More on the UN - - If the last post wasn’t enough. You must, if you dare, read Steyn today. Here is the proverbial kick in the UN’s junk:

But if you want to turn a long-shot into a surefire failure, there's no better way than handing post-war Iraq from the Americans to the UN -- the successors to the Belgian school of nation-building. At best, you'll end up with Cambodia, where the UN has colluded in the nullification of democracy, or the Balkans, where once-functioning jurisdictions are reduced to the level of geopolitical tenements with the UN as slum landlord in perpetuity. At worst, you'll wind up with the West Bank "refugee" "camps,"the most extreme reminder of how the UN has little interest in solving problems, only in establishing bureaucracies to manage them. Washington should ignore the French, dare the Russians to veto, let the Iraqis turn on the spigots, and pay no attention to "do-gooders."

Useless, utterly useless - - For fun, and bonus points, our dear friend at the UN thought it would be funny if they reelected Cuba to the Human Rights Commission. Well ha ha buddies.

Washington’s response: “like Putting Al Capone in charge of Bank security.”

Best reference ever - - Leave it to Jonah Goldberg to have readers who can say things like this:

“have you ever noticed that Clintons foreign policy was very similar to the GI Joe TV series. He exchanged a lot of ordnance, no one was ever killed. Cobra Commander was still alive and plotting to take over the world. There seemed always to be a reason to attack, but it never accomplished much. Adid, Hussein...just a thought.”

Earth Day , Smearth Day - - Ken Layne finds this Ron Bailey Reason.com ditty on Earth Day and why environmentalists are so unwilling to admit when things are going good. Why would they do that? What about the sea turtles damn it?

Stop Mocking me - - Some jubilant, recently liberated, Canuck fan just honked the entire way down my street with a truck load of flag waving imperialists in the back.

Thief of Baghdad - - Still curious about the not-so-protected art in Iraq? Check out my latest Enter Stage Right Commentary ”The thieves of Baghdad.” Read all about the very sensitive art world’s reaction, the scripted “Bush didn’t care” argument, John Derbyshire’s view, the French (of course they are always not far from these things), why this can’t be really called looting, and more.

Go ahead make our day - - What’s this? Secret plans to bomb North Korea. This is such a Dirty Harry move. You saw the 3-week war, but just in case, here is our plan we’ve been working on too. Now, the question is, do you feel lucky? Well do you Kim?

Laker Quagmire? - - Waiting patiently for the first column to slam the Lakers for their loss. Don’t make Shaq angry, you won’t like when he’s angry.

Meanwhile Toronto lay in ruins- I am not sure but Toronto must have wronged the world and it is getting its face rubbed in it these past few week. First SARS has made the city about as popular as a France. Then their damned filthy Leafs just got eliminated from the Stanley Cup.

Plenty of Jubilation - - Not completely sure, but I think there has been regime change here in Vancouver. Plenty of honking and yelling! Go Amerika! Whoops my bad, the Canucks just made it into the second round of the playoffs. Only in winner starved Vancouver could this happen. Boy am I going to get some crow shoved in my face from work people for insisting that the cursed Canucks would disappoint again. Then again, there are plenty more chances for that.

My Name is Cassandra - - Refreshing to see Kristof the not-so-magnificent finally found the cross dressing pansy who was writing his columns before and during the war. Good for you buddy. Good for you.

Now let’s just work on the post war speculation doom and gloom. If you shouldn’t criticize the war at week one, two, or three; then is it possible, just maybe, that the first few weeks of post-Saddam Iraq should not rule out the possibility that Iraq might actually succeed. Time, lets let some time pass before we make judgments.

Where are the Weapons? - - Judith Miller who wrote 2001’s timely “Germs” has the details on Iraq’s WMD. Here are the fine points:

First, Saddam destroyed the weapons just days before the war begun: “A scientist who claims to have worked in Iraq's chemical weapons program for more than a decade has told an American military team that Iraq destroyed chemical weapons and biological warfare equipment only days before the war began, members of the team said.”

