So, are you saying we are the world's policeman? Or can any country enforce UN resolutions?
We are, in many instances, the world's policeman, of course. There really isn't anyone else capable of doing the job.
However, in this case, it wasn't us acting as the world's policeman.
Saddam had entered into a cease-fire agreement pursuant to UN Resolution 687 in 1991. The conditions of the cease fire were detailed and agreed to by Saddam as the Iraqi government. Almost immediately, the Iraq government began violating the cease fire agreement, and the UN failed to respond. Resolution 1441 in 2000 detailed the other resolutions which had been ignored by Saddam since the cease fire agreement was executed and demanded full compliance therewith.
The instant Saddam first violated Resolution 687, America was within its rights to act to restart the war. Over the ensuing 9 years, Iraq violated no fewer than 12 specific resolutions, any one of which constituted a breach of Iraq's commitment to end the Gulf War and which reinstated America's right and obligation to change the regime.
World's policeman? I don't know. But Saddam had to be removed, should have been removed during the Clinton years, but Clinton was incompetent. So, it was necessary for the next competent president, Bush, to do what Clinton couldn't or wouldn't. |
