Watching the leaders of US, UK, Spain and Portugal at their Azores press conference, o­ne cannot help but get the impression that since they have so far failed to convince the UN Security Council to give Saddam Hussein an ultimatum, they now choose instead to give the UN an ultimatum to toe their line or be ignored and rendered irrelevant.

This comes from the mouths of the same people who supposedly want to restore democracy in Iraq. The same people who are seeking nine votes in the Security Council as a moral basis for war, by the immoral means of bribery and intimidation of the small, weak and poor Security Council non-permanent member states.

Just because their practice of power diplomacy has failed in a democratic arena, they now choose to write off diplomacy and multilateral institutions as a legitimate tool of international statecraft.

Similarly, just because the arms inspectors did not come up with these people's desired findings, the inspectors' efforts are considered inconsequential.

Finally, just because they had mistakenly rushed to commit their troops prior to the anticipated multilateral endorsement, they refuse to stand down even for a brief respite for fear of being seen as a victim of Saddam's manipulation.

Not really very great stance for people who supposedly profess greatness in intent and deeds.

Assuming that I concur with Oon Yeoh that these people are really sincere in wanting to do what is right, they sure are going about it in the wrong way.

In the final analysis, the 'golden rule' reigns supreme doesn't it? He who has the gold rules. And I suppose, he who is politically socialised to desire that gold has a lot of wishful thoughts and puts o­n blinkers.