Voice of Reason
This is from the irrepressible Christopher Hitchens-
"the French are owed several billion dollars by Saddam for their past help in supplying the sinews of aggression against Iran, Kuwait and Kurdistan.The Russian government, too, is seeking lucrative contracts in the Iraqi market and is being rewarded with such contracts for its slithery behaviour at the UN.Excuse me, comrades, but that is "blood for oil".

Hitch goes on to say-
"The last time that the "peace" marchers assembled, they would have spared the government of the Taliban.The time before that, they would have spared the regime of Slobodan Milosevic.Thank goodness that such opinions no longer count, however many people may be persuaded to hold them."

And this gem about the protestors at the last protest in Hyde Park-
"These were:
(1) Those who knew what they were doing and
(2) Those who did not.
Among the first tendency - the animating and organising force - were an easily-recognisable bunch of clapped-out pseudo-Marxists who, deep in their hearts, have a nostalgia for the days of the one-party State and who secretly regard Saddam as an anti-imperialist.
They were assisted by an impressive number of fundamentalist Muslims, who mouth the gibberish slogans of holy war but who don't give a damn for the suffering inflicted by Saddam on their co-religionists.
A more gruesome political alliance I have never seen.
Then came the sincere, fuddled stage-army of the good - people who think that a remark such as "peace is better than war" is an argument in itself. Their latest cry is that "inspections" should be given "more time". I am always impressed by sweet people who are evidence-proof."