WASHINGTON -- The U.N. inspectors in Iraq have suddenly taken front stage. But the process is a sideshow. The real issue is whether an invasion is necessary to protect the West.
The discovery of a dozen empty chemical warheads set off an international debate. Inspectors recently traveled to Baghdad to demand better cooperation. "Some progress" was made, said Mohamed ElBaradel, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
While the inspectors are using the threat of war to win improved access, the Bush administration views inspections as an impediment to be overcome in developing its pretext for war. Before inspections even started, Undersecretary of State John Bolton declared: "Our policy insists on regime change in Baghdad and that policy will not be altered whether inspectors go in or not."