Chapter 33 Summary and Analysis

The Azores, Portuguese islands in the North Atlantic, are chosen as a meeting place rather than Bermuda or London. Pro-war Portuguese Prime Minister Barroso hosts the closed-door session on March 16. Bush says war will start within days, lest public opinion worsen. They examine a summary of Chirac's pre-taped 60 Minutes interview, calling for 30 days more of inspections. Bush rejects the delaying tactic and all agree, barring an unlikely breakthrough, to call down the second resolution at 10 AM ET next morning. Bush informs them he will give Saddam and his sons 48 hours to get out. They discuss how to react to a counter-resolution, which Bush promises to gladly veto, and postwar planning, including U.N. participation in the operation. Blair is given a draft of Gerson's ultimatum speech. At a news conference, but Bush then gets ahead of himself, describing a post-Saddam Iraq...