The principle that one can use force only to repel attack is childishly limited, especially in this era of highly destructive weaponry. Indeed, any serious breach of international law should require military action, insofar as international law means nothing if it is unenforceable, and therefore we had a perfect right to go into Iraq because it failed to live up to its disarmament obligations, giving a full and convincing account of the disposition of its prohibited weapons. France should have challenged the German reoccupation of the Rhineland, which violated the Versailles Treaty, in the mid- 30s, but instead it was passive, and encouraged Hitler towards greater provocations.
Additionally, we cannot sit by and do nothing about genocide or other humanitarian crimes because of the UN charter. It is shameful that the international community sat by, although forwarned, and permitted the slaughter in Rwanda, and I supported the military action on behalf of the Kosovo Albanians. There is a situation of moral exigency, where the crimes about to be committed are so heinous that contempt for formality is appropriate.
Finally, there is a due regard that a chief executive must have for the security of the citizenry, which cannot be handed off to some international body for disposition. We should expect that threats will be met with appropriate force, before they become dire. Obviously, we want solid intelligence to establish a reason to act, but we are not punishing a criminal in court, with its own protocols, but behaving to protect vital national interests.
Not only was the Saddam Hussein regime evil enough to warrant the liberation of its people, but it was clearly doing its best to avoid full disclosure, and making it clear to all candid minds that it was stockpiling and researching for some future attack on the US and its allies. For one thing, its neighbors could not resist its conventional military, so it was obvious that the US was the intended victim of its WMDs.
The idea that we should give the inspectors more time is ludicrous. Saddam dicked them around until the US became more threatening, and even then submitted yet another document that did not come close to disclosure. Meanwhile, the spring, which is hot enough, was coming, and then the summer, and there was a danger of losing morale or having some of our allies, like Qatar, undergo terrorist attack, and kick us out. The time was now. It was all up to Saddam, he blew it, boo hoo........ |
