It's about a quarter to five in the morning in Baghdad.. and while the city is braced for an immenent attack.. the streetlights are on.. buildings are lit.. the sunrise will bring the Muzzein to call them to morning prayer..
The deadline for Saddam's resignation and departure has now passed.. and the word from the White House is that as George said, this war will start at a time of the US's choosing..
This delaying tactic is serving managing several purposes.. demonstrating that George is not exactly a cowboy.. rushing in on the stroke of one this morning to deal justice to the renegade Saddam.. putting the Iraqi people in a state of constant stress.. disrupting the flow of Iraqi life on all levels.. while the threat looms ever larger just over the various borders Iraq shares..
Over 13 million leaflets have been dropped on Iraqi territory over the past weeks.. all of them describing how Saddam was a despot.. that this was a fight to liberate them.. instructions on how to surrender.. All this in an effort to turn his own people against Saddam..
However.. there is a downside to this waiting game as well.. for George cannot be seen to be faltering..One hopes.. when the balloon finally goes up.. George doesn't wear a gleefull grin watching it all come to pass..
There's no room for self-righteousness in politics.. We all of us understand the game too well to swallow that..