Therein lies a clue to the number of obstacles Annan has to hurdle to get an agreement not only in Baghdad, but on his return home. For example, there are inherent difficulties in one widely suggested solution to the crisis: That U.N. attachés tag along with inspection teams. As ever, the devil is in the details would the diplomats merely accompany inspectors, or supervise them? The former may be unacceptable to Iraq, and the latter would certainly be rejected by Washington. Few believe Annan will do more than his predecessor Perez de Cuellar could seven years ago. But there's always hope that the Iraqi leader will do one of his famous flip-flops: As NSA adviser Sandy Berger says, "It would not be the first time Saddam Hussein has reversed course at the eleventh hour."
Mission: Impossible
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NEW YORK: So Kofi got to go to Baghdad after all. The secretary general flies out on Friday after receiving a tardy blessing from the Security Council, and told reporters that he foresaw a "reasonable chance of success." The U.S., after failing to get support for a list of talking points to send along with him, was less sure. "We reserve the right to disagree," said Ambassador Bill Richardson, "if the conclusion of the trip is not consistent with Security Council resolutions and our own national interest."