4 months

Something happened between February 11 and June 21 in 2001. Within that window of time, attitude changed, rhetoric changed, a new urgency emerged. Bpost is thinking out loud today. Here's what we're thinking about:

February, 11, 2001

Snow: Is Iraq a nuclear threat?

Rumsfeld: Iraq is probably not a nuclear threat at the present time. There's no question but that its nuclear capabilities were well advanced, and much farther advanced than Western intelligence capabilities knew. And we were very fortunate that the Israelis went in some time before, and took out their nuclear capability.

Fast forward. Same Secretary of Defense, different attitude, 4 months later:

June 21, 2001

Rumsfeld:We know from experience that they have already demonstrated a willingness to use these weapons. Saddam Hussein used gas on his own people, fired ballistic missiles against Israel and Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, and has an aggressive nuclear program.

Aggressive? No nukes to 60 mph in under five? So what happened during those 4 months?

Aid Update

The USAID announced three awards for the community of Umm Qasr.

$41,000 to enhance the capacity of the town council to meet the town's needs. The grant will provide for a pre-fabricated unit of four partitioned rooms, equipped with water, electricity and furniture, for use as interim town council offices. The grant will also provide computers and other office equipment, as well as training to develop the council members' leadership skills and increase their knowledge of democratic principles.

$30,000 to establish a community communications center consisting of several telephones and an Internet server with computers and printers to help in the reunification of families and to increase access to independent information for students and adults alike.

$5,000 will provide sports and other recreational activities for the town's youth.

And in case you missed it. Bit of a snafu on Stevedoring Services of America. Turns out they did not have the necessary security clearance. So the USAID rewrote the job description.