As U.S. officials, March 24, 2003, confirmed that prisoners had been taken, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said that if American prisoners were shown on television, then "those pictures are a violation of the Geneva Conventions...It is illegal to do things to POWs that are humiliating," Rumsfeld said on CBS' "Face the Nation." All while the United States obliterated Iraq with a "shock and awe" bomb display. Er, Rummy...meet Charlton Heston.

More than 35 countries are giving half-hearted support, from the use of naval and air bases to help with intelligence and logistics to the deployment of combat units. Every nation in this coalition has chosen to bear the burden and share the shame of serving in America's unpopular preemptive offense – so much so that many of them remain nameless and cowardly silent.

While the world witnesses the widest ever global protests, dismissed by the White House as misguided focus groups not worthy of listening to, America and Britain prepare to bestow on the Iraqis a blend of the polices of John Ahscroft and David Blunkett that will make the average Iraqi beg for the return of Saddam or a merciful dose of chemical weapons to self-destruct en masse.

Almost three months ago, the United Nations Security Council gave Saddam Hussein his final chance to disarm. He has shown instead utter contempt for the United Nations and for the opinion of the world. That is why I will show my contempt for the United Nations and for the opinion of the world by bombing the motherfucker ... unilaterally -- George W. Bush, State of the Union address, Janaury 29, 2003