Opposition by Russia, France, China and most of the Arab world to any
military strike against Iraq may persuade President Clinton to agree to
a proposed visit to Baghdad Wednesday by Secretary General Kofi Annan for a last-ditch
peace bid. U.N. Security Council members meet today in search of ways to
avoid a military strike. Baghdad's welcoming, yesterday, of a U.N.
technical team sent to survey Iraq's eight disputed "presidential" sites
may signal that Saddam Hussein is looking for a way to back down. Of
course, it may be a lot easier for Saddam to do if reports prove true
that Baghdad has moved
it's biological and chemical arsenal to sympathetic Arab states for
safekeeping.
Meanwhile, the President presses ahead with the war at home, hoping to use his Tuesday address from the Pentagon and CNN's "international town hall" meeting conducted by his national security team on Wednesday to rally public support and overcome congressional skepticism. Unless an alternative emerges during the next five days, Clinton may feel compelled to take advantage of a waning moon and issue the attack order by the weekend.