Second, “The scientist also told American weapons experts that Iraq had secretly sent unconventional weapons and technology to Syria, starting in the mid-1990's, and that more recently Iraq was cooperating with Al Qaeda, the military officials said.”

And the kicker: “President Saddam Hussein's government had destroyed some stockpiles of deadly agents as early as the mid-1990's, transferred others to Syria, and had recently focused its efforts instead on research and development projects that are virtually impervious to detection by international inspectors, and even American forces on the ground combing through Iraq's giant weapons plants.”

I think this would be why the administration is putting so much pressure on Syria, and why perhaps they are responding. It might not be quick enough. The weapons, documents, and whatever else needs to be turned over or the roll back is going to go right through Damascus too.

Ahhh the United Nations… - - Leave it to Krauthammer to continue to, pardon this pun, ‘hammer’ the UN for its lapses in logic and decency. But I have one far out clarification to The Hammers views. Yes, the oil for food, er, palaces, program should die. But why not let the UN continue the fiasco. And we’ll buy all the oil. All of it. Any drop they can produce, we’ll take. They will get to continue their illusion while we get oil. I like to call this, win-win.

Almost forgot - - You may have noticed my complete lack of posting this week. My apologies. Some posting will continue tonight and tomorrow, in the mean time read my last Enter Stage Right column. ”How do you like them apples?” details the media at war, CNN, and other things-See the great Matt Welch on fire, and a horde of misguided leftists including Michael Moore, Bill Moyers, The Times’ “Johnny” Apple, Eric Alterman’s apology, and even the hilariously wrong Eric Margolis at their, er, best during the war. Have a look.

Lessons - - Read this great column by Bala Ambati over at the Duke Chronicle. (Via LGF). In short: “The light now pierces the darkness of fear in the Middle East.”

Why not another regime change? - - Fred Kaplan has a great article today outlining the military forces of Syria in Slate.com. If the US wants to, Syria could be the next domino to fall, without too much effort. Will it happen? I think the Syrians are pretty worried that it might. I think that is why there is all the tough love and trash talk that Rumsfeld has been dishing out like candy on Halloween. Andrew Stuttaford has some more thoughts, some even positive, about the Syria problem. And just to push the situation that much futher the US military cut of what amounts to be 1/3 of Syria's oil supply.

Let me craft the opening sentence that Syria sould issue: "Dear George W. Bush, Yes we have some members of the Iraqi regime, please come and fetch them before they start something here, oh and we've been hiding some of their weapons for awhile, please help yourselves..."

Give ‘em the Boot - - Never mind that worst pun ever title, just go read the smart Max Boot article.

Self Explanatory site 101 - - Revoke the Oscar.com is another site dedicated to sticking it to the man who in this case is Michael Moore. Just for fun I am going to write a letter to the Academy. The response will be delicious.

Hawk Fall Out - - Now that the major fighting is over in Iraq, and some ships are coming back, the real punditry can happen. Columbia Political Review is wondering if the Hawks were right all along. Basically there is a lot of people and regimes and nations looking at the war in Iraq scorecard and may be reevaluating their policies vis-à-vis the United States. (Not sure Syria has finished the complex algebra equations yet.)

Must read - - Lileks on what someone called “the mother of all days.”

A message from the Iraqi Information minister - - Er, sorry, no this is actually the latest Michael Moore opus. This self indulgent post is actually from the 7th of April, but really, glad Mikey could voice his support for the Iraqi regime, the kiddy jails, the torture chambers. Yes Mikey we have done a terrible thing-liberated a people. Don’t believe them! Infidels!

But what about those chemical weapons Mr. Bush? Patience Mr. Moore, patience-instead just shut up-your widely successful, good for you-this guy is a money grubbing fraud.

Turning Point Flashbacks - - Andrew Sullivan did some homework on “Liberation Day” when he picked out some particularly silly statements made about how the war would unfold. Alterman, Wright, The Guardian, and Newsweek. (And more too)

Check Hitchens too.

