Benchmarks

[Gobalopper]

• Saddam must publicly acknowledge his arsenal
  
• 30 scientists must be allowed to be interviewed abroad
  
• Stocks of anthrax and other material must be identified
  
• Al-Samoud missiles and their engines must be destroyed
  
• Drones must be accounted for
  
• Mobile bio-warfare laboratories must be surrendered

[Acriku]

Isn't the deadline this Monday?

[Gobalopper]

I don't think they have set a deadline yet. There has been talk that March 18th is "the day" but who knows.

[Acriku]

It should be soon, or Bush will miss the only chance to fight war with Iraq under bearable conditions.

[Davidu]

Bush will do it anyaway.

[nemafakei]

"Saddam must publicly acknowledge his arsenal"

Er... is it me, or if Hussein declares he has been hiding weapons, he will have broken previous resolutions; if he does not declare them, because he does not have them or he is afraid of getting attacked, he'll have failed the current targets.

Please tell me if I am wrong...

[Gobalopper]

I think they just want him to admit he has had them, something he hasn't done.

For example the al-Samud missiles he claimed he didn't have.

[Acriku]

So far, CNN says Hussein has destroyed half of his al-Samud inventory - and that it is impossible to get rid of them all in the time period he is given. Not to mention all the other missiles he might have. It'd be dumb to have one type of missile, and to not have a lot of them.

[Gobalopper]

More details on the "side statement":

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N12163349

According to that there was no date set. To me those look like they are fine benchmarks and don't see any reason why Saddam couldn't complete them within say a week maybe two?