At 06:06 PM 3/11/2003 -0800 Nick Arnett wrote:
>> Moreover, it appears that the US government will decide that without a
>> follow-up the other major countries in the UN will have made the UN
>> irrelevant, and will withdraw (or `suspend' itself) from it.
>
>The United States has gone to war a number of times without UN support. Why
>should this time be any different, if we do so? Aren't we taking the UN
>*more* seriously this time around, by working so hard to gain its consent?
>We're hardly acting as though it is irrelevant.
I think that Bob is referring to the fact that when it comes time for the
US to take on the next enemy, the US has already become greatly
disillusioned of the merits of using the UN to maintain international peace
and security. Quite simply, many Americans, and particularly our current
governing leaders, are definitely starting to view going to the UN in the
first place as a big mistake. All it has produced as the coalescence of
international opinion against us, despite all the evidence against Iraq,
and given Iraq ample time to prefer for the ultimate consequences.
>It will? I thought it already says it has produced such evidence?
Oh..... but there will be so much more.... Obviously, by definition, this
can't be proven now.... but it is a virtual metaphysical certitude in my mind.
>Man, I'm getting tired of seeing people who oppose this decision being
>labeled "supporters" of the current regime in Iraq. I'm not going to shoot
>Jerry Falwell, but that doesn't mean I support him. Can we please, here at
>least, acknowledge that there is a range of positions one can take?
In a word: No.
Unfortunately, there are now two possibilities - immediate war and regime
change without UN support, or another victory for Saddam Hussein.
The US must go to war now. Summer is just around the corner, along with
the heat wave that will make defending our troops from chemical weapons
attacks exceedingly difficult. The US cannot afford the direct economic
bill of leaving our troops in the Persian Gulf until September, nor can it
handle the indirect economic costs of letting war fears stifle our economy
for six months, nor can it handle the political cost o leaving 1 out of
every 1,000 Americans overseas until then. The window of opportunity is
thus almost closed.
Moreover it is now clear that UN support is impossible. Despite Bush
vowing last Thursday that he will call a vote "whether I have the votes or
not", France and Russia have since then both vowed, in the clearest
possible terms, to veto. Pakistan announced today that it would abstain.
The President of *Cameroon* *cancelled* a State Visit to the White House
today. There is no sign of a "yes" vote from Chile, Mexico,Guinea, or
Angola. Rumsfeld today suggested that even the UK may sit out the actual
fighting. Quite simply, the game is over, and the US has lost. It will
not have a second resolution from the UN Security Council (although it can
claim that Resolution 1441 provided all the authorization it needed for
military action.)
Lastly, if a war does not happen now, war will never happen. The US
cannot keep its forces there until September, and if it withdraws, it will
not send them back. Saddam Hussein will claim complete vindication.
He will then , no doubt, kick out the inspectors as soon as the US troops
have gone home. He will continue to refuse to sell oil under the "Oil for
Food Programme" and thus deny his people basic food and medicine. His
pursuit of weapons of mass destruction will no doubt resume, and those
scientists who gave interviews with UN inspectors and said something
indiscreet can no doubt expect swift retribution.
The above is the only alternative to immediate war without UN approval.
Quite simply Nick, and Deborah, and anyone else participating in this
discussion: you must choose. As distasteful as it seems, those are the
only two possible outcomes at this point.
JDG
_______________________________________________________
John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
"The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world,
it is God's gift to humanity." - George W. Bush 1/29/03
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