Ignoring warnings

"The United Nations' top humanitarian official in Iraq said today that civilians could face 'extremely grave' conditions if U.S. forces attack, warning that at least 10 million people could run out of food within six weeks of the start of hostilities if they did not receive emergency aid," reports the Washington Post.

Ramiro Lopes da Silva, the UNCHR chair, could probably learn from the lessons of the last war. When then UNCHR chair Mary Robinson declared that "up to seven million" people were at risk because of the Afghan war, she was generally ignored. Expect the same this time around.

Sure, relief agencies will scramble around to avert the crisis, but a dire pronouncement like this will not have any effect on policy. Nor will it be emphasized (if mentioned at all) in the mainstream media.