CIA takes over search for WMDs

Paul Bremer, the new resident of Saddam's Royal Palace, has been given control of all personnel involved in the so-far-futile search for Weapons Of Mass Destruction (WMDs). These people used to be under the control of the Pentagon, but recently admitted that they had searched everywhere they could in Iraq and basically concluded - to the embarrassment of Bush, Blair & Co - that there were no WMDs to be found. Bremer, their new boss, is a former consultant for a crisis consulting firm headed by none other than the world's most successful Backdoor Man, Henry Kissinger. According to the Washington Post, Bremer "has had little involvement in Arab affairs or with major reconstruction projects." Now he is basically in charge of Iraq, with a mandate to do pretty much whatever he thinks is "necessary". In Bremer's own words:

"When I came out here, the president said, 'Go out and make an assessment, and draw your own conclusions about what we should do."

According to the Washington Post, "many Iraqis said they feared his agenda was a way to prolong the U.S. presence here and delay self-governance."

But I am getting side-tracked. What I wanted to talk about was how George Bush senior was head of the CIA before he became president, how daddy's CIA buddies helped little W. get elected, and how much power the CIA wields in this post-9/11 world. With Blair, Bush and now even little Johnny Howard facing organised inquiries into their pre-war justifications for urgent action against Iraq, you can be sure that the CIA - with Bremer at the helm in Iraq - will quickly turn up something convenient, probably within a week (although they might have to wait till the airport re-opens, which is scheduled for 1st July - that would make a great Thanksgiving present for George eh?).

A barrel of,... er.... mustard... gets shipped out to Iraq as part of the "humanitarian effort" and turns up a few days later in an abandoned shed somewhere in the desert. A few innocent soldiers, tipped off by the CIA, bring it into the lab and... guess what? Anthrax or something. Who is going to point the finger at Bush, Blair & Co then, eh?

Even if it were possible, which it probably wouldn't be, it would take many years to prove the WMD was a CIA plant. I think the more interesting thing will be HOW MUCH they find. Would a single barrel of liquid justify the whole campaign? Wouldn't Saddam have had a lot more than that? It might be hard for the CIA to smuggle in more than a minimal amount of "evidence". Perhaps if they had allowed UN Weapons Inspectors back into the country earlier, I would be less cynical.

Anyway, even if Saddam DID have WMD's, that still doesn't justify (to me) the invasion without UN support. Who knows, maybe the WMDs are all in Syria now? Would that be a good excuse to invade Syria? How much oil have THEY got?

P.S. By the way, if you have a few months to spare, try working out what Henry Kissinger has been doing since the new Bush administration came to power. If you can penetrate that secret, dark world,let me know!