<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[The Dish]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://dish.andrewsullivan.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Andrew Sullivan]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://dish.andrewsullivan.com/author/sullydish/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[THE SOURCE]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>Fascinating <a href="http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/12/07/wirq07.xml&amp;sSheet=/news/2003/12/07/ixnewstop.html" target="_blank">interview</a> in the Telegraph with an Iraqi colonel who claims he was the3 source for the intelligence that Saddam&#8217;s army had a WMD capacity that could be launched against invading forces within 45 minutes. More interesting: he stands by his story. Money quote: </p>
<blockquote><p>The only reason that these weapons were not used, said Col al-Dabbagh, was because the bulk of the Iraqi army did not want to fight for Saddam. &#8220;The West should thank God that the Iraqi army decided not to fight,&#8221; he said.<br />&#8220;If the army had fought for Saddam Hussein and used these weapons there would have been terrible consequences.&#8221;<br />Col al-Dabbagh, who was recalled to Baghdad to work at Iraq&#8217;s air defence headquarters during the war itself, believes that the WMD have been hidden at secret locations by the Fedayeen and are still in Iraq. &#8220;Only when Saddam is caught will people talk about these weapons,&#8221; he said.</p></blockquote>
<p>I wonder what the next few months will ultimately reveal.</p>
<p><span style="color:#7c7ca6;font-weight:bold;">OKRENT&#8217;S GREAT START:  </span>What a refreshingly <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/07/weekinreview/07BOTT.html" target="_blank">candid piece</a> from the NYT&#8217;s new ombudsman (no, my first piece of ornery dissent will be refusing to call the guy what the Times wants me to call him). I liked his description of his politics: </p>
<blockquote><p>I&#8217;m an absolutist on free trade and free speech, and a supporter of gay rights and abortion rights who thinks that the late Cardinal John O&#8217;Connor was a great man. I believe it&#8217;s unbecoming for the well off to whine about high taxes, and inconsistent for those who advocate human rights to oppose all American military action. I&#8217;d rather spend my weekends exterminating rats in the tunnels below Penn Station than read a book by either Bill O&#8217;Reilly or Michael Moore. I go to a lot of concerts. I hardly ever go to the movies. I&#8217;ve hated the Yankees since I was 6. </p></blockquote>
<p>Sounds like many readers of this site. Let&#8217;s see if he is as unsparing in his assessments as you are. (Some are already <a href="http://www.thenationaldebate.com/blogger/archive/2003_12_01_TND-ARCHIVE.html#107074669181322555" target="_blank">impressed</a>.)</p>
]]></html></oembed>