To the Point

Iraq: Terrorist State or Can the US Maintain Control?

After making war in Iraq without United Nations' approval, President Bush has decided to ask the UN for more help in establishing peace, but India, France and Germany are just some of the countries that want international control before they commit any troops. Meantime, Iraq itself has become increasingly dangerous for the coalition. With Iraq's infrastructure under constant attack, and US forces suffering casualties almost every day, what will it take to stabilize the country? What about American soldiers who want to come home? Is Iraq becoming the haven for terrorists that the war was designed to prevent? We get perspective from a UN spokesman, a retired special forces veteran, the editor of Jane-s World Armies, and specialists in terrorism and counterterrorism. Making News: Colin Powell Goes to UN for a Resolution on Iraq In Baghdad, workers continue to remove the remains and identify those killed in last week's suicide bombing of the Canal Hotel. In New York, Secretary General Kofi Annan offered words of mourning and determination. Meantime, says Colum Lynch of the Washington Post, Secretary of State Powell is trying to negotiate a UN resolution to help stabilize Iraq, but is being frustrated by US unwillingness to cede authority in order to broaden international support for such a mission. Reporter's Notebook: The Hutton Inquiry For almost two weeks, news in Great Britain has been dominated by an official inquiry into a dispute between the office of Prime Minister Tony Blair and the government-owned BBC. Mary Dejevsky, diplomatic correspondent for London-s Independent, reports on the so-called Hutton Inquiry and allegations that the British government "sexed-up" a dossier to overstate the threat in Iraq.