The British Government lacks the courage of its convictions in this venture. It is pursuing low-cost, low-risk machismo. It is doing something relatively easy, but obscenely cruel, to avoid having to do something hard but sensible. This would be to admit that a decade of anti-Saddam strategy has failed and sanctions should end. Bombing and sanctions have merely entrenched him, and worsened the impoverishment of his people. British ministers keep saying they have no quarrel with the Iraqi people, only with Saddam. Not so. There are two quarrels. One is with Saddam, which he is winning. The other is with the Iraqi people, which they are losing. They are the ones Britain is bombing
Correct argument, incorrect conclusion. Saddam has deliberately starved his people so he can win the propaganda war, based on arguments just like this. The correct conclusion is not to end the sanctions, thus making his victory complete, but to go to war and oust him.
Personally, I'd bet that the Iraqi troops would surrender to camera crews even faster this time than last. |
