Analyze the language of diplomacy

Overview: At a news conference on Thursday, President Bush said that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had been given a final chance to disarm, but that Saddam was throwing that chance away. The president added that "the game is over" for Iraq. His statement came one day after Secretary of State Colin Powell presented the United Nations with what Washington called evidence against Iraq. Iraqi science adviser Amer al-Saadi and other Iraqi officials have refuted the latest U.S. statements about Iraq.

After students read "Iraqi officials challenge U.S. accusations" and watch the first segment of CNN Student News (the video can be accessed from CNNStudentNews.com) pose the following questions:

RESOURCES • CNN.com: Showdown: Iraq  • CNN.com: A year in the life of the axis of evil  • CNN.com: Bush to U.N.: We will not wait  • Iraqi News Sites

1. What message did Secretary of State Colin Powell deliver to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday? How have Iraqi officials responded to Powell's address and his assertion that Iraq supports al Qaeda? Why is Iraq advocating that U.N. inspectors refute Powell's accusations? Do you agree? Why or why not?

2. Refer students back to the article and to the choices of words used by both Iraqi officials and the Bush administration. Remind students that Saddam Hussein has referred to the U.S. and Great Britain as "forces of evil," while President Bush in his 2002 State of the Union Address included Iraq in what he called the "Axis of Evil." Have students comb news resources to find other examples of the war of words between Baghdad and Washington in recent months, and share their findings. Discuss how both Iraq and the U.S. are using words as "weapons," and what each side hopes will be gained by its rhetoric.

3. Teachers: For activities and resources on Colin Powell's address to the U.N. Security Council, please visit the CNN Student Guide for February 6, 2003 (http://fyi.cnn.turner.com/fyi/student.news.guide/2003/02/06/index.html).