No one seems to be writing opinion pieces quite the way I would, so I decided to do it myself.

The name? Taverns are places where one goes to discuss the interesting events and things in the world, so this is my tavern.

I will offer my views on politics, economics, and whatever else strikes my fancy.
I will occasionally publish the entire article from another journal for purposes of causing discussion.

 

No WMD's in Iraq??

The Christian science Monitor reports that the top Iraqi prisoners deny Iraq had WMDs. The report provides its own skepticism, but what if it is true?

High-ranking Iraqi prisoners are uniformly denying Saddam Hussein's government had any weapons of mass destruction before the war, US officials familiar with their interrogations said Tuesday.
The officials said they believe many of the prisoners are lying to protect themselves.

Still, the denials are hampering US forces' search for evidence of alleged chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs in Iraq, as the prisoners are not providing locations or other details interrogators are seeking.

By denying Iraq had weapons, the prisoners may be trying to distance themselves from Hussein's rule, one official said.

American officials stand by their belief that Iraq possessed prohibited weapons and the means to make more, although none have turned up since the war started on March 19.

Officials now say the weapons are either well hidden or were destroyed in the run-up to the war. There is no firm evidence they were moved to other countries, they say.

Hussein's government denied having any unconventional weapons until the end, saying it had destroyed them years before.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz is among the Iraqis in custody who says his government had no prohibited weapons, officials said. So is Lt. Gen. Amer al-Saadi, Hussein's alleged point man on chemical and biological agents.
posted by Richard at 11:51 AM