If there’s one thing I’m tiring of in relation to the War in Iraq, it’s the constant repetition by news organisations banding about phrases like “This report is being monitored by the Iraqi authorities”.

Of course journalists’ reports are being monitored, it’s a war.

Don’t say it like the Iraqis are doing something illegal or underhand.

Can the US Military tell the difference between Bugsplat and Bug Splat?

At times of war, the government are known to release news that would normally cause a public backlash.

Perhaps UK citizens should be more aware of plans to introduce changes to the Criminal Justice Bill, which permits the police to fingerprint and DNA sample anyone arrested whether the person is charged or not.

Add to this the Scottish First Minister’s plans to introduce a compulsory entitlement ID card scheme that will contain a plethora of information about the holder, including blood type and employment status.

And we’re told Saddam Hussein is an oppressive leader?

An in-depth dicussion at work today revolved around the old Fly and Train riddle.

Result inconclusive.

Perhaps our resident physics major, Mr Fryer can elaborate further……

Dr Strangeblix Or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Looking For Bombs.

Spellcheck.net is a useful utility website, featuring an online spellchecker, among other things.

Simply paste in a block of text, press ‘Spellcheck text’ and it provides drop-down alternatives of the words it thinks you may have spelled wrongly.

There’s all sorts of other nifty features, including calculators, a Thesaurus and other groovy convertors.

As if we need any more evidence that the people behind the regime in Iraq are among the lowest form of life on our planet, we are slowly but surely seeing the evil blood beneath the surface of their skin appear in the form of war prisoners being disgustingly paraded on television.

The four US servicemen and a woman (quite obviously special forces, but described as support crew) are clearly beaten, humiliated and fearing for their lives.

Article 13 of the Third Geneva Convention says “prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity”.

If this is what they do to POWs, what are they doing to their own citizens?

Like the rest of my fellow-Copydesk writers (Phil, Claire, Mark and Tom), I seldom post anything terribly political.

However, I felt that my last post of today should at least contain some sort of reference to the impending War in Iraq, if it can be called that.

Personally, I don’t really care too much about what happens; the entire affair is all a bit remote at the moment, but I am absolutely certain that this conflict will impact across the globe in ways we haven’t imagined yet, perhaps even affecting me, my family and my friends in the form of extremist terrorism.

It seems almost certain that the USA are on a global crusade not unlike the march of Facism across central Europe in the 1930s, and the spread of Communism in the 1950s and 60s.

Iraq simply don’t stand a chance, and whatever your thoughts on the tragedy which is about to be unleashed on the Iraqi people, there is absolutely no doubt that Saddam Hussein is a grade 1 headcase.

To people opposed to the disarmament of Iraq, however it is achieved, I say this:

Saddam attacked Iran during the 1980s and embarked on a fruitless 10-year war that saw millions die for absolutely no reason.

He invaded Kuwait in 1990 to comandeer its oil, and proceeded to fire Scud missiles at his neighbours in Kurdistan and Israel without any provocation, then set fire to oil fields in a massive act of international defiance, some of which are still burning today.

He has killed his own citizens in their millions and he has repeatedly ignored the will of the international community, which is now nothing more than a useless gathering of babbling beaurocrats.

These facts are irrefutable, and, if left unchecked, it is only a matter of time before he obtains nuclear weapons and ignites a conflict in the Middle East that would spark Armageddon.

He still might.

Let’s just hope it’s over quickly.