This NYT report is the clearest statement yet that the US has dropped its demand for regime change in Iraq
“All we are interested in is getting rid of those weapons of mass destruction,” Powell said. “We think the Iraqi people would be better off with a different leader, a different regime, but the principal offense here is the weapons of mass destruction, and that is what this resolution is working on.”
Obviously, the war faction is assuming and hoping that Saddam is going to obstruct the inspectors. One argument, put to me by Steven den Beste in email is that he has no choice, given that he actually has WMD programs going on. This, like much of the discussion about inspections, is refuted by the history of the first series of inspections following the Gulf War which found and destroyed Saddam’s nuclear weapons program, using calutrons to enrich the uranium. It’s clear that Saddam has the option either to destroy the weapons himself or to ‘fess up and let the UN destroy them, and unless he’s crazy, that’s what he will do. On the other hand, as another NYT report pointed out, Saddam’s fear of assassination means that he’s thoroughly isolated from the outside world, so he may well think he can get away with obstructing the inspections.