This entailed denuclearising Israel and dismantling the WMD and missile programmes of all concerned states. Instead, the US singled out Iraq, and detached the issue from the larger Middle Eastern crisis involving Palestine. Sanctions have grievously hurt Iraq's people. A million have perished since 1991. Airline pilots and doctors are forced to drive taxis.
Schoolchildren have no pencils.
Surgical operations are performed without anaesthesia. About 4,500 children under five die prematurely every month. It must maintain an independent stand, and not cave in as it did in 1991 by refuelling US warplanes. It should not underestimate the scope for mounting diplomatic pressure on the US in favour of Mr Annan's formula with support from Russia, France and China and several Arab states.