremely embarrassing to have national leaders behaving like Mafia dons or junior-high bullies. (Based on this NY Times article.)