Iraq diplomacy collapses

Emergency cabinet meeting called

We can expect that Robin Cook will go. As will Claire Short, if the has an ounce of integrity, which I think she does. Military action, what, tomorrow, Wednesday?

After that, who can say? I should imagine that the US will go through the desert quick enough - air power will see to that. But once they hit the cities, it could be really bad. If the Iraqi troops put up a real fight in the cities, the casualties will be horrendous, both military and civilian.

But will they? Obviously I hope not, but it's possible. Perhaps the Iraqi military feel that if they inflict sufficient casualties the allies will be forced to pack up and go home, a-la Vietnam. Given the lack of domestic support, this isn't totally impossible.

But I certainly hope the whole thing is over quickly. As always in modern war, it's going to be the civilians who bear the brunt of all this. It's at times like this that I wish I had someone to prey to.

Time to re-link to the classic God Angrily Clarifies 'Don't Kill' Rule.