Ready for War (Richard Cohen actually makes sense alert!)

Washington Post ^ | 10 Oct 2002 | Richard Cohen

[CodeWeasel]

In listing his reasons for (probably) going to war against Iraq soon -- the threat of weapons of mass destruction, the nature of Saddam Hussein's regime and its flouting of international law -- President Bush the other night failed to mention the most important one: Now's the time.

[corkoman]

Finally, the term "weapons of mass destruction," while frightening, is an obfuscation. Chemical weapons are weapons of limited destruction -- horrible but restricted in practicality. Biological weapons are scary beyond imagination, but much more potent in the movies than in real life. They are difficult to deliver -- the explosion immolates the germs -- and not all that effective.

Wait just a second there pinkoman - delivery of smallpox-laden blankets to the Cherokee, Chippewa, Algonquin (sp?), and Iriquois was quite an effective biological weapon. I dont have the exact numbers handy but these tribe's military abilities were seriously affected by the smallpox attacks.

Silly Richard - his mindset is stuck on conventional warfare. That can be deadly.

[Boxsford]

You really think this author makes sense in this article?

[maica]

Finally, the term "weapons of mass destruction," while frightening, is an obfuscation. Chemical weapons are weapons of limited destruction -- horrible but restricted in practicality. Biological weapons are scary beyond imagination, but much more potent in the movies than in real life. They are difficult to deliver -- the explosion immolates the germs -- and not all that effective.

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I maintain that last year's anthrax came to us by way of Mohammad Atta et al from stock of Saddam Hussein. What other purpose did Atta have in wanting to get control of a crop duster?

[corkoman]

I saw the 'dusters at the airfield near belle glade here in Florida. They happen to be within a 15 minute flight from I-95. I can only imagine if they were successful in loading up those cropdusters with anthrax juice (a very difficult effort) and buzzed I-95 during rush hour. They would have about 25,000 cars going 2 mph bumper-to-bumper as a target. Talk about panic.

[CodeWeasel]

You really think this author makes sense in this article?

Well, let's take a look at what Cohen has to say:

The removal of Hussein is a worthy and sensible goal. He's a beast -- a hands-on murderer who rules by fear.

Two things are a given. The first is the nature of the Iraqi regime. It will persist in developing weapons of mass destruction the way junkies seek a fix.

Iraq is probably five years or so away from developing an atomic weapon, but why wait for that to happen? Recent history tells us that when this crisis passes, the world will lose its interest and Hussein's weaponeers will return to the labs. Sooner or later, this vampire is going to rise out of his coffin.

For the sake of international law, for the sake of preventing nuclear blackmail, for the sake of ridding the world of a leader with Hitler's megalomania and the weapons to fuel it, war may be the only course.

So yeah, I think he makes sense. I take it you don't agree?

[mondonico]

So, now -- or soon -- is the moment. But this administration has to be carefully watched. It is fundamentally contradictory, enunciating a doctrine of unilateralism while reluctantly seeking a multilateral coalition against Iraq. It kissed off Congress and then embraced it. It is confusing. It is confused.

Actually, Dick, it is political jujitsu. The fact that even now you're still confused by Bush's tactics is a testament to their effectiveness.

[Dave S]

You really think this author makes sense in this article?

Perhaps not his assessment of biological weapons but yes I do think he makes sense in the major point of his article that now is the time to strike while the American people are ready and willing to take him out. To wait until Saddam gets his bomb and is ready to use it is too late.

[TheDon]

The main point of the article, that now is the time, i.e. post 9-11, is well made. The rest of the article demonstrates a rather uninformed view by the author.

The comment that explosives will destroy biological weapons is rather stupid. Bush has pointed out the relationship between Iraq and other terrorists. Iraq is the weapons of mass destruction supplier, and the terrorists are his delivery system. Think of hundreds of terrorists in this country with vials of some biological agent, simply waiting for the order, no doubt delivered via CNN, ABC, CBS reporting the latest Al Queda tape, to deploy their weapons. Such a deployment could be to simply inject themselves, then move about heavily populated areas.

"So, now -- or soon -- is the moment. But this administration has to be carefully watched. It is fundamentally contradictory, enunciating a doctrine of unilateralism while reluctantly seeking a multilateral coalition against Iraq. It kissed off Congress and then embraced it. It is confusing. It is confused."

Here he seems to not understand simple political manuevering.