It's always fun to compare headlines, to see how different news organizations filter and focus on particular aspects of key events, such as Hans Blix's latest report to the U.N.

From the A.P.:

"Blix: No Weapons of Mass Destruction Seen"

Hmm...that sounds good, doesn't it?

The BBC focuses on the unaccounted-for weapons:

'Banned weapons unaccounted for'

While CNN strikes the middle ground, sort of:

Inspectors cite progress, but incomplete cooperation


Just reading the headlines, you'd probably take away somewhat different impressions of Blix's report. This is one reason I don't buy into "media bias" hype, since individual news outlets are biased in different ways, some striving to be more objective than others, failing in various degrees. But the bias normally balances out in the long haul, and the best way to counteract its effects is to look at more than one news source.

Anyway, the relevant chunk of info to take away from Blix's report is this: Iraq still isn't complying, which still puts them in breach of 1441 and the 16 resolutions that came before it.

Half-measures just ain't gonna cut it. Blix noted that Iraq still hasn't disclosed information on VX, anthrax, and illicit missiles (from the BBC story):

Presenting his crucial report on the progress arms inspections, Mr Blix said: "The issues of anthrax, the nerve agent VX and long-range missiles [are]... perhaps the most important problem we are facing.

And that Iraq, while initially complying with interviews with scientists, has since begun stonewalling again:

The chief arms inspector said private interviews with Iraqi scientists on 8 and 9 February had "proved informative", but no interviews had taken place since then on the UN's terms.

Again, why should the international community keep standing for this passive-aggressive, game-playing bullshit?