But guess what? The scientists don't want to. Um, right. Is anybody in the world going to believe this truckload of horseshit? Perhaps those who are willing, at every step of the way, to make excuses for Saddam Hussein.

What motive could an Iraqi scientist have for not wanting to talk to a U.N. official, either without an Iraqi minder or alone?

And gee, I wonder what kind of "encouragement" the Iraqi government gave them to talk?

Iraqi Secret Policeman: You have two daughters, don't you?
Iraqi Physicist: Yes.
Policeman: How old are they?
Physicist: Four and ten.
Policeman: It would be a shame if something bad happened to them, for example, if they were raped and tortured to death. But I'm sure they would, as the glorious Iraqi leadership does, encourage you to speak to the U.N. Inspectors, don't you think?

Yes, I'm sure the Iraqi officials, with a record of threatening and torturing scientists in their weapons programs, were very encouraging.

But who would believe these guys, right? I'm sure the defecting Iraqi scientists are just making it up to get attention.