<I expect you'd find a lot of the UN's "best and brightest" have gripped Saddam's hand quite recently. How does your observation reflect on them? Is Blix to be condemned for his communication with the Iraqi regime? If not, why is Rumsfeld's past communication to be condemned?

It was his job to go in, shake hands and talk, and that's what he did.



All true. But it hasn't kept the right wing from sneering [lovely term oft-used by the rightists hearabouts] about Blix or former Clintonistas who had the misfortune to be caught on film smiling in the same room as an Iraqi. Hypocracy is the funniest game going, I think.