Fiction. That literary genre, supposed to be for dreamers, is growing fast. Not in number of writers churning out fairy tales, but even among politicians—first citizens. And number one citizen of world for that matter—the President of United States!

Not that George Bush actually wrote an epic novel. But what he told Fox News recently, if crafted into a story, could make a best seller and go on to win next Pulitzer. When asked why he invaded Iraq on excuse that country possessed weapons of mass destruction when it actually had none, President gave three reasons as to how weapons disappeared.

First reason. ‘It might have been destroyed during war.’

He meant that fighting army during war in Iraq destroyed weapons of mass destruction. Perhaps those heavy military tanks shelling into desert country destroyed it. Or those bombing military planes. In that case, weapons were not hidden underground when UN inspectors visited before war. Or they were bribed. The weapons were conspicuously displayed in buildings—within reach of everyone, even enemy army.

If this were so, we should hold these ‘liberators’ accountable for destroying this very bit of evidence. Not only did they destroy weapons, they incinerated everything and scooped ashes into River Tigres so that David Kay couldn’t find any evidence. I propose that an International Court be set up to try these servicemen and women for destroying weapons of mass destruction. And ‘members of coalition of willing’ should be re-named ‘members of coalition of destruction.’

But if you are so skeptical not to believe this, there is another story.

Second reason. ‘They might have been destroyed by Saddam.’

My God! there is nothing that this Saddam can not do. Even in midst of war, he managed to destroy his dangerous weapons. But did he not need it to fight ‘infidels’? Why should a good soldier destroy his weapons in center of battle?

~by A. Djev. Basharan (1974) -author & formerly of FBIS A memory of day of a military coup

I had gone through this before. But it was not accompanied by bombs, shells, and bombardment, and war was not waged right on top of us or around us.

The coup which ousted President Makarios took place on a Monday morning. Shells dropped on CYTA which is only 100 yards from my house in Nicosia, fell in dozens into our street. I knew then that island was in for endless trouble. I could not bear to hear Greek Cypriots call their president a traitor, a tyrant. This was unbelievable.

In afternoon of same day when a curfew was imposed throughout island, Chief editor Henne and another American picked me up from Nicosia and took me to FBIS where I stayed on duty until hours of evacuation.

It was obvious to me that what Greek officers from Greece tried to do was to bring about an unproclaimed Enosis. In fact, all courting trouble, and trouble it was.

Ankara had pretended to be seeking powers from Grand National Assembly to send troops to foreign countries, though Government had already been vested with such powers earlier. This move fooled many people.

On Friday evening, asked whether he expected any sad development, Prime Minister Ecevit cheerfully answered in negative. And yet early next morning Turkish planes started coming in rapid succession. Most of us had spent night at station as a precautionary measure. It was 05.15 in morning on Saturday 20 July when we all rushed into corridor in utter amazement. Some of us looked more horrified than others.

On Sunday night shells from warships and bombs and strafing from planes came down thick and fast. Some exploded within precincts of FBIS, damaging doors and shattering windows. Some explosions were simply as much deafening as they were horrifying. At times, death was not around door. It was inches away.

Our bureau Chief Mr. Tom Weiss, exhausted as he was, kept praying not only for himself but for all of us. I will never forget that tried but determined figure continuing to operate in various capacities under most trying circumstances. His wife, a formidable lady I thought, was always by his side.