The Case for war?.

[Desdicado]

The fate of Saddam Hussain was sealed even before Hans Blix presented his report to the UNSC on 27 January. But after his ridiculous inferences even the most optimistic observers cannot remain hopeful of a peaceful end to the Bush-Saddam confrontation. Blix has provided enough ammunition to Bush to launch the attack on Iraq for which he has deployed one of the biggest armada ever seen in the Arabian Sea.
Blix made the amazing statement that the few empty rocket shells that his team discovered could be the tip of the iceberg. If that is the case then why he and his team with all the sophisticated equipment could not find the iceberg itself?
Why the state-of-the-art American space and electronic technology that can read the number plates of each car in the world could not detect the iceberg of rockets and missiles hidden by Saddam. After all neither these rockets are smaller than the number plates of cars nor buried deeper than the oil in earth's bowl, which can be detected by seismic equipment, nor is Iraq a bigger place than the world.
Blix also said that Saddam Hussain did not allow U-2 flights over the no-fly zones. The question is did he really need Saddam's permission when Iraq itself cannot fly any planes in that area or even keep a radar to detect the American and British fighter planes which attack the no-fly zone without hindrance and destroy any moving vehicle at will. If Blix could visit Saddam's bedrooms without his permission why could he not send the U-2s over the no-fly zone without his permission? The most he needed to do was to ask the Americans to escort them.
Again, how could Saddam Hussain transport hundreds of rockets and missiles into the no-fly zones without being detected by the American planes and satellites which monitor all activities there on a 24-hour basis? And if it was a few bags and bottles of chemicals and Anthrax that Blix wanted to discover through the U-2s, then surely the same planes would have found the much bigger iceberg of rockets and missiles that Blix thinks that Saddam has kept hidden somewhere in Iraq.
Similarly, other examples of Iraqi non-cooperation in "substance" quoted by Blix are too insubstantial to be commented upon. However one cannot help wonder as to how Blix who could not find a "smoking gun" a few days before expressed suspicion about hundreds of smoking rockets and missiles a few days later.
Whatever his reasons, he has provided Bush the excuse to browbeat the French, the Germans, the Chinese, the Russians and all those who see no justification for an attack on Iraq. And having done that he tells the New York Times that the progress report he delivered to the UN did not justify going to war. It is like throwing a lamb to a set of hungry lions and telling them not to eat.
The fact of the matter is that President Bush and his hawkish advisers want a regime change in Iraq and get hold of the oil wells of that country. The non-existent weapons of mass destruction are only a pretext to achieve that purpose. And while he would like to receive the international community's endorsement for the attack, he would go alone if the world will refuse to be persuaded.
In spite of all the evidence to the contrary, there are still some people who believe that WMD are really the objective of the Bush administration.
Even if one was to believe that Saddam Hussain was able to accumulate these weapons in the years since 1998, despite the sanctions and close monitoring of all exports and imports from Iraq, then the crisis can be resolved by a very simple and cheap method.
Instead of continuing to spend billions more on further military build up, all President Bush needs to do is to give the UN only one billion dollars and ask it to send ten thousand inspectors with nothing more than ordinary shovels and they would find all the weapons that he claims Saddam has accumulated in basements, bunkers and mobile laboratories.
It would save the American tax payers a lot of money, help the US economy deal with the threat of impending recession and also disarm Saddam of his WMD.
Hence the issue is not WMD.
It is either Iraq's oil or an irrational obsession with Saddam or both that is driving president Bush towards war. What ever it is, as far as President Saddam Hussain is concerned, the die has been cast. The US forces have been deployed, over 70 billion dollars of tax payer's money has been spent and President Bush has put his honour and political career on the line. With or without the support of the UN he has to make Saddam Hussain history or become history himself.
That being the case the question is what should President Saddam Hussain do? Clearly while the world is opposed to any US attack on Iraq, there are no supporters of Saddam Hussain in the world.
His aggression against Iran and Kuwait and use of chemical weapons against the Kurds and Iranians are facts which he cannot deny. Thus hardly anyone is likely to mourn his demise or arrest and trial as a war criminal. And that is precisely the calculation upon which Bush and his advisers are banking.
A sharp and short military action, defeat and surrender of the Iraqi armed forces, within a couple of weeks like before, and change of regime followed by supply of food and medicines to the Iraqi people. The game ends, President Bush become a hero, liberator of the Iraqi people and savior of the world. As for the WMD, the American troops will find a few bags of chemicals and a few cans of Anthrax and President Bush will tell the world, "You see, did I not tell you that Saddam had them?"
So now that it is no more a question of if but when, what are the options before President Saddam Hussain.
One, he can continue to show the empty bravado, threaten the US with another "mother of all battles", further alienate world public opinion, get attacked and put the Iraqi people to more death and destruction.
Two, he can go into exile and save the Iraqi people from further devastations.
Three, he can render an unconditional apology to the people of Iraq for all the sufferings he has caused them and ask them if they would like to resist the American invasion in which he will join them like an ordinary Iraqi to save the national honor, integrity and resources.
At the same time he should promise them that he will step down and let them freely chose a new leader.
That is the only way he can really motivate the Iraqis to defend their freedom, like the Vietnamese against the US and the Afghanis against the USSR. It is only that kind of resolve to fight a people's war with the support of the world that is already there that may persuade President Bush to back off.

