Iraq Agreement

Re “U.N. Chief Confident About Pact With Iraq,” Feb. 25:

Saddam Hussein has brought his country to the brink of a punishing bombardment. Over the past six months he has thumbed his nose at the U.N. inspectors and used every inane wile to prevent them from completing their agreed task. Why? Because he obviously had something to hide. I cannot imagine that the U.N. and U.S. have pressed the issue to the point of spending tens of millions per day (to keep the fleet in a state of high alert), on a mere hunch that there might be something to find.

Has U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan really brokered a deal? Or, has Saddam had sufficient time to spirit away everything we are looking for? I doubt that anything will be found. By now it’s likely all gone, probably out of the country. Why else would he allow unfettered access?

ANDREW ROTH

Beverly Hills

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In the movie “Kismet” (MGM, 1944) Ronald Colman’s last line was: “Farewell, Baghdad, if ever you’re in trouble again--send for me.” It well could have been spoken by Annan upon his departure from Baghdad.

Farewell, Baghdad, hello, Oslo--and the Nobel Peace Prize.

ANDREW J. FENADY

Los Angeles

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Let me get this straight. Annan is being credited with a “diplomatic coup” for persuading Saddam Hussein to promise to abide by essentially the same promises he made seven years ago (Feb. 24). Am I the only one to find this somewhat illogical?

RICHARD A. PIERCE

Burbank

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What is the difference between Adolf Hitler, Saddam, Neville Chamberlain and Kofi Annan? A simple piece of worthless paper.

The world failed to stop the Japanese when they raped Nanking; and when Mussolini invaded Ethiopia and Hitler occupied the Ruhr. And, the world has stood kindly by for seven years waiting for Iraq to obey the terms of surrender resulting from Desert Storm. And now that he has his biological weapons hidden away, why not sign that useless agreement. Will the world never learn?

JAMES R. PRATLEY

San Diego