(On a channeling session held on Armistice Day, Tia tells us about the situation in Iraq where a face-off was taking place that would lead to the second Gulf War. What was being discussed were the opening stages of the conflict. Twelve months later the United States would sign the Iraq Liberation Act and Operation Desert Fox would begin shortly thereafter.) 

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Russ: so, 11.11.97.

Tia: uh-huh, do you know what today is?

Russ: Armistice Day.

Tia: uh-huh, do you know what the significance of Armistice Day is?

Russ: it’s the remembrance of the end of World War I.

Tia: uh-huh and what happened?

Russ: hostilities ceased and the two sides signed nonaggression treaties.

Tia: uh-huh, at what time did hostilities officially cease?

Russ: 12:25 PM in the Ardennes.

Tia: wrong.

Russ: I don’t know, what time?

Tia: in the 11th month on the 11th day on the 11th hour.

Russ: oh.

Tia: 11, 11, 11, 11, 11, 11.

Russ: I didn’t know that.

Tia: well you do now. So what can I do for you?

Russ: well I’ve come up with a new term for money.

Tia: okay?

Russ: Trivial Pursuit.

Tia: Trivial Pursuit, not moolah? What is going on around here?

Russ: Ganja just saying hi to you.

(Tia talks to the cat in the room in Durondedunn)

Tia: where’s the rest of the pack?

Russ: they’re all upstairs asleep.

(Tia calls to the cats outside the room in Durondedunn)

Russ: okay this evening….

Tia: uh-huh.

Russ: shall we go over current world events?

Tia: I suppose so, I haven’t been……well I have been following them but I’ve had other things of importance to deal with.

Russ: understandable.

Tia: okay, Sodom Hussein, I mean Saddam Hussein and his saber rattling and kicking out U.S. personnel from the United Nations inspection team and the threat to shoot down any high flying spy aircraft. Brief dissertation continues. High flying aircraft of the altitude of 80,000 feet and missiles, there’s a little problem there. Saddam Hussein, being reasonably smart and intelligent as world leaders goes, knows that he can threaten to shoot down as many, many U2’s as he would like. He can do all the threatening that he wants and the president of the United States can fly over as many, many, many U2’s at the altitude of 80,000 feet that he wishes, as many as he wants. Both parties are satisfied, face is saved and they can continue their saber rattling and threatening and so on and requesting sanctions as much as they wish due to the fact that very few missiles…..you want to let them in?

Russ: yeah.

Tia: very few missiles are capable of hitting aircraft at that altitude. So therefore Saddam Hussein can threaten all that he wants to shoot down high flying U2 aircraft and the president of the United States can without fear fly over as many aircraft as he wants so therefore face is saved on both sides. Saddam Hussein can threaten and the president can continue doing what he wishes to do with his high flying aircraft. Resolutions that have passed, they can have as many resolutions as they wish…..is that my buddy?

(Tia talks to the cat who just came in in Durodedunn)

Tia: oh my, we’re cold. Come here, come here pumpkin......and we're full of gas too. So, they can fly as many, many, many, many, many aircraft as they wish and they can ask for as many embargoes and put as much diplomatic pressure on as they want, nothing has changed at all. The situation has got tense because it is being used as a tool by both leaders, independently might I add or they might have gotten together and talked about it who knows but, in their actions nothing has changed. The United Kingdom has behaved in a way of requesting or giving support to the president of the United States in itself is an expected move. Two very liberal leaders standing shoulder to shoulder wishing to look brave and tough, the first major crisis of the Prime Minister Blair. Both can look as brave as they want until it comes time for the crunch and it will be avoided. One party will flinch and no bloodshed in a major scale will occur. Any questions?

Russ: yeah it almost seems as though Saddam Hussein is acting out a part that he has to play like he did in the Gulf War.

Tia: uh-huh.

Russ: but he’s actually acting on his own volition I take it. Is he just being led around by the nose maybe?

Tia: no, he’s not that stupid?

Russ: then what’s the point? He has no allies that would back him up.

Tia: it would appear that he has no allies.

Russ: well he didn’t have the Gulf War.

Tia: yes he did.

Russ: they never backed him up militarily.

Tia: they couldn’t.

Russ: well he’s in the same situation now, they can’t now either. China is working on diplomatic relations and trade interests with the United States…..

Tia: uh-huh.

Russ: to back Saddam Hussein militarily would be suicide economically for them.

Tia: uh-huh. So, what is going on?

Russ: so they'll pay lip service and basically Saddam Hussein is going to have to back down.

Tia: no he doesn’t.

Russ: well he can keep going on like he is.

Tia: he can keep speaking his mind and threatening as much as he wants however, what are the weapon inspectors looking for?

Russ: weapons of mass destruction.

Tia: such as?

Russ: biological, toxic and nuclear armaments.

Tia: they’re all toxic Russ.

Russ: okay toxic armaments.

Tia: okay they’re looking for chemical, nerve gas, mustard gas, blister gas, biological………..I’ll let Karra handle that one.

Russ: actually Karra and I heard something today on the television that was reminding of this where Saddam tried to set fire to all the oil fields so that he could in his words poison the atmosphere of the entire planet so no one could live there.

Tia: uh-huh.

Russ: and so we're seeing something in a similar way of him trying to do now.

Tia: correct. Okay nuclear weapons, I wouldn’t worry about that too much, probably has a few. Nothing that would do any serious, deadly harm unless of course it happens to land in a mass populated area. Biological, hmmm, I think it would be best if Karra handled that. Any more questions for me?

Russ: nope.

Tia: okay.