And just in case… - - The MOAB, that’s the Mother of all Bombs for those who don’t know, is on the way. Just in case we let Saddam walk away from the second strike with just another flesh wound.

And they may be earmarked for a little place we call Syria if key Iraqi regimists are hiding out there.

Being a Baathist could be hazardous to your health - - All the inside looks at Saddam’s palaces should have two consequences: one, that Saddam could have actually made something of his nation but chose to have gold sinks and empty palaces of marble. And two, those who propped up Saddam and his dirty cabal should be afraid of some street justice.

Shaq @ War - - In all the dearth of postings last week, I didn’t get to write my “Wrestlemania XIX” one. Truthfully it wasn’t really going to be much of a post. Some impressions: The 54,000 people at Safeco Field erupted during the opening anthem and the corresponding troop slideshow. (The first shot if I remember was one of British Tanks with flags).

Before the song even finished the whole crowd was chanting “U-S-A! U-S-A!” (Not to mention the guy walking around the stadium with the “Kill Saddam” sign who got plenty of thumbs up all night!)

I also got to meet Shaq before the blessed cultural event (what a treat!), which brings me to these two Shaq post:

Matt Welch reporting on the post game Shaq comments: “I’m ‘Shaq’ and Kobe’s ‘Awe’”

Another post (Via Layne) from USS Cluelesssuggests that Bill Walton and Shaq should be sent into Iraq to be reporters. Read on to see why…

The long posting drought is finally over - - I haven’t posted in nearly a week! A week! Plenty has happened since last Tuesday when people were still making veiled ‘quagmire’ references.

And now? The distinct possibility that the boys have gotten Saddam. Someone on MSNBC just asked where the Information Minister is-he’s running late for his crazy denial sideshow this morning.

And that doesn’t even cover the fact that the US is operating whenever, and wherever they want in Baghdad. I particularly enjoyed the line about the soldier wanting to take a nice shower in one of Saddam’s gold bathrooms. Some are tentatively wondering if we are at the beginning of the end. Andrew Sullivan simply asked, “Is it over.”

And yet with all that news, I haven’t been quite as happy since one of my favorite writers, Michael Kelly was killed last week. I still can’t believe it really. What a great writer, and editor. And by the sounds of it, a damned fine gentleman-isn’t that always the way. Then there was NBC’s David Bloom’s death too. And of course there was the rescue of the brave 19-year old girl too.

Ken Layne has a pretty extensive collection of articles about Kelly. Read ‘em.

War debate - - Apologize for the lengthy posting dry spell. But the raging debate over the size of forces in Iraq, and those criticizing Rumsfeld’s plan has been pretty useless so far. I will have plenty on this probably tonight when I return from work.

But read a friendly reminder by Jim McDonough (a retired colonel). Here is the key graph:

“In each of these areas coalition forces are dominant, particularly at the operational level of war. Within days we are at the gates of Baghdad in force, with more coming on hour by hour. We have had complete control of the air from the outset, can strike freely from ground and air, are moving up Iraqi waterways and roaming widely over the majority of Iraqi territory. We can pinpoint our targets and strike with unerring accuracy at the level of devastation we choose to inflict.

The enemy for its part can move only at great risk and is compelled to seek cover among the population or to await extreme weather conditions to foray out, and then only at the smallest tactical levels. The enemy's ability to strike has been relatively impotent, reduced to small arms and explosives from terrorist groups or to venting frustration in barbaric war crimes against prisoners and atrocities against fellow Iraqis.”

Makes sense to me.

Iraq’s little buddy - - Syria it seems is wanting to Iraq’s best bud. Jonah Goldberg has some thoughts on why Syria will be next if it keeps up this dangerous game.

Cleaning up someone else’s mess - - The Command Post has the chart on weapons sales to Iraq in the 1973-1990 period. Who tops the list…you’re not going to believe it but it is, surprise, Russia, France and China.