USA between war and peace

by Ted Córdova Claure

To attack Iraq. Or not to attack.That is the question. It is the hamletian uncertainty in President Bush's feeble conception of global politics in the new world disorder he inherited from his father via the Democrat Clinton Administration.

The United States is involved today in a frenzy debate, between war and peace. War with Irak. And peace with itself.

While most of the public opinion is worried because of the rollercoaster of the economy in Wall Sreet, the Bush Administration has been leaking vague plans for a military attack to Irak or the intention to topple Saddam Hussein before he starts using his alleged arsenal of weapons of mass destruction against the rest of the World.

While there is a clear intention from the White House, to wage a war to topple Saddam from power, there are also advocates for peace and warnings of the risks of such a war at this moment of the History

There is also strong opposition in other parts of the World.The most blunt has been that of Germany's Socialdemocrat Chancelor, Gerhard Schroeder, a position that is beginning to be shared by most of the European Union.

The Bush Administration is planning a war on Iraq. Troop deployments indicate that it could come in October; a "surprise attack" could come even sooner. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is holding hearings this week to determine whether a military campaign to oust Saddam Hussein is necessary, but they appear to be a whitewash -- none of the people asked to testify are likely to argue against a war. Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other top officials continue to hone a war plan that will require up to a quarter million troops.

The Bush Administration contends that a war on Iraq is needed because Saddam Hussein possesses or is intent on acquiring weapons of mass destruction. But former Marine and UNSCOM weapons inspector Scott Ritter argues that the war is a product of domestic politics; along with other UN officials he maintains that Iraq's major weapons have been successfully erradicated. In response to questions about the basis for an Iraq campaign from NATO allies, Secretary Rumsfeld replied that "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."

According to an American Peace movement these are hardly solid grounds on which to wage a war that will likely: Cost thousands of American soldiers' lives; Kill many more Iraqi civilians, both through direct combat and through the eradication of crucial infrastructure;
Further destabilize the Middle East; Alienate America's closest allies, almost all of whom (except Great Britain) oppose an attack; Commit the military to a three-to-five year stay while Iraq rebuilds; and Cost in the tens of billions in taxpayer dollars.

The Senate hearings may be the last public forum in which serious questions can be raised about this upcoming conflict, so there is intnse pressurefrom peace movements are posing, thru the Internet questions that put in serious doubt the rationality of such a conflict.

Here are some sample questions.
-What is the concrete evidence that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction?
-How long will American troops be in Iraq? What's the objective? What's the plan to get out?
-Do the State Department and Secretary of State Colin Powell support this war? What about the top military brass?
-Why don't our allies support this war?
-If we attack, will Iraq find new allies in the region?
-How many Americans will die in such a war? Iraqis?
-How much money will such a war cost?
-Why is America now attacking without explicit provocation?

President Bush is seen by people in other countries as pursuing a strange foreign policy. This might be one of the prime problems of the new global disorder which, in fact, started during the Administration of Bush Senior.

Is the current President, using the satire of the great Canadian Comedian Mike Myers in his series of films on British special agent a-la-James Bond "Austin Powers", performing as a "mini-me" of the previous president Bush, the one who waged the first war gainst Sadam Husseins' Iraq, the so called Gulf War.

BIP