HANS BLIX is going to be asked some pointed questions about the drones that he omitted from his report to the Security Council:

The British and US ambassadors plan to demand that Hans Blix reveals more details of a huge undeclared Iraqi unmanned aircraft, the discovery of which he failed to mention in his oral report to Security Council foreign ministers on Friday. Its existence was only disclosed in a declassified 173-page document circulated by the inspectors at the end of the meeting — an apparent attempt by Dr Blix to hide the revelation to avoid triggering a war.

I think that Blix’s credibility took a bit of a hit with that discovery. He’s now in a tough spot. If he lies, the United States and Britain can — rightly — call the inspection process a sham, and Blix partisan. If he tells the truth, it will become apparent that Saddam hasn’t been complying at all, and that the inspection process has been, well, a sham.

If someone were trying to demonstrate the bogus nature of the inspection process they could hardly have done better than Blix himself has done.

UPDATE: Reader Michael Crane observes:

“If someone were trying to demonstrate the bogus nature of the inspection process they could hardly have done better than Blix himself has done.”

Surely Blix knew this would not be overlooked. He must have known hiding it would make an even stronger case…..hmmmm.

Perhaps Blix is not the ally of the Franco-German coalition we think he is. I can’t think of a more eloquent way for him to say everything by saying nothing. Disinterested to the end.

Hmm. I’ve certainly known bureaucrats that subtle. Is Blix one? We’ll probably never know.