The grip that doesn8217;t slip

Saddam Hussein's grip on life in Iraq shows no signs of slipping. In Baghdad, nothing has changed, except that at least four prominent bu...

Saddam Hussein8217;s grip on life in Iraq shows no signs of slipping. In Baghdad, nothing has changed, except that at least four prominent buildings are no longer available for use by his security apparatus: the military industrialisation commission, the ministry of defence, the internal security headquarters and offices of the ruling Ba8217;ath party. Even the spectacle of their near-demolition does not draw a second glance from passers-by, due to a general feeling of weariness with Iraq8217;s seemingly endless wars with the outside world. As for internal dissent, there is no evidence to suggest that an army mutiny 8212; realistically the only arm of the state that could topple Saddam 8212; is close at hand.

The aerial bombardments of Saddam8217;s fiercely loyal Republican Guard bases may have inflicted thousands of casualties but the likelihood remains that, as in the Gulf war, we will never know how many soldiers and civilians were killed.

The destruction of tens of thousands of files on the Iraqi population inside internalsecurity headquarters is also unlikely to give serious encouragement to would-be revolutionaries. A report in a British Sunday newspaper that soldiers were rebelling in the south of the country, in the city of Basra, was rejected as nonsense by Government officials. A more credible rebuttal came in the fact that foreign television news crews were taken there to film damage inflicted by the bombing 8212; hardly likely if there was a serious and genuine rebellion taking place.

8220;It is ridiculous, just wishful thinking,8221; said Naji Hadithi, a senior foreign ministry official who is to become Iraq8217;s next ambassador to Vienna early next year. 8220;Security in Iraq has never been better.8221; As for Iraq8217;s leader, apart from two pre-recorded video messages aired on the Al Jazeera satellite TV network, the Arab world8217;s equivalent of CNN, nothing has been seen of him since before the bombing. Officials could not say if he had visited any damaged sites or would be making a public appearance. 8220;He is moving around but nobodyknows his itinerary,8221; said one. But just looking at the streets, even in his absence, the presence of Saddam is felt everywhere.

US, UK spurned Kofi8217;s wish

LONDON: The Observer has reports that the aerial blitz by United States and Britain on Iraq was against the wishes of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan who wanted to give Baghdad more time before any military action.

When a major divergence8217; occurred between Annan and Anglo-American coalition leaders on their approach to tackle the Iraqi crisis, a US Security Council delegate reportedly tore8217; up Annan8217;s letter suggesting Iraq be given more time before any military action, the paper said.

Annan had also suggested involving Iraq in more detailed negotiations on the UN weapons inspectors issue. 8220;It was not what Britain and United States wanted to hear. They were aware of growing opposition to military action among the French, the Russians and the Chinese,8221; the paper said.