Saddam Hussein,
from Bush to Bush

By Ted Cordova

Finally, George W. Bush swore as President of the United States and virtual leader of globalization in the new world disorder.

Even in this relatively peaceful times, “Dubya” -as he is called with sarcasm by some American media, mixing the middle initial pronunciation with phonetics, will have to face several problems all over the Planet.

Press Pundits and public opinion polls sustained that he does not have the skills an experience as to assume the leadership of a Global world saturated whith a diversity of new and old problems.

Curiously enough, the current President Bush confronts the same problem that his father left in 1992, the unfinished war against Iraq's leader Saddam Hussein.

A recent front page report in The New York times, Jan 22, revealed that one decade after the end of the Gulf War, Iraq has rebuilt its massive destruction weapons factories and production systems.

Ten years after the proclaimed and celebrated military victory in the Gulf War, Hussein remains in place, and posses problems to the new president Bush that are far more complex than the ones faced by his father.

Before taking office, George W. Bush said that his administration would not tolerate an Iraq rearmed with nuclear, chemichal or biological weapons.

”The new century should be spared of new horrors”, Bush sentenced.

Yet, it will not be easy. The international conditions have changed. There is no longer a strong coalition with the participation of some arab countries, like in the Gulf war.

The Arab world seems to believe now that the main problem a the beginning of the new Century is the suport for the Palestine case of independence, than a threat from Iraq.

Iraq maintains its strong anti-American voice in the Organization of Petroleum Exporter Countries, and has strenghtened ties with oil producing partners, including Venezuela.

And in face of a new energy crisis, all sources are to be considered, including Iraq’s own oil output which remains an important reserve that eventually could help to balance petroleoum prices in the demanding Western market

Even the Euopean Union is loosening sanctions against Iraq, which, for some oil thirsty countries such as France an Italy, is an important buyer of planes, telecommnications, medicines food, cars and sophisticated products.

Even the United Nations is now out of the Iraq scenario, since it is no longer possible for th Organization to send inspectors of weapons factories to Iraq, without setting new rules, which implies negotiations practically starting from ground zero..

Form Bush to Bush, it makes a great difference for Iraq, when Hussein boasts that, after all, he won the “mother of all Battles".