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The evidence against Iraq

It is disheartening to witness so many nations deny the threat that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein constitutes and the willingness to just let it all slide.

If anyone needs evidence, just visit the British prime minister's Web site, where documentary proof is clearly and rationally laid out for all to see (www.pm.gov.uk). Here is just a sampling:

"As a result of the evidence we judge that Iraq has:

-- clearly continued to produce chemical and biological agents [and] military plans for the use of chemical and biological weapons, including against its own Shia population.

-- Some of these weapons are deployable within 45 min-utes of an order to use them;

-- command and control arrangements in place to use chemical and biological wea-pons. Authority ultimately resides with Saddam;

-- developed mobile laboratories for military use, corroborating earlier reports about the mobile production of biological warfare agents;

-- pursued illegal programs to procure controlled materials of potential use in the production of chemical and biological weapons programs;

-- tried covertly to acquire technology and materials which could be used in the production of nuclear weapons;

-- sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa, despite having no active civil nuclear power program that could require it;

-- recalled specialists to work on its nuclear program;

-- illegally retained up to 20 al-Hussein missiles, with a range of 650km, capable of carrying chemical or biological warheads;

-- started deploying its al-Samoud liquid propellant missile, and has used the absence of weapons inspectors to work on extending its range to at least 200km, which is beyond the limit of 150km imposed by the UN;

-- started producing the solid-propellant Ababil-100 and is making efforts to extend its range to at least 200km, which is beyond the limit of 150km imposed by the UN;

-- constructed a new engine test stand for the development of missiles capable of reaching the UK Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus and NATO members, as well as all Iraq's Gulf neighbors and Israel;

-- pursued illegal programs to procure materials for use in its illegal development of long range missiles;

-- learnt lessons from previous UN weapons inspections and has already begun to conceal sensitive equipment and documentation in advance of the return of inspectors."

It is clear that the Iraqi regime has very serious plans for extensive and prolonged violence against neighbors within the region, and by proxy, beyond. Saddam will run rings around Hans Blix and the keystone cops UN inspectors.

I urge people to consult the above Web site. Read the evidence and make up your own mind. Don't leave this just to the politicians.

Stephen Carter

Bangkok

Wake up, Taoyuan

What a laugh. Taiwan's politicians are worried about a few beauties on the street, as evidenced by Taoyuan County's crackdown on betel-nut beauties. What about the TV programs late at night with all the soft porn on display? That's okay, I suppose, as it doesn't get a mention.

I often stay in hotels and they black out some channels for me because I am a Westerner. Is this discrimination or are they trying to protect me from what Taiwan has to offer?

Please wake up Taiwan, don't be ambiguous and if it's good for the goose, what about the gander?

William van den Broek

Taipei

Jiang has chance at history

So former Singaporean prime minister Lee Kwan Yew (李光耀) is overjoyed about Chinese President Jiang Zemin's (江澤民) "admiration" ("Jiang seeks to emulate Lee, Deng," page 8, Sept. 18). I am doubtful Lee knows anything more than anyone else outside of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) core dictators. Rather, he is been used by Jiang as just another tool to promote his personal agenda.

If Jiang really wants to pursue an undisputed place in China's history, he has to take China toward democracy. There is simply nothing else he can do to even remotely match Mao Zedong (毛澤東) and Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平).

Mao founded the CCP and shaped the course of Chinese history for five decades. Deng reversed the Chinese economy from central planning to a market economy, that has given China prosperity unheard of since the communists took power.

What is Jiang to do to match these accomplishments, let alone outshine them?

If Jiang takes even a few firm steps toward democracy, his place in history is virtually assured and he will outshine Mao and Deng. If he does not, his successors will. I sincerely hope he'll think about that while eating barbecue at US President George W. Bush's Texas ranch.

Chen Ming-Chung

Chicago, Illinois
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