I thought everybody'd heard about this story, about one of the U.N. weapons inspectors being a co-founder of a Washington-area S&M club, but I've run into a couple of people who haven't, so I thought I'd mention it here.

Harvey John "Jack" McGeorge, 53, of Woodbridge is a munitions analyst for the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC).

McGeorge founded, and has been an officer in, several sadomasochistic sex groups, through which he has taught courses on "sex slaves" and various techniques involving knives, ropes and choking devices. He had said that he would offer his resignation if The Washington Post wrote about his S&M background. On Thursday, the Post reported that McGeorge is a co-founder of Black Rose, a Washington-area S&M club, and a former officer in the Leather Leadership Conference Inc.

Now he's apparently tried to resign, but Hans Blix won't accept his resignation.

Stranger than fiction, right?

Now, I couldn't give a damn what the guy's sexual predilictions are, as long as he hasn't broken any laws.

I do find it strange that this is the first time this has come to light. The guy apparently wasn't shy about proclaiming his involvement in these clubs all over the internet. I'm also assuming that this guy has Top Secret clearance, and usually you're scrutinized pretty heavily for upper-level clearances. I find it strange that this wasn't an issue earlier.

I don't think the intelligence community cares too much about your sex life per se. But they do ask about it in great detail in case there's something in your past (or present) that can be used against you (e.g. for blackmail purposes). If this guy's not ashamed of it, and he hasn't broken any laws, I wouldn't see a problem either.

And the bit about offending Muslim sensibilities is just ridiculous. Consensual sadomasochism is worse than much of the nonconsensual barbarity towards women that goes on in much of the Arab world? Give me a break.

So I don't have a problem with this. Anybody else?