[Donut]

It would be helpful if you could post the source of this article Des - just so we can put it into context.

[Sir Taliesin]

It would also be most helpful if you would, please break it down into true paragraphs for us ignorant Americans, so we can read it easier!

[Ronn_Bman]

Originally posted by Desdicado: The fate of Saddam Hussain was sealed even before Hans Blix presented his report to the UNSC on 27 January. But after his ridiculous inferences even the most optimistic observers cannot remain hopeful of a peaceful end to the Bush-Saddam confrontation. Blix has provided enough ammunition to Bush to launch the attack on Iraq for which he has deployed one of the biggest armada ever seen in the Arabian Sea. Saddam's fate was sealed in 1991 when he agreed to the ceasefire without intending to honor it. Blix made the amazing statement that the few empty rocket shells that his team discovered could be the tip of the iceberg. If that is the case then why he and his team with all the sophisticated equipment could not find the iceberg itself? Because the Inspector's job is not and never has been to "seek and find" the Iraqi WoMD. The Iraqis were to disarm themselves completely, totally, and immediately, and the inspectors were to oversee that disarmament. If you've heard MR. Blix speak you would know that this is what he has said. Why the state-of-the-art American space and electronic technology that can read the number plates of each car in the world could not detect the iceberg of rockets and missiles hidden by Saddam. After all neither these rockets are smaller than the number plates of cars nor buried deeper than the oil in earth's bowl, which can be detected by seismic equipment, nor is Iraq a bigger place than the world. Superman has X-Ray vision, spy satellites don't. Things that are inside or underground cannot be photographed. A spy satellite can look at my house all day long, but it won't know if I have a basement. Things stored underground don't leave a signature like an oil flow beneath the Earth, and exactly what kind of argument is that? Oil can be found underground using seismic equipment, stored weapons cannot? IS that really your argument? Because I'm pretty sure seismic equipment can't be used to find storage lockers. Blix also said that Saddam Hussain did not allow U-2 flights over the no-fly zones. The question is did he really need Saddam's permission when Iraq itself cannot fly any planes in that area or even keep a radar to detect the American and British fighter planes which attack the no-fly zone without hindrance and destroy any moving vehicle at will. If Blix could visit Saddam's bedrooms without his permission why could he not send the U-2s over the no-fly zone without his permission? The most he needed to do was to ask the Americans to escort them. The U2's weren't only to fly in the no fly zones OBVIOUSLY. The UN insisted on an Iraqi promise not to hinder those flights. Yes the US could have sent fighters and blew any opposition out of the air, but the inspections were suppose to be peaceful weren't they? They were suppose to rely on Iraqi cooperation weren't they? So you are saying force would have been ok in that instance? Again, how could Saddam Hussain transport hundreds of rockets and missiles into the no-fly zones without being detected by the American planes and satellites which monitor all activities there on a 24-hour basis? And if it was a few bags and bottles of chemicals and Anthrax that Blix wanted to discover through the U-2s, then surely the same planes would have found the much bigger iceberg of rockets and missiles that Blix thinks that Saddam has kept hidden somewhere in Iraq. Similarly, other examples of Iraqi non-cooperation in "substance" quoted by Blix are too insubstantial to be commented upon. However one cannot help wonder as to how Blix who could not find a "smoking gun" a few days before expressed suspicion about hundreds of smoking rockets and missiles a few days later. Whatever his reasons, he has provided Bush the excuse to browbeat the French, the Germans, the Chinese, the Russians and all those who see no justification for an attack on Iraq. And having done that he tells the New York Times that the progress report he delivered to the UN did not justify going to war. It is like throwing a lamb to a set of hungry lions and telling them not to eat. So now you doubt Blix and the inspectors as well? Who do you believe... Saddam? The fact of the matter is that President Bush and his hawkish advisers want a regime change in Iraq and get hold of the oil wells of that country. That is completely untrue. You do not go to war wasting lives and billions of dollars for oil, unless you plan on keeping the territory you seize. The US won't be annexing Iraq, and the Iraqi