November 14, 2002 – 15 years ago, a day that sounded utterly familiar. Middle East the focus of attention – between the Israeli Army moving into central Gaza City and UN Inspectors heading into Baghdad again – the signs of peace or any stability in the region seemed remote as a distant galaxy.
Iraq accepted the UN Security council resolution requiring a new round of weapons inspections to rid the country of any chemical o biological or nuclear arms programs. The decision came in a long letter from Iraq’s Foreign Minister to UN Secretary General Kofi Anan. Iraq would accept the full resolution, despite its bad contents. The Foreign Minister went on to attack the US with hostile language, calling the Bush Administration a “gang of evil” and asserted the inspectors would find no weapons of Mass Destruction in Irqq, thus “exposing the liar’s lies” he went on. The previous day, President Bush said he would maintain zero tolerance of Iraqi deceit, and repeated that if Iraq refused to disarm, the U.S. would lead a coalition to disarm it. The details of the new UN Security resolution also prohibited Iraq from firing on U.S. and British warplanes patrolling the No-Fly Zones in Northern and Southern Iraq. Iraq had launched missiles dozens of times at those planes patrolling the zone in the previous few months.
In other news, Democrats in the House were getting ready to choose their leaders for the 108th Congress; there were three candidates. Secretary of State Colin Powell was on his way to Canada for talks with Foreign Minister William Graham. Catholic Bishops were wrapping up their meeting.
And today marked the 25th Anniversary of the very first Muppet Show – and just think, today (2017) would be the 40th anniversary.
And that’s just a little of went on, this November 14, 2002 as reported by NPR’s Morning Edition Hourly News.
