Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Saddam gives us no choice
The Sunday Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 08/11/2002 | editorial board

Posted on 08/10/2002 5:42:12 PM PDT by Pokey78

'Darkness shall be defeated", insisted Saddam Hussein, that well-known force for enlightment, last week. "The forces of evil," he continued, referring to President George W Bush and his plan to invade Iraq, "will carry their coffins on their backs to die in disgraceful failure." Saddam said more or less the same in 1990, when George Bush's father put together the UN-led coalition to oust Saddam from Kuwait. In the event, of course, it was Saddam's troops who died in their thousands: the "mother of all battles" turned into the mother of all routs, with Saddam's army the main victim.

Part of the peace treaty which ended that rout before Saddam had been removed from power was that he would allow UN weapons inspectors "unrestricted access" wherever they wanted to go in search of his arsenal of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Saddam has failed to abide by that condition, almost from the moment he agreed to it. He refused the UN inspectors entry to his "presidential residences" - of which there turned out to be more than 80, some of which were obviously colossal military bases. He remains determined to hold on to his arsenal, even though the price is the continuation of the UN sanctions which have crippled his economy.

Thus when Saddam invited Hans Blix, the Swedish diplomat who serves as the UN's chief weapons inspector, to come to Baghdad for talks last week, even UN officials could see that it was a transparent attempt at delaying more direct action from President Bush. Saddam wanted to talk about the "limits" which would be imposed on UN inspectors, while the UN had already declared that it would only accept totally unrestricted inspections. On this issue there is nothing to negotiate about - and Saddam knows it.

That has not, however, stopped him from trying to persuade wobbly European countries such as France and Germany that he has offered the Americans everything they want, and that President Bush wishes simply to remove him. It is true that the President has come to the conclusion that the United States cannot be safe from chemical and biological attack while Saddam remains in power - for even if he agreed to unrestricted UN inspections, the relatively simple technology of biological and chemical weapons means he could acquire new ones within a matter of weeks.

That is why President Bush believes that the core of the problem lies in the deadly personality of Saddam himself. Saddam is the only leader to have used chemical and biological weapons as an instrument of terror, not only against foreigners, but against his own people. He is fixated on revenge: that has been demonstrated by his executions, not only of those who have plotted against him, but of their whole families as well. He wants revenge on the United States for humiliating him during Operation Desert Storm. If he has access to weapons of mass destruction, sooner or later he will use them on the United States.

Many have wondered why it is necessary to invade Iraq to eliminate Saddam. Couldn't the CIA organise a coup? Or, more simply, just assassinate him? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Saddam's government is an anti-coup machine: the one thing it is good at is detecting, torturing and killing his opponents. Moreover, today's CIA has trouble fielding agents who can converse in foreign languages without being laughed at, or who can even do basic surveillance work. It has no officers sufficiently skilled and committed to be able to move around Iraq and organise a coup - still less does it have officers who could organise Saddam's assassination.

Getting rid of Saddam, therefore, means an invasion. President Bush knows that the crisis in Israel and Palestine means that there is little chance of getting unanimous UN approval for an attack on Iraq. It would be wrong, however, to assume that he is too arrogant or ignorant to realise that the United States needs allies. His administration has worked hard to persuade the Kurds, Turkey, and even Iran that the time to deal with Saddam is now.

The President has focused his personal diplomatic efforts on Russia and China, two Iraqi-supporting powers whose acquiesence, or at least neutrality, he needs. President Putin has been persuaded to keep the Russian Federation out of a war. Putin's only condition was that there should be no invasion until Iraq refused unrestricted UN weapons inspections - a condition which has now been fulfilled. China has been brought to the point of not opposing an invasion of Iraq. With China and Russia neutral, President Bush can afford not to be too worried by the squeals coming from countries such as France and Germany.

Despite the media furore over the "mixed signals" supposedly coming out of Washington, the Americans are methodically preparing for an invasion of Iraq. Nobody wants war, and no one should expect a war against Iraq to be easy. But as Saddam himself clearly demonstrated last week, there is no alternative.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: hussein; inevitable; iraq; middleeast; saddam; terrorism; war

1 posted on 08/10/2002 5:42:12 PM PDT by Pokey78
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Pokey78
today's CIA has trouble fielding agents who can converse in foreign languages without being laughed at, or who can even do basic surveillance work

More Clinton Legacy at work!

2 posted on 08/10/2002 6:26:00 PM PDT by Gritty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pokey78
But as Saddam himself clearly demonstrated last week, there is no alternative.

This, from a UK editorial board?

I'm shocked I tell ya, shocked.

3 posted on 08/10/2002 7:14:58 PM PDT by BOBTHENAILER
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pokey78
that has been demonstrated by his executions, not only of those who have plotted against him, but of their whole families as well.

I've advocated on these pages countless times, since 9-11, that this as a punishment would stop terrorism in its tracks...

4 posted on 08/10/2002 7:25:25 PM PDT by IncPen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pokey78
Weak....very weak.
5 posted on 08/10/2002 7:32:31 PM PDT by hove
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BOBTHENAILER
>>>>>'Darkness shall be defeated", insisted Saddam Hussein, that well-known force for enlightment, last week. "The forces of evil," he continued, referring to President George W Bush and his plan to invade Iraq.>>>>>>>>>>>

"There is no alternative,it is his destiny..." "BEGIN LANDING YOUR TROOPS"

"RECON....HOOOOAHHHH!"

6 posted on 08/10/2002 7:47:45 PM PDT by Senator_Palpatine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Pokey78
Secondary targets......all of Saddam's palaces.

Thirty minute warning to let innocents evacuate, and then 3-5, 2000lb bombs in each courtyard.

7 posted on 08/10/2002 7:48:30 PM PDT by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BOBTHENAILER
I'm also surprised at the strength of their opinion in favor of regime change. It looks like Tony Blair and his top people have spent a lot of time talking to the British press. I'm impressed by Tony's intelligence and his grasp of the real threat from Iraq. He knows Saddam wouldn't think twice about detonating a nuclear device in New York or London.
8 posted on 08/11/2002 2:42:31 AM PDT by defenderSD
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: CROSSHIGHWAYMAN
Nah, just plant a single daisy (cutter) in the court yard of each palace, all with in a couple of hours of each other.
9 posted on 08/11/2002 2:48:49 AM PDT by Brad C.
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson