I wrote the following piece as a newspaper column in March
of 2003 -- about 18 months after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and
during George W. Bush's incursion into Iraq.
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Due to a series of high-level blunders, the world has become
increasingly divided over the Iraq situation.
BLUNDER #1 – Ultimatum to friendly nations.
Shortly after the 9/11 tragedy, President George Bush made a
speech where he announced to the world that “you’re either for us or against
us.” This gross error of judgement caused a great deal of resentment. No nation
wants to be put into a position where they are required to either join someone
else’s battle or automatically become associated with the opposing forces.
There are, and always have been, nations that prefer to remain neutral whenever
other countries go to war. Individual nations should be allowed to have their
own viewpoint without being coerced.
BLUNDER #2 – Guilt by association.
Simply because a couple dozen crazed zealots rammed a few
airplanes into our buildings doesn’t mean that the country of Iraq was
responsible for the attack. No credible evidence has been presented to indicate
Saddam Hussein had anything to do with it. To the rest of the world, it looks
like the USA is taking out its 9/11 frustration on the wrong party.
BLUNDER #3 – Lack of proper focus.
Much of the bad publicity against Iraq has come in TV
briefings by government officials claiming Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass
destruction, cleverly hidden, which he intends to use on innocent people. They
insist they know for certain that the weapons exist but aren’t willing to say
how they know or point out where they may be hidden because of national
security. If we truly know where some of these weapons are located, reveal the
whereabouts and let’s get on with it. And to keep harping that Saddam Hussein
has evil intentions is meaningless unless you can explain how you can read his
mind.
BLUNDER #4 – The time lag.
The Gulf War ended in 1991 with Iraq agreeing to disarm
itself of certain types of weapons. UN inspectors were to oversee the
disarmament. Eventually, Iraq failed to cooperate and expelled the inspectors
in 1996. The Clinton Administration (1992-2000), more concerned with Lewinsky
matters, failed to react properly at the time, allowing Iraq to flaunt UN
mandates. Twelve years have now passed. Many people no longer perceive Iraq to
be an imminent threat and question the urgency for a preemptive attack.
BLUNDER #5 – Historical misconceptions.
Many people blame the whole problem on George Bush Sr. for
not marching into Baghdad during the 1991 Iraqi War and capturing Saddam
Hussein. Basically, he had no choice. The UN mandate was to remove the Iraqi
Army from Kuwait. The only way certain Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi
Arabia, would agree to allow US Armed Forces to use their countries as staging
areas was if the USA agreed not to march on Baghdad.
BLUNDER #6 – The trade factor.
There was a business trade show in Baghdad last year.
Representatives from 81 French companies attended, seeking business connections
with Iraq. France currently supplies spare military parts and other goods to
Iraq. Turkey allows Iraqi oil across its border in violation of UN sanctions.
Hussein has promised vast quantities of oil to France, Russia and China when
the oil embargo is lifted. The fact that France, Turkey, Russia and China are
resistant to a war with Iraq is primarily motivated by greed.
BLUNDER #7 – Global perceptions.
Iraq is in clear violation of UN sanctions. But too much
time has passed and second thoughts are creeping in. If the USA invades Iraq
without UN approval, the USA will be perceived as a global bully instead of a
freedom fighter -- we will win a war and lose our prestige. The whole thing is
now a colossal mess, a no-win situation, with too many potential adverse
consequences.
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In retrospect, many people now believe the USA make a major
blunder by initiating a war against Iraq shortly after the events of September
11, 2001. But once we entered into armed conflict in the Middle East, those in
power had made too many blunders to turn back.
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Quote for the Day -- “When
you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill
___________
Bret Burquest is the author of 11 books. He
lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where tomorrow is a new day
with no blunders in it yet.
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