The Stick, The Carrot, and the Survelliance Tapes
Surely no one is surprised by the strong arm tactics the Bush Administration is using to get members of the UN Security Council to vote for the 2nd resolution on Iraq, such as witholding foreign aid, or accelerating the closing of U.S. military bases abroad. After all, the French are playing hardball, too, by threatening to keep "New Europe" countries that support the war out of the EU. What is much more troubling is this report from the UK that the President has enlisted the use of the NSA to tap the phones and direct other electronic surveillance on UN delegates and diplomats from other countries on the Security Council while they're in New York to debate the issue. Of course, it's probably not illegal, thanks to the USA Patriot Act and all the other Homeland Security shennanigans Messrs. Bush & Ashcroft have been up to.