oil will benefit the Iraqi people. You don't conquer oil reserves, you BUY oil. The non-existent weapons of mass destruction are only a pretext to achieve that purpose. And while he would like to receive the international community's endorsement for the attack, he would go alone if the world will refuse to be persuaded. In spite of all the evidence to the contrary, there are still some people who believe that WMD are really the objective of the Bush administration. WoMD don't exist? Tell that to the Iranians and the Kurds. Tell that to the laundry list of nations who sold Saddam the technology. Even if one was to believe that Saddam Hussain was able to accumulate these weapons in the years since 1998, despite the sanctions and close monitoring of all exports and imports from Iraq, then the crisis can be resolved by a very simple and cheap method. Instead of continuing to spend billions more on further military build up, all President Bush needs to do is to give the UN only one billion dollars and ask it to send ten thousand inspectors with nothing more than ordinary shovels and they would find all the weapons that he claims Saddam has accumulated in basements, bunkers and mobile laboratories. It would save the American tax payers a lot of money, help the US economy deal with the threat of impending recession and also disarm Saddam of his WMD. Hence the issue is not WMD. That is so simplistic as to be ridiculous, but since you don't believe in WoMD I'll assume you meant it to be so. It is either Iraq's oil or an irrational obsession with Saddam or both that is driving president Bush towards war. What ever it is, as far as President Saddam Hussain is concerned, the die has been cast. The US forces have been deployed, over 70 billion dollars of tax payer's money has been spent and President Bush has put his honour and political career on the line. With or without the support of the UN he has to make Saddam Hussain history or become history himself. Neither is true. You can believe that if you wish, but it doesn't make it true. You can analyze it and think it's a reasonable conclusion but it isn't. You can think WoMD don't exist, but they do. That being the case the question is what should President Saddam Hussain do? Clearly while the world is opposed to any US attack on Iraq, there are no supporters of Saddam Hussain in the world. His aggression against Iran and Kuwait and use of chemical weapons against the Kurds and Iranians are facts which he cannot deny. Thus hardly anyone is likely to mourn his demise or arrest and trial as a war criminal. And that is precisely the calculation upon which Bush and his advisers are banking. A sharp and short military action, defeat and surrender of the Iraqi armed forces, within a couple of weeks like before, and change of regime followed by supply of food and medicines to the Iraqi people. The game ends, President Bush become a hero, liberator of the Iraqi people and savior of the world. As for the WMD, the American troops will find a few bags of chemicals and a few cans of Anthrax and President Bush will tell the world, "You see, did I not tell you that Saddam had them?" So you admit there are WoMD? So now that it is no more a question of if but when, what are the options before President Saddam Hussain. One, he can continue to show the empty bravado, threaten the US with another "mother of all battles", further alienate world public opinion, get attacked and put the Iraqi people to more death and destruction. Two, he can go into exile and save the Iraqi people from further devastations. Three, he can render an unconditional apology to the people of Iraq for all the sufferings he has caused them and ask them if they would like to resist the American invasion in which he will join them like an ordinary Iraqi to save the national honor, integrity and resources. At the same time he should promise them that he will step down and let them freely chose a new leader. That is the only way he can really motivate the Iraqis to defend their freedom, like the Vietnamese against the US and the Afghanis against the USSR. It is only that kind of resolve to fight a people's war with the support of the world that is already there that may persuade President Bush to back off. Number one is most likely, number two would be best for his people, and number three is some kind of pipe dream. BTW, the US will bring freedom to the Iraqi people, not take it away. The Iraqis will live and prosper in a way that has been impossible for the past 30+ years under Saddam.

Based on Donut's response I assume this is an article and not your work? I had no way to know, but if that's true, then my responses are aimed at the author and not you Des.

[ 03-18-2003, 09:30 AM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ]