IRAQ ACCEPTS INSPECTIONS and a lot of people are surprised and confused. What was the parlimentary vote all about? A guy on the radio this morning suggested it was for internal consumption only and said the Iraqi people would probably not hear about today's capitulation. Another possibility is that the parliment was just telling Hussein what they thought he wanted to hear.

What's next in this soap opera? I can't wait to see!

IRAQI PARLIMENT VOTES AGAINST UN RESOLUTION 1441 and essentially notifies the world that a war is coming. I can't see how Hussein will reverse his puppet parliment's decision so I expect the UN Security Council to be voting on military action within a week or so.

I really think Hussein wants a fight. I seem to remember the same style of brinkmanship (well, maybe it wasn't technically brinkmanship since he went over the brink) before the Gulf War. As I read somewhere else, the parlimentary vote is likely a cover so Hussein can have his government say things like, "This decision by the Iraqi National Assembly is the right and patriotic stance, which expresses the Iraqi people's opinion." I don't remember reading about any parlimentary elections where the Iraqi people voted these members in. The AP story also points out that "representatives ... must pledge loyalty to Saddam to earn a place in parliament." It's a thin sham and I hope the world sees through it.

I really wonder what's going through Hussein's mind right now. Unlike the last war where world opinion clearly voted to only kick him out of Kuwait, he must see now that he is at the end of his rope. Perhaps he hopes that any US led attack will somehow draw in the other Arab nations in his defence. A more frightening idea is that he has something planned against Israel that will draw a response from the IDF that will draw in other Arab nations and turn the mid east into a lit powder keg.

The next few weeks will be interesting to say the least.

I love Reuters:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament reconvenes on Tuesday to vote on a motion to reject a new U.N. resolution on disarmament, but the assembly speaker said deputies would leave the final say to President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).

Really? Leave it to the dictator? What a fine idea!

HAMAS REFUSES FATAH'S REQUEST to end attacks inside the green line. Meanwhile, the Al-Aqsa Martyr Bridages claimed responsibility for an attack inside the green line. Is this simply a case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing, or is it something else?