NYT reports on US pledge to oust Saddam
August 11, 2002
Iraqi Opposition Gets U.S. Pledge to Oust Hussein for a Democracy
By MICHAEL R. GORDON
nytimes.com
"The main message was that the U.S. is seriously committed to regime change in Iraqi," Sharif Ali bin al-Hussein, one of the opposition leaders, said, referring to the discussions with Mr. Cheney and Mr. Rumsfeld.
"There is no decision on how and when, but the U.S. did stress it wants to maintain the territorial integrity and unity of Iraq and the establishment of the democratic rule of law," he added. "They support a democratic regime in Iraq. They would not support replacing one dictator with another."
Such a transformation could pay huge strategic dividends for American foreign policy, but it would also require a substantial effort to rebuild Iraq, including the development of new governing institutions.
Mr. Rumsfeld alluded to this vision of a new Iraq on Friday when he told reporters that the United States wanted to see an Iraq that did not develop weapons of mass destruction or threaten its neighbors, and which respected the rule of law and gave its citizens a voice in running the country. Such changes should be sought, he said, despite the criticism that the United States has made a half-hearted effort to build new institutions in Afghanistan after toppling the Taliban.
"Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if Iraq were similar to Afghanistan, if a bad regime was thrown out, people were liberated, food could come in, borders could be opened, repression could stop, prisons could be opened?" Mr. Rumsfeld said. "I mean, it would be fabulous." |
