January 25, 2004 - Dr. Kay’s report was going to quiet all those voices that said the WMDs did not exist. It was supposed to vindicate the report that the Administration sent Colin Powell to read to the UN Security Council. Kay resigned this week; announced that he believed that there were no stockpiles of weapons to be found in Iraq and he had concluded that the had not existed. Those were the stockpiles that the Pentagon Godfather Donald Rumsfeld told us that he “knew where they are”. Unfortunately either Kay didn’t think to ask Rumsfeld where to look or the aging warrior is growing forgetful. Even Colin Powell, who up to know has toed the Party of Fear line closely, is admitting that the question of whether or not Saddam had those fearsome weapons is “open”. Chicken George has assured us that US weapons searchers will uncover evidence of clandestine weapons of mass destruction program activities – what one wag has called “papers of mass destruction”. Only Dugout Dick has emerged from his secure, undisclosed location, to assure the world that the fearsome arsenal will be found – but then he speaks to Halliburton, at least while their checks continue to clear the bank.

Trying to spin away Chicken George’s blatant manipulation of the facts to cajole the America people into invading Iraq his administration spokesmen are trying to convince us that the Moslem Middle East is engaged in a high stakes game of Hot Potato. WMD – WMD - who’s got the WMD? The claim that Saddam smuggled his arsenal into Syria is being bruited about again – it beats admitting the facts.

The fact is that there is only one Moslem country east or west of Suez that has a verified stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. We know what they are and we know where they are. It is the same country that is providing safe-haven to Bin Laden, his Al Qaida, and the Taliban from which they emerge to strike at allied soldiers in Afghanistan. It is the same country that is selling nuclear technology and assistance to the highest bidder. That one country is (drum roll professor, if you please) Pakistan. Of course we are not going to invade Pakistan and even though there is increasing evidence that Iran is providing a safe haven and support for elements of the Iraqi resistance we aren’t going to war with Iran either. The only time that Chicken George won’t peddle fear to the American people is when he knows that there is something to be afraid of.

What does that mean for the coming ten months? It means that the Party of Fear must find their terror here at home. It means that we can look forward to seeing repeats of the Orange Christmas – restrictions, intrusions, and inconveniences to remind us that we are supposed to be afraid. You have to ask, just who is it that benefits from making the American people fearful? That is where the hot potato is going to end up, and it will be too hot for Chicken George to hold.