CRUSH! KILL! DESTROY!
Posted on 03/16/2003 2:38:58 PM PST by Pokey78
For all the leaders at the summit in the Azores, it was important to keep all options on the table — at least in public. The Americans said beforehand that there would be “no declaration of war”. Downing Street insisted that the meeting at Lajes airbase was not a council of war, but a last chance to let diplomacy work. And José María Aznar, the Spanish Prime Minister, brushed aside suggestions that the statesmen were looking at ways of withdrawing the resolution they were hoping to put before the United Nations Security Council. Going the extra mile, even now, was still vital in winning over world opinion and their own restless electorates for the inevitable conflict. All the signals, however, were that most of the options had already been closed and the diplomatic track had run its course. France has a few more hours to withdraw its threat to veto the resolution; but, in the words of George Bush after the summit, today “is the moment of truth for the world”. Colin Powell called on Saddam Hussein to leave Baghdad, but said he believes this to be extremely unlikely. Instead, he said, it was time for the weapons inspectors to leave. And José Durão Barroso, the Portuguese host of the meeting, put the likelihood of a resolution without military action as “very low — less than 1 per cent”. Saddam’s moment of truth will probably come within days. He knows it, and divided Iraq into four military districts at the weekend. Three have probably already been written off, as he knows that he cannot count on the loyalty of his ill-equipped army. Significantly, however, he has placed his younger son Qusay in charge of the Baghdad-Tikrit area, the Government’s power base, and is clearly hoping that clan loyalty and the Republican Guard, under Qusay’s command, will put up a dogged last-ditch stand. But away from the likely battlefield the posturing continues. Iraq’s invitation to Hans Blix to return to Baghdad and hints of more disclosures on weapons of mass destruction will fool no one. France, Russia and Germany proposed an equally futile initiative, embracing the Chilean call for a three-week delay to give Saddam a new “realistic” timetable for disarmament. The Americans are now deaf to anything coming from a country that General Powell said had “not been that helpful in applying maximum pressure to Saddam Hussein”. President Bush is not deaf, however, to the warnings that the transatlantic alliance is now dangerous strained. One aim of the summit has been to look at how Nato can survive this almost fatal undermining of its cohesion. He still needs the backing of his allies — however nominal they are proving — in the War on Terror. He is serious about the launch soon of a new Middle East peace initiative. And the European leaders at the summit cannot afford a lasting and dangerous rift with France and Germany. The same thought may perhaps account for the wholly insincere suggestions from President Chirac and his Foreign Minister that France may now be ready to compromise on the various last-minute amendments suggested for a second resolution. It is far too late for that. Britain may find it hard to admit that the resolution is dead but Gordon Brown made clear yesterday that Britain needed no new legal basis for going to war. It is now abundantly clear that there are not the votes for a second resolution, no matter how it is phrased or amended. What matters now is how to end the fruitless bickering in the Security Council and co-ordinate the preparations for attack. The past two weeks have seen the United Nations and Western resolve humiliated — by Iraqi intransigence, French posturing and British desperation for a resolution. The Azores summit has drawn a line under all that and cleared the decks for war.
Ditto -Let's Roll!
President Bush's resolve was never in doubt. Now we'll see about the French resolve. I suspect we'll know by this time tomorrow.
With us moving our bases to the eastern european countries I expect that a lot of US investment will follow. This will open up new markets for Britain, Spain, Portugal, Italy etc. In addition, the newly prosperous Iraq will have market opportunities for them as well. I seriously doubt that France or Germany will get more than token opportunities from the Iraquis once they figure out the part those two countries played in trying to keep the Iraquis under the thumb of Saddam.
This is all going to be very interesting.
I hope a successful war campaign will help us forget about the diplomatic fiascos of the last two weeks.
After all, victors always write history.
Was that an actual warning, or just a comment he threw out?
I don't feel quite so strongly about the British push for a second resolution. It's okay to try for some international unity, and even to try very hard. But The Times is right: it is now time to deal with it.
I think it's proof that all of these countries see the US under Bush as a winner. France and Germany want to stop it, and everyone else is trying to climb on the bandwagon.
I ignore Putin - he has problems at home. He'll be on the bandwagon as soon as he can.
It was a throwaway line, and the precise quote wasn't quite like that, if I recall.
The actual warning to inspectors will actually come through the UN, probably when we tell Kofi Annan to pass the word.
I'm curious whether it will be publicized immediately, or whether they'll suddenly try to slip out of Iraq.
CRUSH! KILL! DESTROY!
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.