Iraq Offensive a Tough Sell for Bush
Mon Aug 19, 5:33 PM ET
By TOM RAUM, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush ( news - web sites)'s case for ousting
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ( news - web sites) is turning into a tough sell,
drawing opposition from allies at home and abroad.
Some important members of the Republican
establishment are voicing caution and restraint, and
they, rather than Bush, are leading the public debate.
Furthermore, U.S. allies are lining up solidly against
such an operation.
The president says he will consult with others but will
make his decision "based on the latest intelligence."
Some administration officials suggest that means he
has new information on Saddam's activities he's not
ready to disclose. Other observers say it just
underscores that he hasn't made up his mind.
Bush and his advisers realize they've taken some lumps recently in the
public-relations debate, aides said, particularly after doubts were sown by
several respected Republicans including Brent Scowcroft, national security
adviser to Bush's father.
The White House is trying both to prepare the nation for a possible military
strike against Iraq and to calm restive fellow Republicans. White House
spokesman Ari Fleischer ( news - web sites) called the dissension among GOP
ranks "a constructive part of a process."
Aides continued to press the case for toppling Saddam. Senior officials met
recently with Iraqi opposition figures and the Pentagon ( news - web sites) was
moving heavy equipment into the Gulf region.
But resistance was mounting, too.
Bahrain — headquarters for the U.S. Navy ( news - web sites)'s 5th Fleet —
came out against a military operation. So did German Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder, strongly. And Russia, despite its support for the post-Sept. 11
antiterror coalition, readied a $40 billion economic cooperation pact with
Baghdad.
"An attack on Iraq at this time would seriously jeopardize, if not destroy, the
global counterterrorist campaign we have undertaken," Scowcroft wrote last
week in the Wall Street Journal. Given Scowcroft's close friendship with the
Bush family, and his usual reserve, the retired general's bluntness raised
questions and grabbed headlines.
Other Republicans urging caution include House Majority Leader Dick Armey of
Texas, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and Sens. Richard Lugar of
Indiana and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.
The vacationing Bush, who meets Wednesday on his Texas ranch with his top
military advisers, concedes that "some very intelligent people are expressing
their opinions" on the subject.
Two senior White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
Bush's "latest intelligence" comment last week referred to the fact that he and
his team are constantly reviewing information about Saddam's weapons
program and his possible role in terrorist operations.
The administration will reveal its evidence after Bush decides on a course of
action, they said.
The news could come from Britain. The officials noted that British Prime
Minister Tony Blair ( news - web sites)'s office issued the first comprehensive
indictment of al-Qaida last fall.
There is little evidence tying Iraq to the Sept. 11 terror attacks, but
administration officials suggested Saddam's links with other terrorist operations
were being scrutinized.
U.S. officials also did not rule out an interim step against Iraq, such as going
after suspected weapons plants sooner rather than later.
Anthony Cordesman, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies, said the lack of an administration consensus was helping to fuel a
stream of contradictory information on war plans.
"One thing people forget is that when you have a major contingency, and there
are a lot of uncertainties and risks, the U.S. government debates the issue at
virtually every level until the president makes a choice and you actually have to
begin action in some cohesive way," Cordesman said.
Differences persist between hard-liners like Cheney and Defense Secretary
Donald H. Rumsfeld, and the more moderate Secretary of State Colin Powell (
news - web sites).
The news that Powell was not invited to Wednesday's military strategy session
at Bush's ranch created a flurry of questions both at the State Department and
in Crawford, Texas.
Officials in both places insisted the meeting was to deal mainly with
longer-range military issues.
"There are no plans to attack Iraq on the president's desk," said State
Department spokesman Philip Reeker.
Michael O'Hanlon, a military analyst at the Brookings Institution, said he thinks
Bush's Iraq policy is still in its early stages — despite White House assertions
that time is of the essence. "I actually take him at his word that he hasn't
decided," O'Hanlon said. |
