Iraqi crisis - War cannot be justified at present

WITH the UN Security Council and the NATO alliance still riven

Sat, 15 Feb, 2003 - 00:00

deep divisions, the world has one man to thank for so far preventing an American war on Iraq, with all that implies for security in the Middle East and global economic and social stability.

Were it not for the steady hand of Dr Hans Blix, chief of UNSCOM and head of weapons inspections in Iraq, US President George W Bush and his gung-ho regime would already have unleashed showers of uranium-tipped missiles to rain down on the Iraqi people.

For the second time within weeks, Dr Blix yesterday brought sanity to a most uncertain scenario, telling the Security Council that Iraq appears to be taking a more active approach to disarmament.