Weeks or Months

“Weeks not months,” has been the big phrase thrown around in the last month. It’s used to describe how long Iraq has to give in to real disarmament and so, effectively, how long we have before the war starts.

The issue of when this phrase first became the policy is probably going to become relevant very soon. That’s because soon it will have been policy for months, not weeks.

I went back looking for the first reference. It seems to have been Donald Rumsfeld on Jan 19. Within a week it was the catchphrase in both London and Washington.

Will they meet their own deadline?

New York Times
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN
01/20/2003
Mr. Rumsfeld said the decision on whether Iraq was cooperating with the United Nations, a determination generally regarded as a possible precursor to war, would be made ”in a matter of weeks, not in months or years.” He added, ”That judgment call will just have to be made.”

New York Times
01/22/2003
By RICHARD W. STEVENSON and JAMES DAO
Administration officials said the timetable was still to press for a decision from the Council in a matter of weeks rather than months, on the ground that Mr. Hussein’s defiance of the demand for cooperation was already obvious. The French may disagree, one official said, but their argument that the inspections are working to disarm Iraq ”won’t stand up to scrutiny.”

01/26/2003
The Sunday Telegraph
Washington and London were agreed last night that Iraq would be given “weeks not months” to disarm or face attack.

01/26/2003
Associated Press Newswires
Asked whether they should have weeks or months, Blair replied “Well, I don’t believe it will take them months to find out whether he is cooperating or not, but they should have whatever time they need.”

01/28/2003
By JOHN TAGLIABUE
The New York Times
Some legislators said tonight that the inspectors should be given more time, and that Mr. Blair’s mention on Sunday of ”weeks, not months” was not sufficient.

01/28/2003
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN
The New York Times
In Mr. Powell’s memoirs, one of his dictums is: ”Remain calm. Be kind.” But the time for talking to allies calmly and kindly, aides readily concede, is most likely a matter of weeks now rather than months

01/30/2003
By ALEX BERENSON
The New York Times
After Mr. Bush’s speech, ”the market expects a resolution within weeks instead of months,” said Harvey Hirschhorn, the head of asset allocation and strategy for the Columbia Management Group, which manages $150 billion, including more than $50 billion in stocks.

01/31/2003
By RICHARD W. STEVENSON
The New York Times
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 — President Bush all but set a timetable for war today, warning Saddam Hussein that Iraq has ”weeks, not months” to disarm or face an invasion led by the United States.