America has both the will and the way

National Post ^ | April 16 2003 | Hugo Gurdon

[knighthawk]

WASHINGTON - Ain't it just the way -- I take a week off and the Anglophone good guys win another war before I'm back.

Who's surprised? I am, a little. When I wrote last -- two weeks ago -- I said reports of setbacks were nonsense, the war was going splendidly and would be over nicely within the Bush administration's prediction of "weeks not months." But I did not realize quite how nicely -- a full five weeks early.

Those who (as usual) got everything wrong are now backfilling their ludicrous predictions of quagmire and terrible loss. Even The Washington Post, which has been far less skeptical of U.S. action than many others, especially The New York Times, spent the weekend analyzing what it decided were "unexpected successes" after a "confused start."

But surprises were at the micro level; victory was utterly predictable, and predicted by many -- notably, the White House. The only people confused were the Iraqis and that section of the media predisposed to confusion.

General Tommy Franks, commander of Operation Iraqi Freedom, came up with a brilliant plan that turned Gulf War One on its head. He launched the land war without a preliminary air war and was rewarded with the fastest military conquest in the history of modern warfare -- faster than the German race across France in 1940, and that's saying something. Anglo-American forces had tactical surprise throughout. There were no setbacks -- there wasn't time.

Two questions are now being asked, reasonably enough. Where are the illegal weapons of mass destruction? And where is Saddam Hussein?

The answer to the first question is that the weapons are in Iraq, but small samples of them have been sent to several countries for testing. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld explained to journalists on Capitol Hill last Friday that reporters embedded with military units had reported discoveries of suspicious munitions but because his department does not work to news deadlines it cannot yet confirm the suspicions. Be patient -- confirmation will come.

And Saddam? He's dead.

I've suspected this ever since the night of March 19, when hostilities opened with satellite guided bombs punching holes through the roof and floors of a Baghdad palace, and through four of the six feet of concrete bunker beneath. Cruise missiles arrived shortly after the bombs had done their work, and slotted neatly down the holes that the bombs had dug for them, smashing through the remaining two feet of concrete and whizzing up the contents.

I don't know for sure that Saddam's a goner, but I do know the White House has plenty of evidence pointing that way. The best comes from the Baghdad spy who triggered the attack by telling his U.S. paymasters that Saddam was in the palace with senior aides. Following the liberation of Baghdad, this intelligence source has been debriefed and has reported to the Bush administration that Saddam was carried away on a stretcher, his face blue. Nothing has been seen or heard from him since, unless you count that dubious appearance among worshipful crowds a few days later by a chap who looked similar to the dictator.

From the first day of the war, U.S. intercepts of Iraqi military communications had an oddly one-sided quality. As the British and American forces pulverized Iraq's regular army and Republican Guard, urgent questions kept being sent up the chain of command to Baghdad. But no answers ever returned down the chain. It was as though the head of the beast had been cut off. Well, it probably had. Syria is harbouring several senior Iraqi government leaders -- Washington has warned Damascus on the matter -- but the evidence is that Saddam is not among them.

So, where do matters stand now? The war is won, confirmation of illegal weapons can be confidently expected, and Saddam is no more.

What else? Well, imagine you are in charge in Damascus, or Khartoum or Tehran. You're probably feeling fairly cowed by the televised demolition of Saddam's tyranny. You knew the United States was powerful, but not that powerful. It's chastening and you think maybe it would be a good idea not to stick your head above the terrorist parapet. Indeed, you wonder if there's anything you can do to smooth Uncle Sam's brow when he turns his basilisk stare in your direction.

More than that. You now know not only that the United States has such power, but also that it has a leader willing to use it.

No one can now doubt that the United States now has both the will and the way -- a most satisfactory outcome in exchange for three weeks' hard pounding by the forces of democracy.

Hugo Gurdon is editor-in-chief of The Hill.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[Desecrated]

We now negotiate from a position of strength, not one of appeasement and hoping psychotic dictators "play nice." This is a lesson that should not have been lost on the world, Europe especially.

[headsonpikes]

The Frogs and Sand-Frogs are going to be wishing they'd never twisted America's tail.

[facedown]

...especially The New York Times, spent the weekend analyzing what it decided were "unexpected successes" after a "confused start."

The NYT is becoming a joke.

[DelmarvaMike]

It's chastening and you think maybe it would be a good idea not to stick your head above the terrorist parapet. Indeed, you wonder if there's anything you can do to smooth Uncle Sam's brow when he turns his basilisk stare in your direction.

Great article. I also loved the Harry Potter reference to the basilisk. Just as in the Harry Potter series, good will triumph over evil.

[knighthawk]

I thought they already were.