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W.M.D.
These are the initials on many lips at present - both in London and Washington.
In Downing Street and on Capitol Hill, in the back rooms where gathered intelligence is processed, and even in the blistering heat of Iraq itself, the same question is being asked: "where are they?"
Without any need to 'massage' the truth, Views can reveal exclusively the whereabouts of WMD.
They are to be found on the lips of all our readers, and those of many others too.
I refer, of course, to words of mass destruction.
When Shakespeare placed the phrase on Mark Anthony's lips "'cry HAVOC' and let slip the dogs of war", even he could maybe not envisage how a few ill chosen words could visit such destruction on others.
Since the play was written, many have used their words to unleash those dogs, snarling and angry, on far off places.
It is for this reason that few should rush to positions of high office, for the power of their words is frighteningly great.
It is not only those in high office who should guard their words.
Even in the simplest conversation, our words can create or destroy, build up or tear down.
Those who are shaking their heads in dismay at the thought that words spoken in parliament might have been exaggerated to guarantee a result should remember the last time they told a 'creative' version of the truth to their boss…or maybe their spouse!
With his usual uncomfortable truthfulness, Jesus pointed out that it was "what comes out his mouth" rather that what goes into it, which makes a man unclean.
The human race has made many discoveries which our forebears would have found miraculous - flight and long distance communication to name but two.
However, nobody has yet discovered the secret of unsaying that which has been said. It cannot be done.
The consequences of our words, as Shakespeare suggested, are like unruly hounds let off the leash.
We can call and call but they won't come back to heel. As the bloodhounds continue to sniff out the wmd's let us make sure we don't make too many of our own!
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